Trinitarian Universalism

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Trinitarian Universalism is a formulation of Universalism, the belief that every person will be saved, that is centered and based on the Christian Trinitarianism of Athanasius, Karl Barth and T. F. Torrance.

Trinitarian Universalism is also known as Evangelical Universalism or Biblical Universalism. ^[1] [3] [4] Universalism is heresy in the Roman Catholic Church.

Contents 1 History 2 Philosophy 3 Core Trinitarian doctrine 4 Universalist Doctrine 5 Biblical passages which support Universalism 6 Universalism and Heresy 7 Objections 7.1 Hell needed as a deterrent 7.2 Bible teaches eternity of hell 7.3 Calvinist objections 7.4 Arminian objections 8 Types 9 References & Notes 9.1 See also 9.2 External links

[edit] History

The doctrine of Universalism is usually traced back to the teachings of Origen of Alexandria (c.185-284), an influential early Church Father and writer. He believed in apocatastasis, the ultimate salvation and reconciliation with God of all moral beings, including Satan and his demons. He also believed in the pre-existence of souls and that glorified Man may have to go through cycles of sin and redemption before reaching perfection. The teachings of Origen were declared anathema at the Ecumenical Council of 553, centuries after his death, and Universalism fell out of favour even though it was not anathemized and other Universalists like Gregory of Nyssa were commended as Orthodox defenders of the faith by the same Council. Despite Origen's and Universalism's fall from grace, some theologians and teachers continue to believe and teach universal salvation over the next millenia. The more well known Universalists are Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-395), Johannes Scotus Eriugena (815-877), and Amalric of Bena (c. 1200).

During the Protestant Reformation, all doctrines and practices of the Catholic (Universal) Church were re-examined and numerous sects formed. Jane Lead (1623-1704), a mystic who claimed to have seen heaven and hell, started a Universalist congregation, the Philadelphians, in England. It was the first Universalist church and over the next two centuries, Universalism became more accepted and Universalist congregations grew.^[2] Anabaptists^[3], Moravian Brethren, and Christadelphians were just some of the churches who taught Universalism.^[4]

John Murray (1741-1815), who had to leave the Methodist Church because of his Universalism came to New England in 1770 and is credited with being the Father of Universalism in North America.^[5] Although Murray was a Trinitarian, his successor, Hosea Ballou (1771-1852) was a strong Unitarian who opposed Trinitarianism, Calvinism and legalism. During his tenure, Universalism became linked with liberal theology as well as Unitarianism.^[6]

A century later, Karl Barth (1886-1968) re-invigorated the doctrine of the Trinity and Thomas Torrance (1913-), furthered the cause with his seminal work, The Trinitarian Faith. It is their teaching on the universality of Christ's atonement for sins at the cross, plus the Arminian belief that God is Love, plus the Calvinist belief that God is sovereign that lead to the recent rise of Trinitarian Universalism.

[edit] Philosophy

Thomas Talbott, a philosopher professor at Willamette University, Salem, Oregon, offered three propositions which are biblically based but can not all be true at the same time.

1. God is omnipotent and sovereign.
2. God is omnibenevolent, ontologically love and wants all men to be saved
3. Some (a lot) of people will experience eternal conscious torment in hell. ^[7]

Traditionally, Calvinists resolved this by disagreeing with #2. God elects some to be saved and passes over others, who are to be damned for their sin in the doctrine of double predestination. Arminians resolve this by disagreeing with #1. Some people will resist God and choose eternal damnation. Universalists disagree with #3.

Since there are multiple biblical verses about people experiencing eternal conscious torment in hell, Universalists must either refute or reinterprete these verses.

[edit] Core Trinitarian doctrine

• God is Trinity

God is One Being and Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who indwell each other in a perichoretic communion of love. ^[8]

• God is Love

God is ontologically love (1 John 4:8), and everything that He is and does reflect His being love. His holiness is an aspect of His love and can be thought of as one thing: Holylovingkindness.

