Medieval Civilization: Millennia in Microcosm Week 158

Join us for a compelling exploration of Kenneth Smith’s critique of Christian eschatology through the lens of divine teleology. In this session, we'll compare the Greek vision—where every individual is guided by a daimon sculpting justice and balance in life—with the Christian constructs of Heaven and Hell, which Smith portrays as strategic tools of spiritual self-interest rather than metaphysical truth. He argues that these doctrines morphed from a concern for the soul into mechanisms of fear, compulsion, and control, ultimately transforming grace into coercion. Drawing from classical Greek notions of moral proportion and character-shaped destiny, Smith highlights how Christianity’s afterlife theology can undercut inner freedom by converting spiritual navigation into performative compliance. Prepare to grapple with how spiritual rewards and punishments may distort rather than elevate the soul—and what ancient wisdom might offer in their place.
D. Divine Teleology, Heaven and Hell
https://kennethsmithphilosophy.com/end08.php