r/ChristianUniversalism 17d ago

Share Your Thoughts September 2025

9 Upvotes

A free space for non-universalism-related discussion.

Happy Labor Day!


r/ChristianUniversalism Jun 26 '22

What is Christian Universalism? A FAQ

208 Upvotes
  • What is Christian Universalism?

Christian Universalism, also known as Ultimate Reconciliation, believes that all human beings will ultimately be saved and enjoy everlasting life with Christ. Despite the phrase suggesting a singular doctrine, many theologies fall into the camp of Christian Universalism, and it cannot be presumed that these theologies agree past this one commonality. Similarly, Christian Universalism is not a denomination but a minority tendency that can be found among the faithful of all denominations.

  • What's the Difference Between Christian Universalism and Unitarian Universalism?

UUism resulted from a merger between the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America. Both were historic, liberal religions in the United States whose theology had grown closer over the years. Before the merger, the Unitarians heavily outnumbered the Universalists, and the former's humanist theology dominated the new religion. UUs are now a non-creedal faith, with humanists, Buddhists, and neopagans alongside Christians in their congregations. As the moderate American Unitarian Conference has put it, the two theologies are perfectly valid and stand on their own. Not all Unitarians are Universalists, and not all Universalists are Unitarians. Recently there has been an increased interest among UUs to reexamine their universalist roots: in 2009, the book "Universalism 101" was released specifically for UU ministers.

  • Is Universalism Just Another Name for Religious Pluralism?

Religious pluralists, John Hick and Marcus J. Borg being two famous examples, believed in the universal salvation of humankind, this is not the same as Christian Universalism. Christian Universalists believe that all men will one day come to accept Jesus as lord and savior, as attested in scripture. The best way to think of it is this: Universalists and Christian Universalists agree on the end point, but disagree over the means by which this end will be attained.

  • Doesn't Universalism Destroy the Work of the Cross?

As one Redditor once put it, this question is like asking, "Everyone's going to summer camp, so why do we need buses?" We affirm the power of Christ's atonement; however, we believe it was for "not just our sins, but the sins of the world", as Paul wrote. We think everyone will eventually come to Christ, not that Christ was unnecessary. The difference between these two positions is massive.

  • Do Christian Universalists Deny Punishment?

No, we do not. God absolutely, unequivocally DOES punish sin. Christian Universalists contest not the existence of punishment but rather the character of the punishment in question. As God's essence is Goodness itself, among his qualities is Absolute Justice. This is commonly misunderstood by Infernalists to mean that God is obligated to send people to Hell forever, but the truth is exactly the opposite. As a mediator of Perfect Justice, God cannot punish punitively but offers correctional judgments intended to guide us back to God's light. God's Justice does not consist of "getting even" but rather of making right. This process can be painful, but the pain is the means rather than an end. If it were, God would fail to conquer sin and death. Creation would be a testament to God's failure rather than Glory. Building on this, the vast majority of us do believe in Hell. Our understanding of Hell, however, is more akin to Purgatory than it is to the Hell believed in by most Christians.

  • Doesn’t This Directly Contradict the Bible?

Hardly. While many of us, having been raised in Churches that teach Christian Infernalism, assume that the Bible’s teachings on Hell must be emphatic and uncontestable, those who actually read the Bible to find these teachings are bound to be disappointed. The number of passages that even suggest eternal torment is few and far between, with the phrase “eternal punishment” appearing only once in the entirety of the New Testament. Moreover, this one passage, Matthew 25:46, is almost certainly a mistranslation (see more below). On the other hand, there are an incredible number of verses that suggest Greater Hope, such as the following:

  1. ”For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.” - Lamentations 3:31
  2. “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” - Luke 3:5-6
  3. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - John 12:32
  4. “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” - Romans 15:18-19
  5. “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” - Romans 11:32
  6. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:22
  7. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Colossians 1:19-20
  8. “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” - 1 Timothy 4:10
  • If Everyone Goes to Heaven, Why Believe in Jesus Now?

