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Summary
- Christian universalism, also called universal salvation or universal reconciliation, teaches that every person will finally be saved through Christ, some only after judgment.
- The Catholic, Reformed, Lutheran and Baptist confessions teach that a person can be lost for ever, John Wesley preached it, and the Orthodox Church condemned universal salvation at the Fifth Council, though some Orthodox theologians still hope for it.
- Universalists rely on verses such as 1 Corinthians 15:22 and 28, Romans 5:18 and 11:32, Colossians 1:20 and Acts 3:21, where the Greek word apokatastasis gave the doctrine its old name.
- Other Christians answer with Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:46, where the same Greek word describes both the punishment and the life, and with Mark 9, Luke 16 and 2 Thessalonians 1.
- Origen hoped that God would recall all creatures to himself, and Gregory of Nyssa taught it, but the teaching linked to Origen was condemned in the sixth century; scholars still debate exactly which council adopted which anathemas.
- Catholic teaching prays that all may be saved but says no one can know who is lost, and that the thought of hell must not lead to despair.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain), via BibleGateway: 1 Timothy 2:4; Colossians 1:20; 1 Corinthians 15:22–28; Romans 5:18 and 11:32; Philippians 2:10; John 12:32 and 3:36; 1 John 2:2; Acts 3:21; Matthew 25:46 and 7:14; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:26; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Ezekiel 33:11.
- The Winchester Profession (1803) and the Conditions of Fellowship (1899), Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography; “A History of Statements of Belief” and “Unitarian Universalist History”, Unitarian Universalist Association; “Restorationist Controversy”, Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography.
- Pierre Batiffol, “Apocatastasis”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (1907).
- Origen, On First Principles, Book I, chapter 6, trans. Frederick Crombie, Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 4.
- The Second Council of Constantinople (553), The Anathemas Against Origen and The Anathemas of the Emperor Justinian Against Origen, and Henry R. Percival, “Excursus on the XV. Anathemas Against Origen”, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 14 (1900).
- Strong’s Greek 605, apokatastasis and 166, aiōnios, via Bible Hub.
- Project on Lived Theology, “That All Shall Be Saved by Religion Scholar David Bentley Hart”; Michael Plekon, review of That All Shall Be Saved, International Orthodox Theological Association (2020).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed.: 1033–1037, Hell; 1058, In Brief.
- Pope John Paul II, General Audience of 28 July 1999 on hell; Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi (2007), 45–47.
- Thomas Hopko, The Orthodox Faith, Orthodox Church in America: “The Fifth Ecumenical Council” and “Heaven and Hell”.
- The Augsburg Confession (1530), Article XVII, Book of Concord.
- The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), chapter 33.
- John Wesley, Sermon 73, “Of Hell”, Wesley Center Online.
- The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, article X, Southern Baptist Convention.
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