THE radical former Bishop of Durham, who caused outrage when he said there was no such thing as eternal damnation, yesterday welcomed the Church of England's report that Hell exists.
Traditional doctrines such as hellfire and eternal damnation which turned God into a "sadistic monster" are rejected in the study from the Doctrine Commission.
Instead it describes Hell as annihilation or a state of non being brought about by the rejection of God.
Dr David Jenkins, who has also dismissed the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, said he believed the report represented a "realistic way forward".
But he warned that people had to respond to the love of God now and could not pin their hopes on eternal salvation.
The church study, entitled The Mystery of Salvation, warns "No one can be compulsorily installed in Heaven. The possibility remains for each human being of a final rejection of God. Final judgment therefore remains a reality."
"Hell as ultimate non being is the way in which we've put it," said Bishop John Taylor, one of the report's authors.
Elsewhere the report states that Heaven is not "eternal and static perfection" but an "everlasting participation in the life of God".
It examines feminist theology but rejects the use of feminist pronouns when talking about God.
The report favours the use of the word God, rather than the word He, but rejects the use of terms such as God self rather than Himself.
The report acknowledges that sin has been described from a male standpoint, and says women theologians writing about pride might have written about the failure to take responsibility for oneself.