No subject in all of religion attracts as much controversy as the place of punishment we call hell. The idea that some people will suffer for ever breaks hearts, calls people to action and drives people away from faith. Yet for all our strong feelings about hell, most of us do not have a clear understanding of it. What, exactly, is hell- a real lake of fire and torture or something else? What is its purpose? Who ends up in hell, and can they ever escape? Drawing on the teachings of Scripture, his own experience and the thoughts of Christians who have come before, the author examines both traditional doctrines and alternate understandings of what hell really is and how it affects our lives