Christ the Conqueror of Hell

Christ the Conqueror of Hell: The Descent into Hades from an Orthodox Perspective

by Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev — 231 pp. paper $21.00

Christ’s descent into the realm of the dead may seem, at first glance, like an interesting if negligible detail in the drama of salvation—an apocryphal account that fills in the gap between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. Russian theologian Alfeyev demolishes any such impression, arguing that the “harrowing of hell” constitutes not only established Church doctrine but an event of cosmic significance for the human race. Christ entered Sheol (the underworld) as conquering king, trampling down death’s sovereignty and preaching salvation to its captives. A major soteriological question—did Christ enter Hades to save only the Old Testament righteous, or did His offer of salvation extend to all the departed—occupies the latter half of the book. Alfeyev situates the rather oblique New Testament references to the event (1 Peter 4:6, Matthew 27:52-53) within an astonishingly rich context: early Christian texts, some recently discovered, others never translated into Greek from Syriac or Ethiopic; patristic teachings, in both East and West; and the liturgical poetry of Ephraim the Syrian and Romanosthe Melodist. Although firm answers remain elusive, Alfeyev notes that a preponderance of texts, particularly in the East, assert that Christ left Hades entirely deserted. Alfeyev’s nuanced approach encourages us to reflect more deeply on the tremendous power of free will, the ever-present choice to follow Christ.