The Harrowing of Hell

This article is a systematic theological discussion and evaluation of the contemporary use of Christ’s descent into Hades in relation to the salvation of adherents of other religions. It does this by linking this article of the Apostles’ Creed to its historical roots and evolution of the idea in the history of church and theology. We start with a discussion of the origin of the conviction that Christ descended into Hades and what its major interpretations were. Next, we give both a historical sketch of the relation between Christ’s descent and the salvation of non-Christians and an evaluation of a contemporary proposal that Christ’s descent plays a role in the salvation of adherents of other religions. Finally, we evaluate this locus theologicus in the light of the conviction that salvation is mediated socio-historically, and we close with an alternative proposal about the intermediate state.

The article is an attempt to apply the category of a recapitulation in a mystery play (A. Dąbrówka's concept) to research on the History of the Glorious Resurrection of the Lord and to demonstrate the dramaturgic potential of the two apocryphal scenes of Christophany in part IV.
In the first part of the article, the author explores the possible reasons for the fact that Mikołaj of Wilkowiecko was silent about the Gospel of Nicodemus as the surest source of the scene of Christ's descent into hell. The author searches for these reasons in the counter-reformation atmosphere of the time when the text was written and among the tensions resulting from the presence of this apocryphal motif in the Creed. Further on, the author considers the dramaturgic potential of the „descensus ad inferos” scene and the so-called "second Annunciation" (Christ appearing to his Mother just after resurrection and harrowing of hell, Et prima vidit), combining their dynamism and humor, as well as the specificity of the language and actions of the characters with the recapitulating dimension of the mystery play, calculated on the lively impact of the theatrical truths of faith on the audience.

The Evangelium Nicodemi is one of the most famous and important apocryphal of Western Middle Ages. The stories of the Passion of Christ and of the Harrowing of Hell had a big success, as evidenced not only by the wide manuscript tradition of the latin gospel but also by its many vulgar translations, by its rearrangements and by its reworking in other texts. The diffusion of the Evangelium  Nicodemi has involved the introduction of particular topoi in the mentality of the European Middle Age. Unlike the studies concerning the extra-romance areas, the Romance Studies have shown a new interest in the Nicodemian apocryphal translations just in the last few years. Nevertheless, much still remains to be done, both in terms of textual criticism and in terms of interpretation. This paper investigates the features of the medieval reception of the Evangelium Nicodemi in the Romance area: it provides
an overview of metric translations and presents the first results of an analysis on the possible interferences between the different romance translations. A special place is intended to the question on the contexts of production and use of the texts. Moreover, starting from textual and codicological reflections, the contribution sheds light on the process of textual “adaptation”: on the ability of the text to re-create
itself according to the public expectation.

Karl Tamburr has written an encyclopedic survey of the theme of the Harrowing of Hell—Jesus’s descent to the dead after the Crucifixion—in the art, drama, and literature of the Middle Ages, particularly medieval England. More a compendium than an argument, this volume is designed, in its author’s words, as a set of ‘‘interrelated essays’’ that ‘‘reflect the larger trends’’ of the theme from the Anglo-Saxon period to the post-Reformation era (ix). Although the chapters’ many cross-references result in a good deal of repetition, Tamburr has made a valuable contribution in his summaries of church history and in his careful descriptions and close readings of English art and literature on this theme. In his first chapter, ‘‘The Harrowing of Hell and the Easter Liturgy,’’ Tamburr links treatments of the Harrowing in sacred art and in drama. He relates the origins of the Christian tradition of the Harrowing and its appearance in Christian liturgy, especially in the rituals at Easter and at baptisms, as well as in liturgical drama. For example, he offers a clear and enticing explanation of the playing space in the fourteenth-century Harrowing of Hell play at Barking. This chapter establishes a point emphasized frequently in the book, that the Harrowing story is often treated as transcendent, looking ‘‘both backwards and forwards in time’’ (13). The second chapter, ‘‘The Deliverance of the Righteous and Christ as Warrior-King,’’ details the theology of the Harrowing, including the idea that the devil ‘‘forfeited’’ the souls contained in hell because of the Crucifixion. This section concentrates on Augustine, Jerome, and other church fathers, including Ælfric. As Tamburr explains, Old English sermons and poetry follow the example of the earlier church fathers in recognizing types

The article reflects upon the scene of the Descent into Hell from Historyja o chwalebnym Zmartwychwstaniu Pańskim, in the theological context. The reading of the Easter mystery play from the perspective of the Church fathers and Medieval writers is explained by the author himself, Mikołaj from Wilkowiecko (16th century). The conflict between God and Satan, the climax of the mystery play, is presented from three angles: as a dialogue of the omniscience and ignorance, a battle of the omnipotence and impotence and a dispute between law and chaos.

Los programas musivos de carácter litúrgico del Centro Aletti reflejan una fusión entre tradición y contemporaneidad. Entre las fuentes iconográficas procedentes de la tradición, se percibe la influencia del arte bizantino. El estudio de la historia del icono nos permite ahondar en su sentido y comprender su presencia en estos mosaicos. En el presente artículo se analiza la recuperación de la iconografía bizantina, así como de los Padres de la Iglesia, en las obras del Centro Aletti, en especial, en la reinterpretación que su director, Marko Ivan Rupnik, realiza del descenso de Cristo a los infiernos.

Exploration of what has traditionally been referred to as the "Christian elements" in Beowulf, with focus on structural and imagistic comparisons in medieval liturgy and iconography. Presented at Old English Discussion Circle, SAMLA conference (5 Nov. 1976), in Atlanta, GA.

One of the most controversial phrases in the Apostles’ Creed, currently disputed on both textual and theological grounds, is “he descended to the dead.” This essay will argue that, rather than being a phrase easily disposed of, this reference to Christ’s time in the tomb is an indispensable affirmation of the atonement’s eschatological character. The burial of Jesus is his embodiment of the already/not yet tension that now pervades the cosmos and the Christian life; his Sabbath rest after his finished work on Good Friday, anticipating the new creation on the eighth day; and his sleep, which reminds Christians that even though we fall asleep our bodies too will be raised at his coming. Holy Saturday is thus thoroughly eschatological and therefore demonstrates that, more broadly, atonement in its entirety should be located in part within eschatology.