Soul-Making by Grace: Purgatory's Past, Present, and Future - Paperbackby Matthew S. Hendzel (Author), Michael Stoeber (Foreword by) Purgatory holds a precarious position in the afterlife beliefs of most Christians. Often viewed as a doctrine that is held only by Roman Catholics, purgatory has historically been maligned by its detractors as unbiblical, theologically problematic, and a product (and source) of superstition. Moreover, it would appear that belief in purgatory has declined in the faith lives of Catholics as