Crossing the Chasm: Postmortem Salvation in Early Christian Tradition

This thesis will examine the concept of postmortem salvation – i.e., that one can be “saved” after death – as developed in a selection of New Testament and early Christian texts, including 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Corinthians 15:29, and the Apocalypse of Peter. Based on these texts and their reception among early Christians, this thesis will argue that belief in the possibility of postmortem salvation was considered acceptable by some early Christians prior to the rejection of this teaching by Augustine of Hippo (354-430) and other Western theologians.