23 Minutes in Hell
 |
This article is an orphan, as few or no other articles link to it. Please introduce links to this page from related articles; suggestions may be available. (December 2010) |
23 Minutes in Hell is a 2006 Christian book written by Bill Wiese and published by Charisma House.[1] The book is claimed to be non-fiction and recounts the author's alleged 23-minute-long experience in hell in 1998.[1] The book and the underlying story within it are the topic of a series of speaking tours given by Wiese, predominantly to churches and other Christian organizations.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Description
Wiese states that he had been a Christian since 1970, but had never studied hell before his experience[2] on the night of November 23, 1998.[3] According to the book, Wiese, then a real estate broker,[2][4] found himself in a cell approximately 15 feet (4.6 m) high and 10 feet (3.0 m) by 15 feet (4.6 m) in area, where there were two foul-smelling beasts, personifications of evil and terror, who spoke in a blasphemous language.[3] Wiese says that the creatures had strength approximately one thousand times greater than a man's strength.[3] According to Wiese, the beasts threw him against the stone wall, breaking his bones, and then ripped his flesh.[4]
Wiese states that he nevertheless managed to crawl out of his cell, where he heard the screams of the billions of damned people in hell.[4] He states that he then encountered Jesus, who told him to tell other people that hell is real.[3] Wiese states that his experience ended with him waking on the floor of his living room, screaming in horror.[3]
[edit] Response
23 Minutes in Hell spent at least three weeks on the extended New York Times Best Seller list for paperback nonfiction.[5][6][7]
The claims in Wiese's book have received sardonic reactions from some writers, both in the Christian and secular press. Rob Moll of Christianity Today, noting Wiese's statement that hell "was hot – far beyond any possibility of sustaining life", commented, "Thankfully, it being hell, everyone but Wiese had already died."[3] John Sutherland, writing about Wiese's book in the New Statesman, stated that Wiese "rather lamely" describes the sound of billions of people screaming as "annoying".[4]
Other writers have expressed even harsher views. Steven Wells wrote in the Philadelphia Weekly that "Wiese is either wrong or he's right. And if he's right, then God is an insane tyrant."[8] A writer for the Northern Iowan, a student newspaper at the University of Northern Iowa, described the book as "23 minutes of nonsense" and portrayed the book's success as a sign of the faults of Christianity and religion in general.[9]
On the other hand, Lawrence Yang, a columnist for the Filipino-American newspaper Asian Journal, devoted two columns to Wiese's book, treating it as an accurate description of hell.[10][11] Freelance writer Billy Bruce wrote in the Ironton Tribune, "I totally believe Bill Wiese’s vision and hope that many others will read his book, along with the Bible ... Read Bill Wiese’s book, 23 Minutes in Hell. Then, live your life like you don’t want to spend one second in that place."[12]
Wiese's experience started while sleeping in bed and culminated with him waking up at 3:23 AM (thus the title '23 minutes' in hell) which presumes the event began precisely at 3 AM. Wiese can offer no proof that the events were not simply "a bad dream" experienced by him.
Additionally, unlike other notable purported visions of an afterlife, Wiese's claimed vision was not the product of a near death experience, which is a medically-documented phenomenon. Thus, no objective basis for Wiese's experience exists, and as a result it is subject to claims of fabrication.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Author Of 23 Minutes In Hell Speaks At Word Of Life Church". The Chattanoogan. 4 September 2008. http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_134495.asp. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ a b "About Bill and Annette Wiese". SoulChoiceMinistries.com. http://www.soulchoiceministries.com/about.html. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f Moll, Rob (2006-05-30). "Travel Writing from the Afterlife". Christianity Today. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/article_print.html?id=38749. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d Sutherland, John (2006-05-22). "The American scene". New Statesman. http://www.newstatesman.com/200605220035. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "Paperback Nonfiction". The New York Times. 2007-06-17. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/17/books/bestseller/0617bestpapernonfiction.html. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ "Paperback Nonfiction". The New York Times. 2007-10-07. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/books/bestseller/1007bestpapernonfiction.html. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ "Paperback Nonfiction". The New York Times. 2007-10-14. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/books/bestseller/1014bestpapernonfiction.html. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ Wells, Steven (2008-01-30). "The War Against Error". Philadelphia Weekly. http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/on-the-radar/the_war_against_error-38464499.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ Krob, Nick (18 November 2010). "23 minutes of nonsense". Northern Iowan. http://www.northern-iowan.org/23-minutes-of-nonsense-1.2411247. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ Yang, Lawrence (2009-05-22). "Does hell exist?". Asian Journal (Los Angeles). http://www.asianjournal.com/consumer/atty-larry-yang/1905-does-hell-exist.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ Yang, Lawrence (2009-06-28). "Does hell exist?". Asian Journal (Los Angeles). http://www.asianjournal.com/consumer/atty-larry-yang/2176-does-hell-exist.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ Bruce, Billy (2009-08-04). "Does Hell scare you? It really should". Ironton Tribune. http://www.irontontribune.com/2009/08/04/does-hell-scare-you-it-really-should/. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
[edit] External links
- Excerpt from the book at Beliefnet.com (reprinted by permission of the publisher)
