The teaching of Christ’s descent into Hades is an inseparable part of the dogmatic tradition of the Church. It was shared by all members of the ancient church as reflected in the New Testament (NT), the works of the early Christian apologists, fathers and teachers of the Church, ancient and later writers of both the East and West, as well as in the baptismal creeds, Eucharistic services and liturgical texts. One author writes: “It seems that the descent of Christ into Hades was by itself not contested in any Christian community in the early Church.

While the fact that the descent was not itself questioned by the representatives of church tradition, there did exist various and different interpretations of the event. Many writers maintained that Christ freed all who were held captive in hell, others thought that only the Old Testament righteous were liberated, and another group believed that only those who came to believe in Christ and followed him were saved. Finally, others held that Christ freed only those who had lived in faith and piety during their earthly lives. The first interpretation is most widely reflected in the liturgical texts of the Eastern Church: that Christ “emptied” hell and “not a single mortal” remained. The first and second opinions were endowed with equal authority in the Eastern Christian patristic tradition, but with the passing of the centuries the first gradually gave way to the second. In the Western tradition after Augustine, the second and fourth views were given preference.

What is universally endorsed is the teaching that Christ mortified death and destroyed hell. This is, however, understood in different ways. The Eastern liturgical texts and many of the Fathers speak of a total destruction of death and hell. Others are more specific, saying that death and hell continue to exist but only inasmuch as people’s evil wills encourage its existence. In the Western tradition the view that Christ’s death harmed hell but did not mortify it came into dominance and remains in dominance.

The significance of the descent into Hades has been evaluated in a variety of ways. In the West some have maintained that the descent into Hades was a “one-time” event that had significance only for those who were in hell when it happened. Certain Western writers even considered that the “memory” of Christ’s descent into Hades was not retained there. This is a perception that is entirely foreign to the Eastern tradition, in which the descent is truly seen as an event of universal significance. A great number of Eastern authors perceived Christ’s descent into Hades as an event of universal significance and some extended its saving action not only to past generations but also to all those who followed. The idea that all the dead received the opportunity to be saved is quite widespread among Eastern Christian writers, and it was only in the West where some authors labeled it heretical.

Belief in Christ’s descent into Hades and his preaching to the dead belongs to the realm of general church doctrine. This belief is based on the New Testament (NT), works of the church fathers and liturgical texts. It is, therefore as significant for our church today as it was for the Christian Church of early centuries. The teaching that Christ granted to all the possibility of salvation and opened for all the doors to paradise should also be considered general church doctrine. This teaching is confirmed by the vast majority of liturgical texts referring to the subject, as well as by works of many church fathers.

The teaching that Christ trampled death by His death, abolished the power of the devil and destroyed hell – a teaching based on the NT, liturgical texts and works of the church fathers – is general church doctrine. The devil, death and hell continue to exist, but their power over people is neither unconditional nor unlimited, for hell “reigns,” but “not for ever,” over the race of mortals. The opinion that Christ only “wounded” hell but did not mortify it should be considered a personal interpretation without authority for the entire church

Think about how we celebrate Pascha! Our liturgical tradition tells us that Christ DID conquer Death and He did destroy hell.