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Hell in Scotland: A Survey of Where the Nation's Clergy Think Some Might Be Heading

Whereas the popular image of Scottish clergy was once that of the fervent, censorious, pulpit-thumping preacher the caricature is now the lugubrious, hen-pecked and bumbling Rev I.M. Jolly brought to life on television by the comedian, the late Rikki Fulton. The fire and brimstone may largely have been extinguished but the beliefs that many Scottish clergy hold concerning the potential horrors that await 'the lost' continue to be dark and forbidding. All will not be well, if the majority of Scotland's clergy are to be believed. This paper reports findings from a survey of Scotland's ministers into what their beliefs as to what lies beyond the grave for those who find themselves outside of salvation. We look to the official positions of the Scottish denominations to set the findings in a doctrinal context. We then evaluate the available literature that offers a pastoral response to the implications of believing in hell and/ or its torments. Pastoral experience (from a number of years' ministry in such a context) illuminates how this doctrine works on the ground and will suggest areas of concern and further research.