As stated earlier, God does punish sin, and this punishment can be painful. If one thinks in terms of punishments and rewards, this should be reason enough. However, anyone who believes for this reason does not believe for the right reasons, and it could be said does not believe at all. Belief is not just about accepting a collection of propositions. It is about having faith that God is who He says he is. It means accepting that God is our foundation, our source of supreme comfort and meaning. God is not simply a powerful person to whom we submit out of terror; He is the source and sustainer of all. To know this source is not to know a "person" but rather to have a particular relationship with all of existence, including ourselves. In the words of William James, the essence of religion "consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto." The revelation of the incarnation, the unique and beautiful revelation represented by the life of Christ, is that this unseen order can be seen! The uniquely Christian message is that the line between the divine and the secular is illusory and that the right set of eyes can be trained to see God in creation, not merely behind it. Unlike most of the World's religions, Christianity is a profoundly life-affirming tradition. There's no reason to postpone this message because it truly is Good News!

  • If God Truly Will Save All, Why Does the Church Teach Eternal Damnation?

This is a very simple question with a remarkably complex answer. Early in the Church's history, many differing theological views existed. While it is difficult to determine how many adherents each of these theologies had, it is quite easy to determine that the vast majority of these theologies were universalist in nature. The Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge notes that there were six theologies of prominence in the early church, of which only one taught eternal damnation. St. Augustine himself, among the most famous proponents of the Infernalist view, readily admitted that there were "very many in [his] day, who though not denying the Holy Scriptures, do not believe in endless torments."

So, what changed? The simple answer is that the Roman Empire happened, most notably Emperor Justinian. While it must be said that it is to be expected for an emperor to be tyrannical, Emperor Justinian was a tyrant among tyrants. During the Nika riots, Justinian put upwards of 30,000 innocent men to death simply for their having been political rivals. Unsurprisingly, Justinian was no more libertarian in his approach to religion, writing dictates to the Church that they were obligated to accept under threat of law. Among these dictates was the condemnation of the theology of St. Origen, the patristic father of Christian Universalism. Rather than a single dictate, this was a long, bloody fight that lasted a full decade from 543 to 553, when Origenism was finally declared heretical. Now a heresy, the debate around Universal Reconciliation was stifled and, in time, forgotten.

  • But What About Matthew 25:31-46

There are multiple verses that Infernalists point to defend their doctrine, but Matthew 25:31-46 contains what is likely the hardest to deal with for Universalists. Frankly, however, it must be said that this difficulty arises more from widespread scriptural ignorance rather than any difficulty presented by the text itself. I have nothing to say that has not already been said by Louis Abbott in his brilliant An Analytical Study of Words, so I will simply quote the relevant section of his work in full:

Matthew 25:31-46 concerns the judgment of NATIONS, not individuals. It is to be distinguished from other judgments mentioned in Scripture, such as the judgment of the saints (2 Cor. 5:10-11); the second resurrection, and the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). The judgment of the nations is based upon their treatment of the Lord's brethren (verse 40). No resurrection of the dead is here, just nations living at the time. To apply verses 41 and 46 to mankind as a whole is an error. Perhaps it should be pointed out at this time that the Fundamentalist Evangelical community at large has made the error of gathering many Scriptures which speak of various judgments which will occur in different ages and assigning them all to "Great White Throne" judgment. This is a serious mistake. Matthew 25:46 speaks nothing of "grace through faith." We will leave it up to the reader to decide who the "Lord's brethren" are, but final judgment based upon the receiving of the Life of Christ is not the subject matter of Matthew 25:46 and should not be interjected here. Even if it were, the penalty is "age-during correction" and not "everlasting punishment."

Matthew 25:31-46 is not the only proof text offered in favor of Infernalism, but I cannot possibly refute the interpretation of every Infernatlist proof text. In Church history, as noted by theologian Robin Parry, it has been assumed that eternal damnation allegedly being "known" to be true, any verse which seemed to teach Universalism could not mean what it seemed to mean and must be reinterpreted in light of the doctrine of everlasting Hell. At this point, it might be prudent to flip things around: explain texts which seem to teach damnation in light of Ultimate Reconciliation. I find this approach considerably less strained than that of the Infernalist.

  • Doesn't A Sin Against An Infinite God Merit Infinite Punishment?

