The concept of purgatory arose from practices of prayer for the dead. In an
inÀ uential passage Augustine prays that his readers will join him in praying
for his dead mother—which means her soul must be neither in heaven nor
hell, but a state in which it can be helped.
Purgatory is a place of temporal punishment, in contrast to the eternal
punishment in hell. It has the character of purgation or puri¿ cation, cleansing
the soul from sinful habits and desires to make it worthy of God. In the
most important interpretations of purgatory, it is a good place, where souls
embrace their painful puri¿ cation to cleanse their souls.
In the late Middle Ages, the doctrine of Purgatory invited abuses. Purgatory
was painted as hellish, inhabited by devils as torturers. Fear of purgatory was
used as a way of raising money by selling masses and “indulgences,” sort of
like time off from purgatory. Abusing the doctrine of purgatory eventually
triggered the Reformation. Ŷ
Augustine, Confessions, bk. 9 (concludes with Augustine asking his readers
to pray for his mother’s soul).
Catherine of Genoa, Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogues.
Dante, The Divine Comedy.
- How closely does the picture of the afterlife in this lecture resemble
what you think of as the traditional view of life after death? - Is the concept of purgatory, as a place of purgation for imperfect souls
advancing toward heaven, an attractive one to you?
Questions to Consider
Suggested Reading