Official Review: Biblical Concept of Hell

[HannahsReads]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Biblical Concept of Hell" by William S. Hyland.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Biblical Concept of Hell is a theological nonfiction book by author William S. Hyland. This treatise examines descriptions of the afterlife in the Bible. It covers everything from the story of Adam and Eve to the end times in the Book of Revelation. The author uses these biblical examples to argue for the existence of distinctly different temporal, metaphoric, and spiritual hells.

The author's academic credentials lend a sense of authority to his work. I also appreciated the correct citations and depth of research that is evident throughout the book. The writing style is elegant and lofty; the author's depth of knowledge is made evident by the close reading he performs on any text he references. I was especially impressed by the fact that the author frequently employs the original Greek and Hebrew of the biblical texts.

I appreciated the academic rigor of this book. However, I found the intricate writing style to be overly complex at times. This example from page 34 demonstrates the complex—though grammatically correct—writing style: “This is one reason why careful reading of the Scriptures is necessary in order to recognize the subtle distinctions bridging the physical with the spiritual. A tool for comprehending these subtle shifts is dubbed by some reformed theologians as the “now-but-not-yet” concept, in which an event appears chronologically subsequent to a related one, while in reality, this subsequence is not immediate inasmuch as other related one(s) are to intervene first.” I also disliked the author’s habit of stacking long lists of evidence at the opening of his arguments without explaining the relevance of those sources. I would have liked the author to clearly state his main point, follow up that statement with the evidence, and then finish with the close reading of the source material to explain how it relates to the overall argument. Finally, I noted enough typos while reading to indicate that this book needs further proofreading.

I would recommend Biblical Concept of Hell to readers who enjoy highly academic theological treatises. The author assumes a great deal of foundational knowledge on the part of his readers; he does not provide much explanation for anyone unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Christian faith. Readers of other faiths may find the exclusive beliefs expressed in this book to be offensive. The author also makes statements about marriage and sexuality that could be offensive to many readers.

I appreciated the wealth of research that is evident throughout this work. However, the writing style is overly complex and the author's arguments lack clarity. I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.

******
Biblical Concept of Hell
View: on Bookshelves

[Kelyn]

Not only do I avoid religion-based books, but it also sounds like the author's method of writing is mind-bogglingly complex. I don't appreciate having to dissect every sentence as I read it to understand what is being said. I'll be skipping this one. Thanks for the honest review!