Damnation as Marginalization

Abstract

Hell sounds unpleasant. It is hard to imagine that many people hope for damnation for eternity. For that matter, very few people likely hope to be damned to Hell even for a little while, as “damnation” implies everlasting torment and punishment in Hell. The term “damned,” however, does not just denote one’s occupancy in Hell; it also brings with it numerous and significant connotations. To be “damned” can mean many things, ranging from condemnation by God, inheriting the mark of Cain, or rejection by a particular religious institution. For our purposes, however, I wish to focus on those damned to Hell themselves. There is a point when this adjective does not so much describe a particular group as it does name them — the “Damned.” Somewhere in that liminal space between adjective and proper noun is the heart of the very concept of damnation. This core reveals the power of damnation not only as defining but also as marginalizing. Damnation, one realizes, is perhaps as one of earliest and most pervasive means by which to define, cast out, and commit justifiable harm to the Other.