---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t…"
description: "\"“Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many descriptions of hell in the Bible, and the majority of images most people carry around in their hea..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png"
---

#  Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many…

![“Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many descriptions of hell in the Bible, and the majority of images most people carry around in their heads are from the fourteenth-century poem, which means that our contemporary view of hell is actually from the Middle Ages.” quote by Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png)

> ““Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many descriptions of hell in the Bible, and the majority of images most people carry around in their heads are from the fourteenth-century poem, which means that our contemporary view of hell is actually from the Middle Ages.””

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Modern images of hell stem from medieval poetry, not biblical texts.

**In simple terms:** Our hell image is medieval, not biblical.

Key Takeaway

Question sources of belief.

Themes

religion history mythology

Mood

inquisitive informative

Type

historical cultural analysis

When to use this quote

- theology study
- artistic design
- media literacy

Key Concepts

cultural transmission literary influence

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do medieval depictions dominate today?
- How does this affect moral perception?

A Different Perspective

Historical misconceptions persist.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Contrary to popular belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contrary-to-popular-belief/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Middle ages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-ages/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/)

## Related quotes

> [Contrary to popular belief, I'm not always trying to stand out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-massenet/contrary-to-popular-belief-i-m-not-always-trying-to-stand-out/)

[Natalie Massenet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-massenet/)

> [“Contrary to popular belief, my experience has shown me that the people who are exceptionally good in business aren't so because of what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-e-gerber/contrary-to-popular-belief-my-experience-has-shown-me-that-the-people/)

[Michael E. Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-e-gerber/)

> [Contrary to popular belief. It's much wiser to take money from the poor than the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-royko/contrary-to-popular-belief-it-s-much-wiser-to-take-money-from-the/)

[Mike Royko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-royko/)

> [“It is safe to assume that any individual or group you wish to influence has access to more wisdom than they currently use. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-simmons/it-is-safe-to-assume-that-any-individual-or-group-you-wish-to/)

Annette Simmons

> [“It is impossible to be hurt by someone you love contrary to popular belief. Only something or someone you fear can hurt you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-dodson/it-is-impossible-to-be-hurt-by-someone-you-love-contrary-to-popular/)

[Frederick Dodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-dodson/)

> [Contrary to popular belief or popular wishful thinking, love doesnt always end happily. It doesnt always result in the joining of two people, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/contrary-to-popular-belief-or-popular-wishful-thinking-love-doesnt/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Really, contrary to popular belief, I like to have a good time and not take myself too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/really-contrary-to-popular-belief-i-like-to-have-a-good-time-and-not/)

[Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/)

> [Contrary to popular belief, there are actually quite a few guys in the action sports community that have faith and are Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-goepper/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-are-actually-quite-a-few-guys-in-the/)

[Nick Goepper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-goepper/)

> [“Contrary to popular belief, alcohol does not destroy brain cells.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/contrary-to-popular-belief-alcohol-does-not-destroy-brain-cells/)

[Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/)

> [Contrary to popular belief, I don't go out very much. When I do go out, a lot of times it'll be to something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/contrary-to-popular-belief-i-don-t-go-out-very-much-when-i-do-go-out/)

[Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/)

> [“Our society has led us to believe that everybody is on the internet these days. Contrary to popular belief everyone is not on social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/our-society-has-led-us-to-believe-that-everybody-is-on-the-internet/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [Contrary to popular belief, I don't just play dreadful old villains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-curry/contrary-to-popular-belief-i-don-t-just-play-dreadful-old-villains/)

[Tim Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-curry/)

> [“Contrary to popular belief: Knowing where you are from will not really tell you where you are going. It will merely tell you why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/contrary-to-popular-belief-knowing-where-you-are-from-will-not-really/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Contrary to popular belief, there are lots of actions on the part of Jefferson and Hemings that "speak" about the basic nature of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-gordon-reed/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-are-lots-of-actions-on-the-part-of/)

[Annette Gordon-Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-gordon-reed/)

> [Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as an educated person. You are either learning or you are not. In today's world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-is-no-such-thing-as-an-educated/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