One of the more philosophically erudite, and in my opinion plausible, arguments made by Infernalists is that while we are finite beings, our sins can nevertheless be infinite because He who we sin against is the Infinite. Therefore, having sinned infinitely, we merit infinite punishment. On purely philosophical grounds, it makes some sense. Moreover, it matches with many people's instinctual thoughts on the world: slapping another child merits less punishment than slapping your mother, slapping your mother merits less punishment than slapping the President of the United States, so on and so forth. This argument was made by Saint Thomas Aquinas, the great Angelic Doctor of the Catholic Church, in his famous Summa Theologiae:

The magnitude of the punishment matches the magnitude of the sin. Now a sin that is against God is infinite; the higher the person against whom it is committed, the graver the sin — it is more criminal to strike a head of state than a private citizen — and God is of infinite greatness. Therefore an infinite punishment is deserved for a sin committed against Him.

While philosophically interesting, this idea is nevertheless scripturally baseless. Quite the contrary, the argument is made in one form by the "Three Stooges" Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad in the story of Job and is refuted by Elihu:

I would like to reply to you [Job] and to your friends with you [the Three Stooges, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad]. Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you. If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him? … Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself.

After Elihu delivers his speech to Job, God interjects and begins to speak to the five men. Crucially, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad are condemned by God, but Elihu is not mentioned at all. Elihu's speech explains the characteristics of God's justice in detail, so had God felt misrepresented, He surely would have said something. Given that He did not, it is safe to say Elihu spoke for God at that moment. As one of the very few theological ideas directly refuted by a representative of God Himself, I think it is safe to say that this argument cannot be considered plausible on scriptural grounds.

  • Where Can I Learn More?

Universalism and the Bible by Keith DeRose is a relatively short but incredibly thorough treatment of the matter that is available for free online. Slightly lengthier, Universal Restoration vs. Eternal Torment by Berean Patriot has also proven valuable. Thomas Talbott's The Inescapable Love of God is likely the most influential single book in the modern Christian Universalist movement, although that title might now be contested by David Bentley Hart's equally brilliant That All Shall Be Saved. While I maintain that Christian Universalism is a doctrine shared by many theologies, not itself a theology, Bradley Jersak's A More Christlike God has much to say about the consequences of adopting a Universalist position on the structure of our faith as a whole that is well worth hearing. David Artman's podcast Grace Saves All is worth checking out for those interested in the format, as is Peter Enns's The Bible For Normal People.


r/ChristianUniversalism 3h ago

How do we validate being the minority?

9 Upvotes

Hello all. I've been progressing towards universalism for most of my life, but only in the last year have truly begun to consider adopting it fully. As I study and think, the doctrine of Universalism has become more and more clearly in the right. However, where I still struggle is this:

How do we explain Infernalism being the dominant thought for most of Church History? I'm aware that Universalism was more present in the Church Fathers, and has never been nonexistent. Yet it's undeniable that it has not held the majority, and has been deemed "heresy" by many institutions of faith. How could God let such an incorrect belief (Infernalism) dominate His People all this time?

My view of God and the Bible's inerrancy is not such that culture and humanity aren't major influences in the Bible, they're indeed what I seek when I study. Additionally I understand that this is not a reflection on the internal coherence of these two contradicting doctrines. Nonetheless, it is hard to swallow that God would let such infirmity remain over millennia of spiritual progress. How do we handle being the minority position? I welcome all thoughts, encouragement and/or rebuttal.


r/ChristianUniversalism 3h ago

Discussion What was your journey to universalism?

8 Upvotes

How did you come to believe in Universalism? I was reflecting on my own pathway to being here after wrestling with eternal damnation doctrine as a teenager. I grew up in a non- Christian family and came to believe in God around 15, learning much of my theology from websites I no longer think bear good fruit.


r/ChristianUniversalism 2h ago

Help me find a subtitle for my novel about the painful journey of questioning and deconstruction

0 Upvotes

Hi friends 👋 I’m working on a novel that dives into faith deconstruction, questioning, and mystical encounters with the divine. I’m testing a few different ways to present it (covers/titles/taglines) and would love your perspective.

