As punições infernais: o sistema de punição do Inferno contido no apocalipse apócrifo de Paulo de tarso, como instrumento de conversão no processo de cristianização (séc.IV)

Abstract

During the early centuries of the Common Era—and the fourth century CE in particular—the concept of the Christian hell played a role in the process of conversion. This research sought to understand how the punishments described in the *Apocalypse of Paul* contributed to the conversion to Christianity of polytheists living in the Western Roman Empire. Furthermore, it examined the dynamics of transformation within the Roman Empire during the fourth century CE that influenced this conversion process. The study was conducted through a close reading of the source text, supported by historiographical analysis and a review of scholarship on Late Antiquity, allowing for a detailed examination of the conversion process unfolding during those early centuries. Ultimately, we conclude that apocryphal texts held significant importance in conversion practices, specifically during the fourth century CE.