## More by Craig Johnson

> [“He swelled into the piece, his hand flat-hatting across the keyboard and thundering the lower notes like a trip-hammer. Finishing what I assumed was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/he-swelled-into-the-piece-his-hand-flat-hatting-across-the-keyboard/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“Good friends are the ones who can remain close without losing their ability to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/good-friends-are-the-ones-who-can-remain-close-without-losing-their/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“When you go to a dogfight, it’s always good to bring the meanest bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/when-you-go-to-a-dogfight-it-s-always-good-to-bring-the-meanest-bitch/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [The place was packed as we flooded in, all the patrons freezing at the sight of an armed sheriff, two deputies, an Indian, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/the-place-was-packed-as-we-flooded-in-all-the-patrons-freezing-at-the/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I thought about Maggie and how passion was a difficult thing to sustain, but that friendship had a pace that could go on forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-thought-about-maggie-and-how-passion-was-a-difficult-thing-to/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I don't trust people who don't like animals. Hell, animals are the finest people I know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-don-t-trust-people-who-don-t-like-animals-hell-animals-are-the/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“a beautiful, intelligent woman with a body like Salome and a mouth like a saltwater crocodile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/a-beautiful-intelligent-woman-with-a-body-like-salome-and-a-mouth/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I think insanity runs in the family. Hell, it practically gallops.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-think-insanity-runs-in-the-family-hell-it-practically-gallops/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I couldn’t help but remember the one at my parents’ place after they had passed. I’d gone through their things and hadn’t kept much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-couldn-t-help-but-remember-the-one-at-my-parents-place-after-they/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“Sons, they have their own plans, but a daughter or granddaughter, they will love you forever and take care of you in your old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/sons-they-have-their-own-plans-but-a-daughter-or-granddaughter-they/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“You will stand and see the good, but you will also stand and see the bad—the dead shall rise and the blind will see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/you-will-stand-and-see-the-good-but-you-will-also-stand-and-see-the/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“Little known fact: offensive tackles score higher on the Wonderlic than any other position.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/little-known-fact-offensive-tackles-score-higher-on-the-wonderlic/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and her book in my hands. Like a lot of things in my life, I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-leaned-forward-with-my-elbows-on-my-knees-and-her-book-in-my-hands/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“Small chains wound their way through the trigger guards with little bronze locks at the end of each row. It was like a chain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/small-chains-wound-their-way-through-the-trigger-guards-with-little/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [“I watched as the silver Mercedes without snow tires made its way up Fetterman taking a right on Aspen and thought about a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/i-watched-as-the-silver-mercedes-without-snow-tires-made-its-way-up/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

[Explore all 122 Craig Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

## More Bible quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/)

[Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/)

> [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/)

[Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/)

> [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/)

Michael Arnold

> [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/)

[Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/)

> [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/)

Robert A. Peterson

> [“The wife of a junior officer cooped up in a horrible canvas partition in steerage for five months wrote: "I had enjoyed much peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-taylor/the-wife-of-a-junior-officer-cooped-up-in-a-horrible-canvas-partition/)

Stephen Taylor

> [O Word of God incarnate . . . It is the golden casket Where gems of truth are stored; It is the heaven-drawn picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walsham-how/o-word-of-god-incarnate-it-is-the-golden-casket-where-gems-of-truth/)

Walsham How

> [How can I trust that the Bible is reliable?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/how-can-i-trust-that-the-bible-is-reliable/)

[Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/)

> [Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted with be uprooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus-christ/every-plant-which-my-heavenly-father-has-not-planted-with-be-uprooted/)

[Jesus Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus-christ/)

> [Where I come from you're not raised to think on your own. It's not that you're pushed to read the Bible. The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/)

[Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/)

> [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/)

[J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/)

> [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“While it is in one sense a result of God’s presence within us, the New Testament also describes a process involved in our “putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/while-it-is-in-one-sense-a-result-of-god-s-presence-within-us-the-new/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/)

[John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

[Browse all 8,465 Bible quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many descriptions of hell in the Bible, and the majority of images most people carry around in their heads are from the fourteenth-century poem, which means that our contemporary view of hell is actually from the Middle Ages.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Craig Johnson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t-that-many-descriptions-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bible"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t-that-many-descriptions-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15d/craig-johnson-3716_bible_contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t_1777922.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t that many descriptions of hell in the Bible, and the majority of…” — Craig Johnson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Craig Johnson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Contrary to popular belief, there aren’t...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t-that-many-descriptions-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/contrary-to-popular-belief-there-aren-t-that-many-descriptions-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