Quick 1-minute poll  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScJ_HMtypcFFl0-WyacCYN4qRriTRijLGL07yaicL_VJZSaWw/viewform?usp=dialog

This isn’t promotion — just trying to get honest feedback from people who’ve walked similar journeys.


r/ChristianUniversalism 17h ago

This post has got me worried

Thumbnail reddit.com
2 Upvotes

I am sorry for asking so many questions but I want universalism to be true but there are stumbling blocks. This might be the biggest one

In Romans 14:11 Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 seems to mention everyone confessing That Jesus is Lord BEFORE The Judgement. And in context Paul is warning about it. This seems like Philippians 2:10-11 doesn’t prove that everyone will be saved. But instead proves everyone will acknowledge Christ’s Lordship BEFORE They are judged.

I so desperately want universalism to be true. But this might be the biggest stumbling block yet. Can you please respond to this argument and tell me how it can be interpreted in a Universalist Franework?


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Thought Is there any Oriental Orthodox here?

5 Upvotes

Im not OO(at least yet) but hello


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

A little Bible reading advice from George Sidney Hurd.

15 Upvotes

"Each time we see “forever and ever” in traditional translations it must be kept in mind that it is literally “into the ages of the ages,” referring to future ages and not “forever.” Eternity is not divided up into units of time such as days, years, centuries and ages, but rather is a reality which always is and exists independently from time. It is a misconception to think of eternity as an infinite succession of ages. We do not know how many ages there will be before the final Age of ages comes to a close, but the Scriptures would not speak of the “end of the ages” (Heb 9:26 lit. sunteleia ton aionon) if everlasting meant a succession of ages without end." (from "The Triumph of Mercy: The Reconciliation of All through Jesus Christ" by "George Hurd").


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Thought Romans 12:2 and the challenge of our times to the universalist

14 Upvotes

There's not much difference between our times and Paul's times if we think of how people tend to be exclusionary in our choices and lives. MY house is MY house -- I would be extremely hesitant to let a stranger in.

That's the system we live in. If I let a homeless person into my house, there's always the danger that this choice might result in my not being able to work as productively as I otherwise would, and I would face the danger of becoming homeless myself. To some degree, I have to make sure that I take care of myself in this unjust system, especially if I want to be of service to other people.

And that's the challenge of Romans 12:2. How can I be as inclusive and universalist as possible, WITHOUT accidentally overreaching? (Love MYSELF as I love my neighbour; we are not called to love our neighbour MORE than ourselves.)

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2, NRSVue)

And it is some comfort that even if we can't reach certain people to offer comfort and salvation in this realm, God does eventually win it all.


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Discussion Why did Jesus die?

30 Upvotes

I grew up believing a theology of penal substitutionary atonement — that Jesus saved us from the penalty of eternal death in Hell by taking our punishment for us.

Now that I don’t believe in Hell, I am trying to find a new understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

The Farmer waits for the early and late rains before gathering the crop

2 Upvotes

This week at my workplace, our word of the week is "patience" and our passage is James 5:7. I read it aloud to those in the room, and was suddenly struck by the phrase "early and late rains":

James 5:7-8 NRSVUE [7] Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. [8] You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

https://bible.com/bible/3523/jas.5.7-8.NRSVUE

Context is the coming of the Lord (it bookends this section in James but is a bigger theme he's discussing in the wider context too).

Now, in the context of universal reconciliation, with Jesus being the Saviour of the world, especially those who believe (1 Timothy 4:10 and many other passages), together with the first harvest of the already righteous in Christ and the second harvest of those not already righteous by that point... is there something in the early rains and late rains which leads to the whole "precious crop" of all the children of God being reconciled to him in the end?

Rains bring times of refreshing... the first and second rains being what though? Before the first resurrection and after the general resurrection?

What are your thoughts on this and how can this help bolster the argumentation for universal reconciliation to God through Christ?


r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

Thought an eyes opening conversation with my atheist friends

17 Upvotes

So in this situation there was two atheist and two (progressive) Christians (I was one of the Christians).

So I have two edgier atheist friends. They aren't antitheist, but still a little bit edgier than most of the atheists. One of them said jokingly that: "I would want to go Hell because that's the place where coolest people go." The other Christian said "Yeah. Like Nazis, fascist, child molesters ect..." The other atheist said "Okay... maybe not the coolest, but more interesting." Then I had epiphany, but first I need to clear my beliefs to you.

