Swinburne S Hell And Hick S Universalism

This title was first published in 2003. This book seeks to establish whether a Christian position must entail a belief in hell or whether Christians can hold a coherent theory of universal salvation. Richard Swinburne's defence of hell depends on the argument that hell is necessary if humans are to be genuinely free. It becomes clear that the contemporary discussion of hell and universalism cannot be separated from the issues of human freedom and God's knowledge, and so Hall centres the discussion round the question 'Are we Free to Reject God?' John Hick argues that although we are free to reject God there will eventually be an universalist outcome. Having examined the contrasting arguments of Hick and Swinburne, Hall builds on Hick's position to develop an argument for Christian universal salvation which holds in balance our freedom in relation to God and the assurance that all will finally be saved.

This ebook is a selective guide designed to help scholars and students of social work find reliable sources of information by directing them to the best available scholarly materials in whatever form or format they appear from books, chapters, and journal articles to online archives, electronic data sets, and blogs. Written by a leading international authority on the subject, the ebook provides bibliographic information supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult and editorial commentary to make it clear how the cited sources are interrelated related. This ebook is a static version of an article from Oxford Bibliographies Online: Philosophy, a dynamic, continuously updated, online resource designed to provide authoritative guidance through scholarship and other materials relevant to the study Philosophy. Oxford Bibliographies Online covers most subject disciplines within the social science and humanities, for more information visit www.oxfordbibligraphies.com.

-Can an orthodox Christian, committed to the historic faith of the church and the authority of the Bible, be a universalist? -Is it possible to believe that salvation is found only by grace, through faith in Christ, and yet to maintain that in the end all people will be saved? -Can one believe passionately in mission if one does not think that anyone will be lost forever? -Could universalism be consistent with the teachings of the Bible? Gregory MacDonald argues that the answer is yes to all of these questions. Weaving together philosophical, theological, and biblical considerations, MacDonald seeks to show that being a committed universalist is consistent with the central teachings of the biblical texts and of historic Christian theology. This second edition contains a new preface providing the backstory of the book, two extensive new appendices, a study guide, and a Scripture index.

This book fills a noticeable gap in Forsyth studies. It provides readers interested in the thought of Forsyth with a way of reading and critiquing his corpus, and that in a way that takes due account of, and elucidates, the theological, philosophical and historical locale of his thought. Goroncy explores whether the notion of 'hallowing' provides a profitable lens through which to read and evaluate Forsyth's soteriology. He suggests that the hallowing of God's name is, for Forsyth, the way whereby God both justifies himself and claims creation for divine service. This book proposes that reading Forsyth's corpus as essentially an exposition of the first petition of the Lord's Prayer is an invitation to better comprehend not only his soteriology but also, by extension, his broader theological vision and interests.

The culmination of Kärkkäinen's multivolume magnum opus This fifth and final volume of Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen's ambitious five-volume systematic theology develops a constructive Christian eschatology and ecclesiology in dialogue with the Christian tradition, with contemporary theology in all its global and contextual diversity, and with other major living faiths--Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. In Part One of the book Kärkkäinen discusses eschatology in the contexts of world faiths and natural sciences, including physical, cosmological, and neuroscientific theories. In Part Two, on ecclesiology, he adopts a deeply ecumenical approach. His proposal for greater Christian unity includes the various dimensions of the church's missional existence and a robust dialogical witness to other faith communities.

This work analyses and evaluates Jurgen Moltmann's model of universal salvation and its relation to his understanding of the redemption, or eschatological fulfilment, of time. For Jurgen Moltmann, Hell is the nemesis of Hope. The 'Annihilation of Hell' thus refers both to Hell's annihilative power in history and to the overcoming of that power as envisioned by Moltmann's distinctive theology of the cross in which God becomes 'all in all' through Christ's descent into Godforsakenness. The negation of Hell and the fulfilment of history are inseparable. Attentive to the overall contours and dynamics of Moltmann's thinking, especially his zimzum doctrine of creation, his eschatologically oriented philosophy of time, and his expanded understanding of the nature-grace relationship, this study asks whether the universal salvation that he proposes can honour human freedom, promise vindication for those who suffer, and do justice to biblical revelation. As well as providing an in-depth exposition of Moltmann's ideas, The Annihilation of Hell also explores how a 'covenantal universalism' might revitalise our web of beliefs in a way that is attuned to the authorising of Scripture and the spirituality of existence. If divine and human freedom are to be reconciled, as Moltmann believes, the confrontation between Hell and hope will entail rethinking issues that are not only at the centre of theology but at the heart of life itself.

This book provides a survey and critical assessment of the doctrine of universal salvation in contemporary western theology within the context of the historic development of the doctrine.

The problem of eternal damnation is one that should trouble all believers and impels many to seek answers to fundamental questions outside of the Church. For this reason, theologians with a missionary heart of the last century or more from across the ecclesial spectrum have sought to refashion the gospel in our own estranged image. In dialogue with one of the leading figures of this movement, Joshua Brotherton tackles the question of the plausibility that all will be saved. Sympathetic to their cause, this volume seeks to revise the way in which they envision the reconciliation of divine love and moral evil.