The Politics of Hell

Zealots at the Gate

“Hell is actually pretty underrated. I mean it, when it comes to democratic life, a belief in hell is quite helpful.” Shadi kicked off a recent public lecture with this rather unexpected and provocative statement. In a time when democratic debate is becoming increasingly judgmental, where citizens wish to condemn and literally sentence one another to damnation, Shadi wonders (out loud) if a belief in a delayed judgment, one that belongs to God alone, could potentially lessen our need to exact total judgment in the here and now.