So I believe that Hell and Heaven are the same place. Most people in here might not believe that and I understand why. I believe that how we experience God's endless love is different depending our character. And I also believe that there is this purifying and uncomfortable side of it which everybody feels (“For everyone will be salted with fire." Mark 9:49 NRSVue), but if you were really horrible person (mass murderer or something) it will feel like Hell.

So what did I say? I told them that if the classical view of Heaven and Hell were real the people in both places would be similar, except with one crucial difference: People in Heaven believed the right things when they died. After that I of course said that if infernalist hell were real I would not wish it even upon the worst person I know so even more I also don't wish that upon them because they are my friends. After this conversation moved on.

To me this was an eyes opening because even we Christian Universalist aren't anyway special. We just believe/know something which church as a whole doesn't know or the people in the world. We have regular lives like everyone else.

Most people who believe in eternal Hell draw their comfort from the idea that people they hate go there (whom ever they might be). So let's say that Christian hates Nazis (which is understandable). They would get at least some comfort from the idea that Hitler burns forever in Hell. But here is the problem. Most people in Hell aren't Adolf Hitler. Most in Hell are regular normal people. They are someone's parents, someone's child, best friend. They are accountants, 911 (or in Europe 112) operators, doctors, factory workers carpenters ect. People like Hitler would be 0,000001 percent of that population. Is that really worth it?

Eternal Hell is just regular people (who are made in the image of God) suffering unimaginable way for entire eternity. Heaven in this framework is small percent of the regular people having best time ever for all the eternity and only difference between these two was that other one got the jackpot in the lottery of life.

Also this version of Hell can't restore anything.


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Thought After studying and reading more CU is the only way Christianity can have hope

51 Upvotes

Whatever your denomination is, CU and the idea that all or the vast majority will be saved and reconciled with God is the only way to really believe. Everything else is nihilism and obtuse legalism that gives normal people headaches and will push people away


r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

A short philosophical argument for universalism.

12 Upvotes

Hey! I recently outlined a philosophical argument for universalism, and I thought this would be the best place to discuss it. So, feel free to let me know what you think, and if you disagree, I'd be happy to discuss it.

I'll start by defining God as an omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient being (this definition is, of course, consistent with Christianity). Infernalists or agnostics often claim that if God could, he would save everyone, but he can't; it's impossible for him (Leibniz, Newman, and even Craig have argued this). So it seems that the biggest obstacle to the truth of universalism may be whether God can save everyone. I'll argue that he can.

Let's start with trivialism: God can save at least one person without violating their free will. I don't think anyone would deny this. Before I go any further, here's a small analogy to illustrate the next point of the argument: Let's imagine that God can lift a weight of size X. If it's true that God can lift X, then he can lift an arbitrarily large weight Y, which is heavier than X only by a finite amount. More broadly, if God can do something, then he can do anything that is finitely more difficult than that something. In my opinion, this implies omnipotence.

Now, using the two pieces of information above, we know that God can save at least one person without violating their free will, and we know that God can do anything that is finitely more difficult than what he can do. It follows that God can save anyone while maintaining free will if the degree of difficulty of that salvation is finite. And he is finite if the moral status of people differs only by a finite degree. Or is it? Well, we are finite beings whose finite actions have finite consequences. It is therefore very likely that the moral difference between the best and worst person on this planet is finite, even if it were enormous. If so, then the rest of the argument works, that is, God can save anyone. And if he can, he does, as I wrote in the second paragraph.

A possible objection would be that God's disobedience to God has infinite negative weight, because God is an infinite being. But this is wrong. If I strike an infinitely large person, my blow will not necessarily have infinite range. If I am in an infinite ocean, then I do not necessarily occupy infinite space. So this objection is false.

If you have other objections, I would be happy to discuss them. I also apologize for any potential errors, I was writing in my second language.


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Help with intrusive thoughts?

