St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Aug 2024)
Jesus’ Descent into Hell
Abstract
The Apostles’ Creed affirms that, between his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ descendit ad inferna, ‘descended to the realm of the dead’ or, more traditionally, ‘descended into hell’. Christians across time and history have expressed particular interpretations of this clause in liturgy, iconography, and formal doctrinal statements. The Creed was developed during the early patristic period. Exactly when and why the so-called ‘descensus clause’ became part of the Creed is uncertain. What is certain, however, is that, despite its ambiguous inclusion in the Creed, the belief in Christ’s descent into hell is among the earliest and most widespread of Christian beliefs in the first few centuries after the death of Jesus. Nevertheless, the creedal clause became the focus of intense theological discussion at certain times, and was almost ignored at others. This entry examines the scriptural basis of the clause and its development as part of the Creed. It then summarizes various interpretations of the clause by looking at significant writers in those periods when it was the subject of debate. Although it is likely the clause was formally inserted into the Creed as a counter to heterodox christological beliefs such as Apollinarianism, its contemporary significance lies in its affirmation of Christ’s genuine death and therefore of his resurrection, as opposed to a revivification. If Christ descended to the state of death, and experienced the worst of human suffering – ‘hell’ – it would mean that believers are never alone in suffering and give them hope in the midst of whatever hell they may face.
