{"id":2871,"date":"2011-03-07T09:29:01","date_gmt":"2011-03-07T15:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/?p=2871"},"modified":"2015-03-13T16:58:27","modified_gmt":"2015-03-13T21:58:27","slug":"the-post-you-need-to-read-about-universalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/2011\/03\/07\/the-post-you-need-to-read-about-universalism\/","title":{"rendered":"The Post You NEED to Read about Universalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

It resides at Keith DeRose\u2019s site. \u00a0Keith<\/a>, often referenced by me, is a philosophy professor at Yale. \u00a0Keith has written publicly for years in defense of Christian Universalism, and he regularly corresponds with me\u00a0privately\u00a0on the subject. \u00a0Rob Bell, at least according to the New York Times<\/a><\/em>, is unlikely to answer many questions on this topic in his forthcoming book:<\/p>\n

Judging from an advance copy, the 200-page book is unlikely to assuage Mr. Bell\u2019s critics. In an elliptical style, he throws out probing questions about traditional biblical interpretations, mixing real-life stories with scripture.<\/p>\n

Much of the book is a sometimes obscure discussion of the meaning of heaven and hell that tears away at the standard ideas. In his version, heaven is something that begins here on earth, in a life of goodness, and hell seems more a condition than an eternal fate \u2014 \u201cthe very real consequences we experience when we reject all the good and true and beautiful life that God has for us.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No such worries with Keith. \u00a0Keith deals straightforwardly and forthrightly with the biblical passages that affirm universalism, and those that contradict it. \u00a0No beating around the bush here.<\/p>\n

I have taken a brief respite from blogging about the possibility of Christian Universalism as I put the finishing touches on my dissertation (due next Tuesday!). \u00a0But when I return to this topic, I will be thinking through the biblical witness on this topic, and I\u2019ll use Keith\u2019s manifesto as my ur-source. \u00a0So if all the Rob Bell brouhaha has gotten you thinking about Universalism, read this paragraph, and click through to the rest of Keith\u2019s writing:<\/p>\n

I should be clear at the outset about what I\u2019ll mean \u2014 and won\u2019t mean \u2014 by \u201cuniversalism.\u201d As I\u2019ll use it, \u201cuniversalism\u201d refers to the position that eventually all human beings will be saved and will enjoy everlasting life with Christ.<\/strong> This is compatible with the view that God will punish many people after death, and many universalists accept that there will be divine retribution, although some may not. What universalism does commit one to is that such punishment won\u2019t last forever.<\/strong> Universalism is also incompatible with various views according to which some will be annihilated (after or without first receiving punishment). These views can agree with universalism in that, according to them, punishment isn\u2019t everlasting, but they diverge from universalism in that they believe some will be denied everlasting life. Some universalists intend their position to apply animals, and some to fallen angels or even to Satan himself, but in my hands, it will be intended to apply only to human beings. In short, then, it\u2019s the position that every human being will, eventually at least, make it to the party.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

via Universalism and the Bible<\/a>.<\/p>\n

UPDATE: Keith has today posted about the term \u201call<\/a>\u201d \u2014 as in \u201call will be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It resides at Keith DeRose\u2019s site. \u00a0Keith, often referenced by me, is a philosophy professor at Yale. \u00a0Keith has written publicly for years in defense of Christian Universalism, and he regularly corresponds with me\u00a0privately\u00a0on the subject. \u00a0Rob Bell, at least according to the New York Times, is unlikely to answer many questions on this topic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,39],"tags":[121,373,550,667],"class_list":["post-2871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-theology","tag-christian-universalism","tag-keith-derose","tag-rob-bell","tag-universalism"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Post You NEED to Read about Universalism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It resides at Keith DeRose's site. \u00a0Keith, often referenced by me, is a 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