• Reconciliation is through Christ Jesus

Jesus Christ is the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity and he is both fully God and fully Man. Because he created everything and everything inheres in him, all of creation was crucified and resurrected with him. (John 1:3-4), (Col. 1:15-20) Because divinity and humanity meets in him, mankind are now participants in the perichoresis or the divine dance of love within the Trinity. ^[9]

• Universal atonement of sins

Jesus Christ's death on the cross paid the price for the sins of the world (Rom. 5:15-19) and all men are reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:19). No human being is alienated from God as He is their only source of life (John 1:3-4) and in Him they live and move and have their being. (Acts 17:28) ^[10]

Because all sins have been paid for, all sins are forgiven. Divine forgiveness precedes human response and this forgiveness is both love and judgment because to say, "I forgive you" is to say "I love you" and "You have sinned against me". Man can respond by agreeing with the judgment (repentance) and receive both the love and forgiveness or he can deny the judgment and refuse God's love and forgiveness. ^[11]

[edit] Universalist Doctrine

In the tradition of Martin Luther, the theology of Trinitarian Universalists is reformed and ever reforming.

• Salvation is an objective reality and a subjective reality

A personal response of faith is required before the objective saving act of God is made subjectively real in the individual's life. The response is transformative and changes with knowledge and experience. What has been accomplished for all mankind must be accomplished in each person's life which requires the individual's cooperation with the Holy Spirit. God is love and man is loved but he must be in relationship with Him to know that love. It is the difference between being and knowing.

• Hell, as described in the bible, exists

It is partially here as the Kingdom of Darkness that all men are born into.

It will be fully present for those who persist in rejecting God's gift of salvation. However, God's grace and gift of faith reaches everyone while they are dead in their sins (Eph. 2:1, Col. 2:13) and there is no biblical text that says His mercy and gift of salvation will end when one dies physically.^[12] Jesus Christ is proclaimed to be the Lord of the dead and the living (Rom. 14:9).

• Hell is not retribution but rehabilitation

The suffering in hell is the anguish of a soul persisting in rebellion against God, or the shame of a soul when it realizes how much it has sinned against a holy God as well as profound regret for what might have been. ^[13]

• The Good News is about the Kingdom of God

The mission is not just to save people from hell but to bring them out of the Kingdom of Darkness and into the Kingdom of Light. All moral law can be summed up by the two Great Commandments: Love God and Love Others (Rom. 13:8-10) and these two commands are not distinct and exclusive. To love God is to love others and to love others is to love God.

• The Kingdom of God is here and yet not fully here

Trinitarian Universalists live in that dialetic tension and in the hope of the future Kingdom. (1 Cor. 13:12)

• Wrath and judgment is another face of Love

God's love is passionate and people can grieve Him (Eph. 4:30) by thwarting His love and His good intentions toward them. If man hurts himself or others, he will experience that divine love as wrath. Judgment accompanies wrath and judgment is salvific. It is a fire that purifies and refines, not one that destroys. If man is not judged and if he does not feel God's wrath, he will not be aware that he has sinned. Judgment and wrath encourages a man to stop what he is doing and repent (turn around). Then he will know forgiveness and feel God's love turn from wrath to warmth. ^[14]

• True justice is restoration and reconciliation

Justice is not fully met by punishing wrongdoers. True justice is

• restoration of what was stolen or destroyed
• repentance and reformation of the sinner
• reconciliation between the sinner and God and the person(s) sinned against

• The final word God speaks to Mankind is always reconciliation and redemption

Sodom is portrayed as a very wicked place that was judged by God and destroyed by burning sulfur (Gen. 19:1-29). Jude writes that they "suffered the punishment of eternal fire" (Jude 1:7). But Jesus knew what circumstances would have brought the people of Sodom to repentance and aknowledgement of God (Matt. 11:23). The last word God speaks over Sodom is restoration in an eschatological prophecy by Ezekiel (Ezk. 16:53-55).

