Augustine of Hippo on the final state of the lost
Eternal conscious punishment
"The eternal death of the wicked... shall abide for ever, and shall be common to them all... just as the eternal life of the saints shall abide for ever."
THE POSITION
Eternal conscious punishment for the wicked, argued at length against those who denied punishment could really be eternal — life and death are pictured as equally without end. But punishment is not uniform: Augustine states explicitly that the mildest condemnation falls on those who die with original sin alone and no actual sin added, and that degrees of misery vary by guilt. Eternal for everyone, graded in severity.
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
20 OTHERS HOLD THIS
See all 23 figures on the final state of the lost →ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Bishop of Hippo. The single most influential theologian in Western Christianity; both Catholic and Reformed traditions claim him. Anti-Pelagian works, the Enchiridion, and On Baptism Against the Donatists.
Cite this page
"Augustine of Hippo on the final state of the lost", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/augustine/final-state (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/augustine/final-state).