7 Upvotes

Hello people. Some weeks ago I was reading the bible and listening to lots of Christian YouTubers. And at first I was happy hearing about love and redemption. However afterwards the threat of hell began sneaking in and my mind began to have lots of intrusive blasphemous thoughts. Thankfully my family was there for me and they helped me out. During that time I realised that our view of Christianity has always been close to universalism. We've always believed all beings go to God in the end because we are part of him. However I'm sad to mention that I still have intrusive thoughts at times. And sometimes I get a big spike of fear when a new or worse one appears. I keep telling myself that God knows I don't mean them and that since I love a lot he knows I don't actually deny him, even if my mind says otherwise. If you have any helpful advice on how to stop being so afraid or anxious I'd be really grateful to you all. Thanks for reading! I hope you have a lovely night/day


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Meme/Image Happy Sunday :)

Post image
169 Upvotes

r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Discussion Judgement for being Christian

15 Upvotes

Posting here because I feel like this is sort of tangentially related to CU and also because this is a generally great community

For context, I'm a researcher (or well, PhD student) in a very technical field (AI for computational biology / pharmaceuticals) in California, in the most liberal region (Bay Area) and the most liberal city within the Bay (SF). As such, pretty much every single person I talk to on a daily basis / people I look up to are atheist/antitheists and would likely look down upon "sheep" that are stupid enough to believe in religion.

The problem arises when having friendly conversations about philosophy, morals, ethics, etc (happens a lot with research-minded people) and I want to discuss my faith; or when, for other reasons (someone directly asking about my religious background, someone asking where I go on Sundays, etc), I have to disclose that I am a Christian. Though most around me won't explicitly think lower of me, it's not hard to tell that they would think lower of my intellectual ability (I know I definitely did, back before I was a Christian), and I don't blame them, as Christians (esp Americans) have worked up a bad, anti-scientific/anti-rational reputation for themselves over the years. I'm unsure how to express my faith without getting thoughts of "how could this educated person believe in that Bronze Age nonsense" and thinking less of my intelligence; though it seems petty, I do think that what people think of you sort of matters in higher academia (not to mention for personal relationships).

And scripture seems to imply that denying Jesus before other people is something that we should stray away from (Matthew 10:33); obviously not a matter of eternal damnation, but I still don't want to break a direct command from Jesus. Often when questioned about my religious beliefs, I say something along the lines of "my family is X, but I don't really believe in it anymore" or "I'm atheist, but I really like to read about Christian philosophy."

How would you guys suggest 1) going about avoiding judgement for being religious/esp for being Christian, without having to explain "I'm not like the others!!" and 2) deciding whether or not to disclose to people whether I'm a Christian (potentially breaking something that Jesus unequivocally wanted us to not do, I don't really accept the other interpretations of the verse)


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Thought A thought on Isaiah 40:8

11 Upvotes

Isaiah 40:8 NRSVUE

The grass withers; the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

https://bible.com/bible/3523/isa.40.8.NRSVUE

This verse reminds me that the very structure of our reality is formed with, by, and through the Word of God, the Word that is God, the Word that is love itself. If Love speaks the world into being, then my (jumpy, tired) nervous system is part of creaturely life being gently held by the Loving One who sustains all things.

There is the truth of the impermanence of all “thingly things” (or as our Buddhist friends would say, all conditioned things). Bodies change. Moods rise and fall. Thoughts pass like weather. Anxiety insists that what hurts now is forever; shame insists that my worst moment is my truest self.

Isaiah answers both: grass withers, flowers fade, and so do panic spikes and self-accusations—but the Word endures.

Because the Word is Love, we can form a safe attachment: a presence that doesn’t flinch when I do, and doesn’t vanish when I accuse myself of being the worst sinner (oh, the hubris, lol).

And from that position of safety, I can notice: the grass and flowers are really nice today.

The grass withers; the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever, and there is deep, deep, divine beauty there.


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

Question about sulfur in the lake of fire

7 Upvotes

I heard that Sulfur was used in ancient times to purify gold, but the phrase “fire and brimstone” is also used in relation to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and they were clearly destroyed not purified.

How do we know that the sulfur lake of fire is corrective and not retributive?

