Annihilationism

The annihilationism is a Doctrine shared by Christians of several Christian confessions. It relates to the eternal Vie, the Enfer and the heart. It is an alternative to the belief in the immortality of the heart, and both find their roots in the Bible.

The annihilationism (called sometimes Conditionalisme ) affirms that the hearts are not immortal, and that those of “malicious”, i.e. those which would not make what is right with the eyes of God, will not have to support a punishment eternal in Enfer, it in what it contrasts with the traditional belief, nor will not be saved, contrasts about it with the Christian Universalisme, but will be completely destroyed after the last Jugement.

According to holding of this thesis, in the conditionalism the fate of malicious is more lenient than in the case of the doctrines of the torment eternal. Indeed, not existing, the hearts do not suffer any more.

Christian authors and annihilationism

The large majority of the Christian authors, of Tertullien to Luther, supported the traditional designs of the hell. Nevertheless, the position annihilationist is not without historical support.

Among the Fathers of the primitive Church and the first authors Christian, one finds several defenders of the annihilationism. One can quote Justin Martyr (165), Athénagoras of Athens (towards 180), Theophilus d' Antioche (185) and Amobius (330).

The Second council of Constantinople (553) condemned this idea.

Since the Reform, the annihilationism periodically remade surface, in particular in the confession of faith of 1660 of the Baptistes.

Topicality of this design

Today, the doctrines are often associated with groups resulting from the theology of William Miller and adventist movement of the 19th century, by including the adventist Seventh Day, Étudiants of the Bible, the Témoins of Jéhovah and the other Christian Churches of origin Millerite.

A group of theologists evangelic S whose very famous author Anglican John Stott gave their support for these doctrines, by starting a passionate debate in the principal currents of Christianity evangelic.

More recently, from a sociological point of view, the integration of the adventist groups of Churches of the Seventh Day in the bosom of French Protestantism, brings a new interest for these designs.

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