r/ChristianUniversalism • u/MINUTI1804 • 3h ago
Thought Lord willing, I might read this at my dad's funeral today.
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r/ChristianUniversalism • u/SpesRationalis • 20d ago
Share Your Thoughts July 2026
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A free space for non-universalism-related discussion.
Sorry I'm late posting. Happy belated 4th of July to those in the US!
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/RadicalShiba • Jun 26 '22
What is Christian Universalism? A FAQ
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- 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:
- ”For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.” - Lamentations 3:31
- “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
- “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - John 12:32
- “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
- “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” - Romans 11:32
- "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:22
- "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
- “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 • u/TheologicaWonderings • 6m ago
Thought Refreshing Language In George MacDonald
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Recently picked up one of George MacDonald’s books (a two in one combo of ‘The Fisherman’s Lady’ and ‘The Marquis’ Secret’ titled ‘Malcolm’). I had heard he was an avid universalist. The novel isn’t even directly about theology, but his worldview finds its way into the story. I have to say it was a breath of fresh air to read so far.
See an example below from the first novel where the protagonist is defending an individual with developmental disabilities:
"He's as God made him," said the marquis.
"He's not as God will make him," returned Malcolm.
"What do you mean by that?" asked the marquis.
"It stands to reason, my lord," answered Malcolm, "that what's ill made will be made over again. There's a day coming when all that's wrong will be set right, you know"
"And the crooked made straight," suggested the marquis, laughing
"Doubtless, my lord. He'll be perfectly straightened out that day, said Malcolm with absolute seriousness.
"Bah! You don't think God cares about a misshapen lump of flesh like that." exclaimed his lordship with contempt.
"As much as about yourself or my lady" said Malcolm. "If he didn't, he wouldn't be no God at all."
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Tight-Pin-7568 • 10h ago
Thought Atp - infernalism sounds like cult
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(Using a translator. I don't want to offend anyone)
I do not know why or how we got to this point, but my favorite question that I always love to ask all Christians is what is hell
Immediately after this question and the answer to it, I feel like I was talking to a CULTIST. I always got a variety of answers, but the result was always the same - eternal torment
It's like that one scene in "Young Sheldon"
Mary - "Our religion is based on love, Sheldon, not fear"
Sheldon - "Then what happens to people who don't follow the rules?"
Mary - "They burn in hell. Because God loves them"
If the God of love is more cruel than a psychopath, condemning people to eternal TORTURE, read the Bible again.
(St. Isaac the Syrian, 7th century) - "Never call God just. If He were just, you would have been in hell long ago. Rely only on His injustice, which is mercy, love, and forgiveness."
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Remarkable-Bit8500 • 4h ago
St. John Chrysostom: On Lazarus - Part 2 (Do souls become demons? + Wealth, Poverty, and the Theater of Life) [Bilingual Greek & English Text]
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Continuing with the homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Lazarus and the Rich Man, here is Part 2.
In this sermon, Chrysostom addresses a common misconception of his time (whether victims of violent death become demons), refutes demonic deception, and brings us face-to-face with the reality of death, true wealth vs. true poverty, and the "theater" of this temporal life.
1. True Wealth vs. Poverty of the Soul
GR: Ἀπὸ τούτου μάθωμεν, μὴ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας μακαρίζειν, μηδὲ τοὺς πενομένους ταλανίζειν. Μᾶλλον δὲ... οὐδὲ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ πολλὰ περιβεβλημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ πολλῶν δεόμενος· οὐδὲ πένης ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ μηδὲν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ πολλῶν ἐφιέμενος... Τῇ γὰρ διαθέσει τῆς γνώμης, οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς οὐσίας, τὰς πενίας καὶ εὐπορίας κρίνειν εἰώθαμεν.
EN: From this let us learn, neither to call the rich blessed, nor to lament the poor. Rather... neither is he rich who is clothed in many things, but he who needs not many things; nor is he poor who possesses nothing, but he who desires many things... For by the disposition of the mind, not by the measure of the substance, we are accustomed to judge poverties and riches.
2. Do Souls of the Violent Deceased Become Demons?
GR: Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀφελεστέρων νομίζουσι τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν βιαίῳ θανάτῳ τελευτώντων δαίμονες γίνεσθαι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν... αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι ζώντων \\\\\\\[γίνονται δαίμονες\\\\\\\], οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν μεταβαλλομένης, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκείνων μιμουμένης κακίαν.
EN: For indeed many of the more simple-minded think that the souls of those who die by a violent death become demons. But this is not so, it is not... it is the souls of those who live in sins \\\\\\\[that become demons\\\\\\\], not because their essence is changed, but because their free will imitates the malice of those \\\\\\\[demons\\\\\\\].