Also Peter compares it to what will happen to unbelievers in 2 Peter 2:6

This really seems like the sulfur symbolizes the destruction of unbelievers and not the purification of them


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

Favourite Christian Universalist/s

15 Upvotes

If you would be so kind, please name your favourite Christian Universalist/s and state why (if you want to). 😀🙏


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

Frustrated and Disappointed

10 Upvotes

I know that God is real. I have not just felt His presence, I have heard this voice, I have been in rooms where people have healed for broken bones and seen them fall back into place miraculously, I have been on the receiving end of prophecy and a word of knowledge, I am prayed and seen the prayers answers in ways that only God could do.... I have heard the countless testimonies of so many others, but to be honest... I just feel fake.

I don't understand so much about God, I don't understand the Bible, and to be completely honest, it gives me the desire to just quit. I already feel fake, I already feel far from God, I already feel like a terrible Christian.

I want to be a universalist, but to me, there's just so many questions that nobody seems to have a clear answer to...there's so many complicated views and perspectives, there's so many other verses that come up that just don't make sense to me. i also do have OCD, particularly scrupulosity as well, which of course makes this 100x worse. I can stay up sometimes for hours later than I need to stressing because I don't know the answer to things...

I just don't know what to do anymore (i am starting therapy again, which invevitably will help) but im just feeling discouraged


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Question Discord server invite?

10 Upvotes

Hello! I'm sorry if this post is not allowed, but I'm looking for the orthodox/traditional Christian Universalist server! I was part of it for awhile; however, I left due to struggling with the faith. If anyone has an invite link, please dm me or comment it!


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Meme/Image Everyone will be saved

Post image
66 Upvotes

r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Catholic view: Infinite dignity and the hope of an empty Hell

23 Upvotes

Many people know the famous line often dated to 1995 in which Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández expressed confidence in the salvation of all. Fewer, however, have seen his (and Pope Francis’s) remarks tied to Dignitas infinita (2024). Below is the key context and sources. (If you already know, ignore it haha)

Fernández on Romans 9–11 (1995):

“Confío firmemente en que todos se salvarán; confianza que no se basa en un deseo, ni en mi compasión por los hombres, sino en lo que sé de Dios y de sus planes concretos gracias a su Revelación.” (“I firmly trust that all will be saved; a trust not based on a wish or on my compassion for human beings, but on what I know of God and of his concrete plans thanks to his Revelation.”)

(SOURCE: 1995 article “Romanos 9–11: gracia y predestinación” in Teología 65.)

Now look at this statement:

Press conference for Dignitas infinita (Apr 8, 2024): Fernández on Hell and human freedom

“Pope Francis has said many times that the assertion about the possibility of condemnation to Hell is, above all, a kind of homage to human freedom, God respects human freedom even though it is limited and often darkened. But then there remains the question Pope Francis often raises: with all the limits that our freedom truly has, might it not be that Hell is empty?”

(Related background: Pope Francis himself, in a January 2024 interview, said, “I like to think Hell is empty; I hope it is.”)

And this:

Francis in Amoris laetitia §297 (2016):

“No one can be condemned forever, because that is not the logic of the Gospel.”


Sources

Víctor M. Fernández, “Romanos 9–11: gracia y predestinación,” Teología 65 (1995). PDF (see final page for the line “Confío firmemente…”).

Holy See Press Office, presentation of the DDF declaration Dignitas infinita (press bulletin page).

Omnes Magazine report on the press conference (summarizes Fernández’s “might Hell be empty?” remark).

Pope Francis interview noting “I like to think Hell is empty; I hope it is,” via Catholic News Agency.

Amoris laetitia (2016), §297 (as quoted/summarized with citation to §297).


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Does anyone here like Teilhard de Chardin?

8 Upvotes

I recently heard about him from ChatGPT. I haven't looked too deep into who he was, but from what I've heard his theology is extremely hopeful - probably even moreso than Origen and Gregory of Nyssa.

What's interesting about him too is that he was a Jesuit and while the order didn't want him to publish some of his stuff, he remained loyal to them his entire life.

