The Evolution of the Afterlife Part 1: The Underworld and Hell

What happens to us after we die? Christianity tells us that we are headed either to heaven or hell, depending on our behaviour on Earth during our lives. But what is less known is that the Bible doesn't talk so clearly about the afterlife. Indeed, much of what we believe about the afterlife took shape after the Bible was completed, and even contradicts what is in the Bible ( such as much of the detail about hell). In this two part video series, we take a look at how the idea of the afterlife evolved during the time the Bible was being written. In this first installment, we look at the earliest ideas about the underworld, and how they evolved into the idea of hell. This talk was recorded in October of 2025. It is led by Rev. Stephen Milton of Lawrence Park Community Church in Toronto, Canada.