The Harrowing of Hell

"The Harrowing of Hell" is an exhaustive and scholarly examination of one of the most intriguing doctrines in Christian history: the descent of Christ into the underworld. Drawing upon a vast array of sources, including early patristic writings, apocryphal gospels, and medieval literature, J. A. Macculloch traces the evolution of this belief from its earliest conceptual roots to its fully developed form in Western and Eastern traditions.

The work explores how the narrative of Christ's victo...