Is Hell for Real or Does Everyone Go To Heaven?

Christopher W. Morgan is professor of theology and dean of the School of Christian Ministries at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. Author/editor of ten books and a teaching pastor of Helendale Community Church, he and and his wife, Shelley, have been married for twenty years and live in Helendale, California.

Robert A. Peterson was professor of systematic theology at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is author or editor of twenty books, including Salvation Accomplished by the Son: The Work of Christ (Crossway, 2012), Our Secure Salvation: Preservation and Apostasy (P&R Publishing, 2009), and, coedited with Christopher Morgan, Hell Under Fire (Zondervan, 2004).

Is Hell for Real or Does Everyone Go to Heaven?, edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson, includes essays by Timothy Keller, Al Mohler, J.I. Packer, and Robert Yarbrough. It's a factual and informative book that covers topics relating to Hell and what happens after we die. The contributing authors discuss different perspectives on Hell in today's culture versus what the Bible has to say about it. Eternal damnation and Hell have never been easy topics to talk about, but these authors combine to discuss the truth about it. All the authors view Hell as a real place with real consequences.

The sections in this book include a look at how perspectives of Hell have changed from Jesus' time, as well as views of what Jesus said and the Bible's depiction of Hell. The big question of, "Does everyone go to heaven?" is also answered. Each topic is covered extensively and in terms readers don't need a Ph.D. to understand. All of the authors do an excellent job of teaching the concepts of damnation, eternity, and judgment. They also have biblical references to support their arguments. The authors take their time and explain each concept in a thoughtful and provoking manner.

Each section has a lesson to take away that can be applied to everyone's faith walk. The appendix includes advice from Timothy Keller on how to teach or preach about Hell in today's culture. Today's culture tends to think that God is too loving to send people to Hell, even if they do not believe in God. Keller says, "We must explain how a God without wrath is a God without love" (p. 79). God is not only a loving father, but a righteous judge. Romans 3:5-6 says, "But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?" (NIV). God has every right to judge us; He created us. With the blackness of sin, God shines all the brighter.

Overall, this book is a great tool for teaching, provoking, and informing people about the realities of Hell. This book could be used for devotional readings, small group meetings, Bible studies, or as a preaching tool. The ideas in this book are helpful and convicting. Hell is real, and this book does everything possible to prove it. I would recommend this book to anyone who has any doubts about Hell or is simply curious. This book is helpful, eye opening, and insightful. It will make the reader reevaluate his views on salvation, condemnation, and eternity. Kailey Traylor, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com