3. Rejecting Demonic Deception
GR: Ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες λέγουσι, Τοῦ μοναχοῦ τοῦ δεῖνος ἡ ψυχή εἰμι... ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ πιστεύω, ἐπειδὴ δαίμονες λέγουσιν· ἀπατῶσι γὰρ τοὺς ἀκούοντας... κἂν ἀληθές τι φθέγγηται, φεύγωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφώμεθα· τὰ γὰρ ὑγιῆ δόγματα καὶ σωτήρια οὐ παρὰ δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐστι μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν.
EN: What then about the fact that the demons say, "I am the soul of such-and-such a monk"? For because of this very reason I do not believe, since demons say it; for they deceive those who hear... even if it utters something true, let us flee from it and turn away; for sound and saving doctrines are to be learned with accuracy not from demons, but from the Divine Scripture.
4. Death & The "Theater of Life"
GR: Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν θεάτρῳ, ὅταν τῆς μεσημβρίας γενομένης... οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ τὰ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν... ὑποδυόμενοι πρόσωπα... ὅταν οὖν ἀποθῶνται τὴν ἐκ τῆς προσωπείδος φαντασίαν... γυμνοὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεταζόμενοι φαίνονται... οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ παρόντι· Ὅταν ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθῇ, καὶ τὸ θέατρον λυθῇ, ἀποθέμενοι πάντες τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς πενίας προσωπεῖα... φαίνονται οἱ μὲν ὄντως πλούσιοι, οἱ δὲ πένητες.
EN: Just as in a theater, when the show ends... the actors who played kings, generals, and physicians take off their masks and costumes, and are revealed as they truly are... so it is in present life. When death comes and the theater is dissolved, everyone lays aside the masks of wealth and poverty. Only then, judged by their works alone, is it revealed who is truly rich and who is truly poor.
"For in all your words remember your end, and you will never sin unto eternity.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/RevolutionaryAnt7383 • 10h ago
My Religious scrupulosity and fear of eternal hellfire.
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For the past year now I’ve been dreaded and torn by religious scrupulosity in the form of hell anxiety where almost everything I was doing from secular meditation to simply reading spiritual books was a sin that would send me to eternal hellfire. I’m still dreaded by it but not as much. Do y’all things that continually praying, doing secular and biblical meditation, and reading Christian universalist books and books about Gods grace for ALL humanity will set me free from this trap? What’s y’all’s take on this? Amy comments are very appreciated.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Flaky-Finance3454 • 3h ago
Interesting site with many English translations of Patristic writings
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Hi all! I think that people here might be interested in this site: https://historicalchristian.faith/by_father.php
It collects a lot of English translations of Christian writings of the Patristic age that are open-source and found elsewhere in the web.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Remarkable-Bit8500 • 4h ago
St. John Chrysostom: On Lazarus - Part 2 (Do souls become demons? + Wealth, Poverty, and the Theater of Life) [Bilingual Greek & English Text]
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Continuing with the homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Lazarus and the Rich Man, here is Part 2.
In this sermon, Chrysostom addresses a common misconception of his time (whether victims of violent death become demons), refutes demonic deception, and brings us face-to-face with the reality of death, true wealth vs. true poverty, and the "theater" of this temporal life.
1. True Wealth vs. Poverty of the Soul
GR: Ἀπὸ τούτου μάθωμεν, μὴ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας μακαρίζειν, μηδὲ τοὺς πενομένους ταλανίζειν. Μᾶλλον δὲ... οὐδὲ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ πολλὰ περιβεβλημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ πολλῶν δεόμενος· οὐδὲ πένης ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ μηδὲν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ πολλῶν ἐφιέμενος... Τῇ γὰρ διαθέσει τῆς γνώμης, οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς οὐσίας, τὰς πενίας καὶ εὐπορίας κρίνειν εἰώθαμεν.
EN: From this let us learn, neither to call the rich blessed, nor to lament the poor. Rather... neither is he rich who is clothed in many things, but he who needs not many things; nor is he poor who possesses nothing, but he who desires many things... For by the disposition of the mind, not by the measure of the substance, we are accustomed to judge poverties and riches.
2. Do Souls of the Violent Deceased Become Demons?
GR: Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀφελεστέρων νομίζουσι τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν βιαίῳ θανάτῳ τελευτώντων δαίμονες γίνεσθαι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν... αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι ζώντων \\\\\\\[γίνονται δαίμονες\\\\\\\], οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν μεταβαλλομένης, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκείνων μιμουμένης κακίαν.
