Abstract
The early medieval Christian apocalypse is one of the most penetrating modern discussions of theodicy to indicate that the apocalyptic literature was a vehicle for some profound theological concerns in relation to divine justice and mercy. This chapter aims to trace these concerns through the whole tradition of the Jewish and Christian apocalypses, a literary and theological tradition spanning more than a millennium. The continuity and, in many respects, conservative nature of the tradition will justify a method of identifying stock themes which recur in apocalyptic literature. The apocalyptic idea of the punishment of the wicked in hell owes its origin and popularity to a problem of theodicy. The typical Sitz im Leben, at least of the early texts, is persecution, and the damned are concretely the persecutors of God's faithful people and/or the apostates who have escaped persecution by denying their faith.Keywords: apocalyptic literature; damned; early medieval Christian apocalypse; God's justice; God's mercy
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