Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Anne Conway on Heaven and Hell

Head

Authors



Abstract

This paper examines Anne Conway’s accounts of heaven and hell, as found in her only published work, The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy (1690). We see that Conway seeks to portray hell in a manner that she sees as more consonant with the postulation of a loving and just God, partly by denying eternal torment and emphasising the benefits that suffering brings to a creature. I also review Conway’s account of heaven, a realm of ‘perfect tranquillity’ in which creatures enjoy unity and harmony with Christ and other heavenly spirits. We see that Conway’s account of universal salvation in this heavenly state involves an increase of understanding of the world, a continuing process of perfection, and harmony with other heavenly spirits. Throughout the paper, I also consider Conway’s eschatology within the wider intellectual context of the revival of Origenist theology in her intellectual circle and the shifting framework of eschatological thought in the early Quaker community. By reading the Principles as responding to this context, we can deepen our understanding of the radical and original contribution Conway makes to the tradition of eschatological thought.

Citation

Head. (2022). Anne Conway on Heaven and Hell. https://doi.org/10.1163/2666318X-bja00011

Acceptance Date Oct 17, 2022
Publication Date Nov 3, 2022
Publicly Available Date May 4, 2024
Journal Journal of the History of Women Philosophers and Scientists
Print ISSN 2666-3171
Pages 119-139
DOI https://doi.org/10.1163/2666318X-bja00011
Public URL https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/424603
Publisher URL https://brill.com/view/journals/jhwp/1/2/article-p119_002.xml