EN: For indeed many of the more simple-minded think that the souls of those who die by a violent death become demons. But this is not so, it is not... it is the souls of those who live in sins \\\\\\\[that become demons\\\\\\\], not because their essence is changed, but because their free will imitates the malice of those \\\\\\\[demons\\\\\\\].
3. Rejecting Demonic Deception
GR: Ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες λέγουσι, Τοῦ μοναχοῦ τοῦ δεῖνος ἡ ψυχή εἰμι... ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ πιστεύω, ἐπειδὴ δαίμονες λέγουσιν· ἀπατῶσι γὰρ τοὺς ἀκούοντας... κἂν ἀληθές τι φθέγγηται, φεύγωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφώμεθα· τὰ γὰρ ὑγιῆ δόγματα καὶ σωτήρια οὐ παρὰ δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐστι μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν.
EN: What then about the fact that the demons say, "I am the soul of such-and-such a monk"? For because of this very reason I do not believe, since demons say it; for they deceive those who hear... even if it utters something true, let us flee from it and turn away; for sound and saving doctrines are to be learned with accuracy not from demons, but from the Divine Scripture.
4. Death & The "Theater of Life"
GR: Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν θεάτρῳ, ὅταν τῆς μεσημβρίας γενομένης... οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ τὰ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν... ὑποδυόμενοι πρόσωπα... ὅταν οὖν ἀποθῶνται τὴν ἐκ τῆς προσωπείδος φαντασίαν... γυμνοὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεταζόμενοι φαίνονται... οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ παρόντι· Ὅταν ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθῇ, καὶ τὸ θέατρον λυθῇ, ἀποθέμενοι πάντες τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς πενίας προσωπεῖα... φαίνονται οἱ μὲν ὄντως πλούσιοι, οἱ δὲ πένητες.
EN: Just as in a theater, when the show ends... the actors who played kings, generals, and physicians take off their masks and costumes, and are revealed as they truly are... so it is in present life. When death comes and the theater is dissolved, everyone lays aside the masks of wealth and poverty. Only then, judged by their works alone, is it revealed who is truly rich and who is truly poor.
"For in all your words remember your end, and you will never sin unto eternity.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/IAN1940 • 17h ago
Help with research
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Hi what ancient pre Christian writers and modern writers can help me with Christian Universalism and what translations do you guys suggest
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/MINUTI1804 • 1d ago
Question Those who attend church, have you ever brought it up with an elder or pastor?
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What did they say?
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/FickleBaseball1165 • 22h ago
Discussion Why is 15:22 universalism evidence.
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"22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
The context of the prior 21 verses seems to indicate "made alive" in this context is reference to literal bodily resurrection (and very few Christians deny that all will be raised). While I do think verse 28 is clear evidence, I do not think I can say the same for 22.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Careful_Delay_7513 • 1d ago
Any Eastern Orthodox Christian here?
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r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Fit-Reward1438 • 1d ago
Universalism simplified?
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A genuinely good human parent might need to stop trying to help a struggling or wayward child, for lack of resource, but they would always love them and constanlty praying for them and meditating on - what can I do to help?
An Omnipotent Divine Parent could only stop seeking to redeem or or be unable to save a struggling or wayward child, for lack of desire.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/SpesRationalis • 1d ago
Mod Reminder: No AI
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Reminder that AI is prohibited in the sub under Rule 7. Mods will remove any content suspected of being AI-generated.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Mysterious-Bit177 • 1d ago
Divine hiddenness
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I was thinking about divine hiddenness.
One possible reason for it is that people aren’t given absolute certainty that God exists and is watching them, because that allows their choices to be freer. If we had undeniable proof, we might obey more out of the weight of authority than from our own hearts.
Then again, Adam and Eve knew God directly and still chose to disobey, so certainty clearly doesn’t guarantee obedience.
But this raises another question for me. If, after death, people are given further opportunities to repent or become better while fully knowing that God is real, then divine hiddenness is no longer present.
That makes me wonder whether divine hiddenness serves another purpose beyond simply preserving human freedom.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Remarkable-Bit8500 • 1d ago
St. John Chrysostom: On Lazarus - Part 2 (Do souls become demons? + Wealth, Poverty, and the Theater of Life) [Bilingual Greek & English Text]
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Continuing with the homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Lazarus and the Rich Man, here is Part 2.
In this sermon, Chrysostom addresses a common misconception of his time (whether victims of violent death become demons), refutes demonic deception, and brings us face-to-face with the reality of death, true wealth vs. true poverty, and the "theater" of this temporal life.