[edit] Biblical passages which support Universalism

• Romans 5:12-20
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-28
• 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
• Colossians 1:15-23
• Philippians 2:9-11
• 1 Timothy 2:3-6

[edit] Universalism and Heresy

Heresy is "adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma".^[15]. Because dogma varies among denominations, what is considered heresy by one denominatrion or congregation may be accepted as doctrine or opinion by another.

There are four generally accepted understandings of hell:

1. A literal place of fire where the damned suffer eternal conscious torment
2. A metaphorical hell where the suffering is real but is not literally fire and brimstone. The pain may be physical, emotional or spiritual.
3. Purgatory where imperfect souls are cleansed and made ready for heaven. It may be a place of rehabilitation, correction or retribution.
4. Conditional where souls are punished until justice is met and then they are annihilated ^[16]

The majority of Universalists believe that hell will eventually empty as people respond to God's offer of grace, mercy, forgiveness and salvation. This view is similar to the purgatorial view of hell, which is only orthodox for the Roman Catholics. However, Universalists believe that every person will be saved and Roman Catholics believe only those who died in God's grace will find purgation for their venial sins in purgatory.^[17] A minority of Universalists do not believe in the existence of hell in the afterlife but that every human is glorified and sanctified upon death.

There are four theories of salvation

1. Exclusivism: salvation only found in Christianity. Anyone who is not a Christian will go to hell.
2. Inclusivism: some adherents of other religions may find salvation but it is still Jesus Christ who saves them.
3. Pluralism: all major religions lead to God
4. Universalism: all people will be saved ^[18]

Denominations and churches will generally profess one of the above to be true and the others as error.

[edit] Objections

[edit] Hell needed as a deterrent

This anecdote by Rev. Elizabeth Strong, a Unitarian Universalist, sums up the issue:

Ballou was riding the circuit in the New Hampshire hills with a Baptist minister one day, arguing theology as they traveled. At one point, the Baptist looked over and said, "Brother Ballou, if I were a Universalist and feared not the fires of hell, I could hit you over the head, steal your horse and saddle, and ride away, and I'd still go to heaven."

Hosea Ballou looked over at him and said, "If you were a Universalist, the idea would never occur to you." ^[19]

[edit] Bible teaches eternity of hell

All major doctrines have biblical verses that are contrary to their position. The following are problematic verses for Trinitarian Universalists and their resolutions which are of variable success.

Parables of Jesus

Luke 16:31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

This ancient Near East story is retold by Jesus with a surprise twist ending. There was a belief among the Pharisees that the good are blessed by God and the bad are cursed so the listeners would have started out believing the Rich Man must have been a godly man while the beggar must have been a great sinner. Jesus' parable turns that concept upside down. This is not a teaching about hell.

Matthew 25:14-30 The Sheep and the Goats

Jesus is teaching a principle of Kingdom living: small acts of kindness have eternal value. This is not a teaching about what merits salvation and what merits damnation and it is definitely not a teaching about the eternity of hell. Also, the Greek word 'aion' can be interpreted as "a long time" as well as "eternal".

Pauline writings

2 Thessalonians 1:9

The phrase "everlasting destruction" could be translated as "destruction of the coming age" which makes it a reference to eschatological judgment. The phrase "and shut out" should be translated as "that comes from". Therefore the verse should be read as: "They will be punished with destruction of the coming age that comes from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." The imagery is that of the holiness of God burning away forever the sinful nature of unrepentant man.^[20]

Eschaton in Revelation

Revelation 14:11

In view of the overwhelming evidence for Universalism in the bible, this description is hyperbole. Revelation imageries are metaphorical and no one knows what they really mean.

Revelation 19:3

This refers to the whore of Babylon which is a metaphor for corrupt political systems and/or economic policies. It is not a reference to the eternal suffering of people.