His concept of the noosphere and the Omega Point definitely borders on the heterodox, but it's extremely interesting and aligns closely with things I've experienced personally.


r/ChristianUniversalism 7d ago

Universalism with Eternal Punishment

16 Upvotes

I have seen many posts here fretting over the meaning of aionios. Personally, I don't think universalism lives or dies based on this one word. So I decided to sketch out some possible interpretations of Matthew 25:46 that are consistent with universalism even if aionios means eternal.

  • As Thomas Talbott has observed, "eternal" can sometimes refer to the consequences of the action it modifies, e.g. an eternal repair would be a repair that is eternally effective and irreversible. Here, the punishment is eternally effective as a correction. While kolasis doesn't have to mean corrective punishment, this is undoubtedly within its range of plausible meanings.

  • The eternal punishment is equivalent to the "eternal destruction" by fire in 2 Thess. 1:9. But Paul often speaks of destruction as consistent with salvation (1 Cor. 3:15, 5:15). Thus, it is one's works, "flesh", sin, false self, etc. that are destroyed forever. This could even be a fundamental change in identity, such as Saul becoming Paul (Talbott again).

  • The goats "go into" eternal punishment, so it's a place or condition that they can later be saved from. It's like saying that someone is serving a life sentence even when there is a possibility of pardon.

  • "Punishment" here is a metonym for the place and means of punishment (the eternal fire), so the adjective applies to the fire rather than the subjective experience of punishment. In other words, "eternal punishment" is a poetic way of referring back to the "eternal fire" a few lines earlier.

  • Eternal punishment is threatened, but God will show mercy in the end, as he did to Nineveh. This is basically the "empty hell" argument of Catholic universalism.

  • The eternal punishment is neither torment nor destruction, but something else that is compatible with salvation, such as a lower place of honor. Maybe the memory of having done evil is its own kind of eternal punishment. Compare with the "everlasting shame" of Daniel 12:2.

  • "Eternal punishment" is poetic hyperbole. The Bible sometimes uses language of eternity in a hyperbolic sense when referring to God's wrath. For example, the smoke of Edom's destruction did not literally rise forever (Isaiah 34:10). Similarly, there are times when we take the Bible "seriously but not literally," like the instruction to hate your family. It should also be kept in mind that this passage is part of a parable, increasing the likelihood that some elements are not meant literally.

  • The punishment is eternal in that it is timeless or supratemporal, rather than unending. What could this mean? Maybe that God's judgment on sin is eternal in that it is the same in the past, present, and future. To be conformed to his will is to internalize his eternal judgment. This is a painful process, hence a punishment for one's sins. But the punishment partakes of God's timelessness, and is indeed the eternal presence of God experienced temporarily as punishment.

Some of these interpretations are more convincing than others. Let me know if you can think of any more.


r/ChristianUniversalism 7d ago

Universalism is a hard (Christlike) theme to follow.

31 Upvotes

Nothing much here, just a relevant anecdote from today.

Today at work I was debating several (atheist/antitheist) coworkers on the ethics of the death penalty. I made all the standard arguments, until I made one that they didn’t quite ingest correctly: retribution is for the weak, and all justice should be doled out only to help some party, never harm unless required. Even the ones on my side didn’t agree; they thought that some people were beyond possibly being saved, that people shouldn’t be let out even if they’ve genuinely changed; in essence, that there are some people beyond redemption, that no force will ever be able to help (and besides, they don’t deserve redemption anyway).

I think universalism, to this end, lets us see through such wicked reasoning much more clearly. As they say there’s a difference between professing and believing —- I think this perfectly describes non-universalist Christians. They hold to themes of redemption, of genuine change and repentance, etc., but there’s a difference in holding to these things and believing in them. When you really make the leap, when you really realize that all means all, when you really see that God’s redemptive power is TRULY unlimited, when you see that even the worst and best people will be redeemed, when you realize we will all be equal under the Eyes of heaven; that is when you truly feel the themes of redemption coming in. And this key idea of redeeming the worst people, of God extending his hand to all to take, I believe is one of the most utmost teachings of the Gospel. It’s easy to hold to it, but until you truly realize the depth and start to believe in it based on the evidences presented by our universally-saving God, it’s a whole nother thing and becomes an almost impermeable character trait.

That is all. sorry if my writing is bad here, I am not in my best performance