Religious Research

Religious Research

A Critical Analysis of Schleiermacher’s and Jonathan Edwards’s Views on the Effect of the Torments of the Damned on the Bliss of the Blessed

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Hamid Khosravani 1
Abedin Darvishpour 2
1 PhD Graduate in Islamic Theology, Shahid Motahari University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
10.22034/jrr.2025.497196.2253
Abstract
This article aims to examine and critique the contrasting views of Jonathan Edwards and Friedrich Schleiermacher on an important issue in the philosophy of religion, namely, the relationship between the inhabitants of Heaven and Hell. According to Edwards, the blessed’ awareness of the suffering of the damned not only explains divine justice but also deepens their pleasure and satisfaction. By contrast, Schleiermacher challenges this view by appealing to concepts such as divine mercy, human dignity, and psychological conflict. Employing an interpretive method and an analytical-critical approach, this article elucidates the theoretical foundations of both views and examines their epistemological, ethical, and theological limits and implications. The findings of the study indicate that, despite their epistemological and theological differences, both views face conceptual shortcomings in providing a comprehensive and just account of the relations among the inhabitants of the afterlife. Accordingly, the article argues that rethinking the meaning and possibility of eschatological blessedness requires a more comprehensive alternative framework that integrates justice, mercy, and awareness.
Keywords
Schleiermacher
Jonathan Edwards
Heaven
Hell
the Blessed
Divine Justice
Divine Mercy
Subjects
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