In Revelation, the kings of the earth are depicted as in league with the Whore of Babylon, which is probably symbolic of corrupt political and/or socioeconomic systems, and they are drunk on the maddening wine of her adulteries.[5] They weep and mourn when she is finally thrown into the Lake of Fire.[6] Then they gather on the plains of Megiddo with the Beast to fight the "King of kings and Lord of lords" and the armies of heaven in the final battle, Armaggedon. They are defeated and the Beast and his False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire. Those who followed them are slain with "the sword that came out of the mouth" of the Word of God which is probably symbolic of the Gospel or Truth. [7] But in the last scene in New Jerusalem, where the gates are ever open, where the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations, the kings of the earth are expected to enter, bringing their splendour with them.[8]

[edit] Calvinist objections

Romans 9 teaches that some people are objects of God's wrath, prepared for destruction. Judas was predestined to be the Son of Perdition, the one prophesied to betray Jesus. It is written that "It would be better for him if he had not been born." God foreknew all those He would save and some people are destined for eternal damnation. Also, justice requires that sins against an infinite, holy God merit eternal punishment especially so for those who reject His gift of salvation. God is love but He is also Holy. Thirdly, no where in the bible does it even hint at the possibility of post-mortem salvation. After death comes judgment.

Trinitarian Universalism's answer: That is not the final word God speaks to those individuals. Jesus said, as he was dying on the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." He also promised "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw (or, literally, "drag" in the Greek) all men unto me." Surely these global statements cover all of humanity. Also, pointing to God's eternality is not a satisfactory explanation as to why a temporal sin logically merits unending punishment. Moreover, God's attributes can never conflict with one another, lest God be an imperfect being who is subject to internal strife: God's mercy can never violate His Justice, as if God's Love pushes Him in one direction whereas His Holiness pushes him in another.

[edit] Arminian objections

God will not abrogate Man's will because love must be chosen, not forced. Some people will chose alienation from God over consummation and God has graciously provided a place for them to exist. C.S. Lewis said that hell is locked from within but few will leave because over a lifetime and through the coming ages, they will become more and more at home in hell.^[21]

Trinitarian Universalism's answer: No one can say "No!" to God, who is Love and Goodness personified, and keep on saying "No!" forever and ever.

[edit] Types

There are two basic types of Trinitarian Universalists:

• soft or non-dogmatic who believes that God wants everyone to be saved and that it is possible for God to save everyone but, at the same time, will not limit God's sovereign right to choose not to save everyone. Karl Barth and Catholic theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar are soft Universalists. ^[22]
• hard or dogmatic who believes that God can save everyone and will save everyone. Thomas Talbott, Gregory MacDonald and Eric Reitan are dogmatic Universalists. ^{[7] [1] [23]}

Trinitarian Universalists can be found in many different congregations and denominations. [9]

[edit] References & Notes

[edit] See also

• Apocatastasis
• Problem of Hell
• Unitarian Universalism
• Universal Reconciliation
• Universalism

[edit] External links

• Biblical Universalism:Universal Salvation as Taught in the Greek Text of the New Testament -- Offers Biblical and Patristic Evidence that Hell is not Endless, with articles and sermons from historic universalists like Gregory of Nyssa, Charles Chauncy, and Elhanan Winchester.
• The Biblical Universalist
• Discovering Trinitarian Universalism -- Trinitarian Universalists found within and without the Unitarian Universalist Association.
• Eschatology and final restoration in Origen, Gregory of Nyssa and Maximos the Confessor -- An article from an Eastern Orthodox Journal.
• Personal Reflections on Universal Salvation -- A Catholic perspective.
• Tentmaker Ministries has hundreds of articles and books on line supporting Bible-centered Universalism.
• The Timelessness of God and the Deity of Christ -- Why Einstein's Theory of Relativity views time and space as part of the same thing, and how this might effect the interpretation of certain Biblical texts.
• Trinitarian Universalism -- Quotes from Trinitarian Universalists like Gregory of Nyssa, Nathaniel Scarlett, and Thomas Allin.
• Universal Salvation and the Roman Catholic Church -- From a Catholic web site.
• Universalism and the Bible -- Prof. Keith DeRose (of Yale University) defends universalism on biblical grounds.
• Systematic Reconciliation
• Gregory MacDonalD Interview dated November 25, 2006, regarding Evangelical Universalism. Retrieved on December 7,2006.
• St. Isaac the Syrian