Category Archives: Soteriology

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.9: David Bentley Hart’s “God, Creation, and Evil,” Part 2

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Jay F Guin

How could Paul believe in Universal Reconciliation while writing Rom 9 – 11, agonizing over the damnation of Jews who deny Jesus? And how could Paul characterize the damned, over and over, as “destroyed” if their fate is to be punished … Continue reading →

Posted in Salvation 2.0, Soteriology, Uncategorized, Universalism | 12 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.8: Richard Beck, David Bentley Hart, and “God, Creation, and Evil,” Part 1

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Back on September 17, 2015, Richard Beck at his essential “Experimental Theology” blog wrote, I have argued, for many long and lonely years, to any who would hear, that the doctrine (or hope) of universal reconciliation (UR) has more to … Continue reading →

Posted in Salvation 2.0, Soteriology, Uncategorized, Universalism | 10 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.1C: David Bentley Hart’s Criticism of the Traditional View

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Reader and frequent commenter Nathan wrote, You seem to hold to this position with more dogmatic certainty than I’ve seen with other issues you’ve addressed on this site. Moreover, you’ve resorted to a flippancy that I find troubling (e.g., “roasting … Continue reading →

Posted in Salvation 2.0, Soteriology, Uncategorized, Universalism | 11 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.7: Justice

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Imagine a 12-year old girl raised in a Christian household. She has, we will assume, reached the “age of accountability.” It happened just today. And imagine that she is not yet a Christian. And she commits a single, solitary sin. … Continue reading →

Posted in Salvation 2.0, Soteriology, Uncategorized | 46 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.6: Separation from God

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Now, many a theologian has argued that hell is separation from God, and I think that’s part of the punishment. Maybe all. Speaking of the damned, Paul writes, (2Th 1:9-10 ESV)  9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.5: Gehenna

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Jesus and James refer to the fate of the damned as gehenna, usually translated “hell.” The word is entirely absent from Paul and the other NT writers, who prefer to speak in terms of the damned being destroyed. There is no … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.1B: Everlasting, eternal, unquenchable fire

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Monty asked about the meaning of “everlasting fire” in the comments. My answer was pretty long and I thought worth posting as a post — because it’s a good question that deserves a thorough answer. Monty, Unquenchable fire “Everlasting fire” … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 15 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.4: The Second Death

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Jay F Guin

The Revelation speaks of the damned suffering a “second death.” (Rev 2:11 ESV) 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.3: Plato and Phaedo

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Edward Fudge points out that the question of immortality was a favorite of Greek philosophers. The seminal work on the subject was Plato’s Phaedo, a dialogue on the question that was well-known among First Century Hellenistic people. Plato presents a … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Salvation 2.0: Part 3.1A: The Early Church Fathers on Conditionalism

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Jay F Guin

Just came across this very thorough study of the writings of the Early Church Fathers relating to Conditionalism and Perpetual Conscious Torment: The Doctrine of Immortality in the Early Church, by Dr. John H. Roller (free download). Roller goes through … Continue reading →

Posted in Afterlife, The, Heaven, Hell, Salvation 2.0, Uncategorized | 26 Comments