| Abstract: | This paper explores popular beliefs about heaven and hell in the largely Presbyterian colony of Otago, New Zealand, during the second half of the nineteenth century. The heresy trials of two prominent clerics resulted, in large part, from the questioning of traditional doctrines on hell, particularly as they related to the fate of dead infants. Although fierce debate surrounded these trials, the diaries, letters, and headstones of Otago residents reveal a pervasive popular belief in heaven as the afterlife destination of all children and most adults. This reflected a growing focus on the innocence, rather than the original sin, of children, coupled with an increasing emphasis on the loving, rather than judgmental, characteristics of God. While clergy emphasized God's presence as the great pleasure of the afterlife, popular visions of heaven clung instead to the hope of joyful reunions with family and friends. |