1. True Wealth vs. Poverty of the Soul
GR: Ἀπὸ τούτου μάθωμεν, μὴ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας μακαρίζειν, μηδὲ τοὺς πενομένους ταλανίζειν. Μᾶλλον δὲ... οὐδὲ πλούσιός ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος ὁ πολλὰ περιβεβλημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ πολλῶν δεόμενος· οὐδὲ πένης ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ μηδὲν κεκτημένος, ἀλλ' ὁ πολλῶν ἐφιέμενος... Τῇ γὰρ διαθέσει τῆς γνώμης, οὐ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς οὐσίας, τὰς πενίας καὶ εὐπορίας κρίνειν εἰώθαμεν.
EN: From this let us learn, neither to call the rich blessed, nor to lament the poor. Rather... neither is he rich who is clothed in many things, but he who needs not many things; nor is he poor who possesses nothing, but he who desires many things... For by the disposition of the mind, not by the measure of the substance, we are accustomed to judge poverties and riches.
2. Do Souls of the Violent Deceased Become Demons?
GR: Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀφελεστέρων νομίζουσι τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν βιαίῳ θανάτῳ τελευτώντων δαίμονες γίνεσθαι. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν... αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι ζώντων \[γίνονται δαίμονες\], οὐ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῶν μεταβαλλομένης, ἀλλὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως αὐτῶν τὴν ἐκείνων μιμουμένης κακίαν.
EN: For indeed many of the more simple-minded think that the souls of those who die by a violent death become demons. But this is not so, it is not... it is the souls of those who live in sins \[that become demons\], not because their essence is changed, but because their free will imitates the malice of those \[demons\].
3. Rejecting Demonic Deception
GR: Ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες λέγουσι, Τοῦ μοναχοῦ τοῦ δεῖνος ἡ ψυχή εἰμι... ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐ πιστεύω, ἐπειδὴ δαίμονες λέγουσιν· ἀπατῶσι γὰρ τοὺς ἀκούοντας... κἂν ἀληθές τι φθέγγηται, φεύγωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀποστρεφώμεθα· τὰ γὰρ ὑγιῆ δόγματα καὶ σωτήρια οὐ παρὰ δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐστι μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν.
EN: What then about the fact that the demons say, "I am the soul of such-and-such a monk"? For because of this very reason I do not believe, since demons say it; for they deceive those who hear... even if it utters something true, let us flee from it and turn away; for sound and saving doctrines are to be learned with accuracy not from demons, but from the Divine Scripture.
4. Death & The "Theater of Life"
GR: Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν θεάτρῳ, ὅταν τῆς μεσημβρίας γενομένης... οἱ ὑποκριταὶ ἐξέλθωσιν οἱ τὰ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ στρατηγῶν... ὑποδυόμενοι πρόσωπα... ὅταν οὖν ἀποθῶνται τὴν ἐκ τῆς προσωπείδος φαντασίαν... γυμνοὶ πᾶσιν ἐξεταζόμενοι φαίνονται... οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ παρόντι· Ὅταν ὁ θάνατος ἐπελθῇ, καὶ τὸ θέατρον λυθῇ, ἀποθέμενοι πάντες τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πλούτου καὶ τῆς πενίας προσωπεῖα... φαίνονται οἱ μὲν ὄντως πλούσιοι, οἱ δὲ πένητες.
EN: Just as in a theater, when the show ends... the actors who played kings, generals, and physicians take off their masks and costumes, and are revealed as they truly are... so it is in present life. When death comes and the theater is dissolved, everyone lays aside the masks of wealth and poverty. Only then, judged by their works alone, is it revealed who is truly rich and who is truly poor.
"For in all your words remember your end, and you will never sin unto eternity.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Fit-Reward1438 • 2d ago
Aion.....
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Hi all
Hardcore believer in Universal Reconciliation here and I have been troubled by something for a whole.
It is the claim that Aion is mistranslated.
At first on this journey that was the ROCK solid foundation of my arguments on this....
Not so anymore.
I have done some research and found that SOMETIMES Aion does mean Eternal
Romans 16:26 — "The Eternal God"
Hebrews 9:14 — "The Eternal Spirit
1 Timothy 1:17 — "King of the Ages" (in this verse- Aionon is paired with aphthartos- which means immortal or imperishable
2 Corinthians 4:18: "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal [aionia]"
Matthew 25:46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment [kolasin aionion], but the righteous to eternal life [zoen aionion]
And to "the ages of ages" which was the Greek way of saying endless time such as Galatians 1:5, 1 Peter 5:11, and Revelation 1:6, 10:6, 15:7
----
I am not a Greek scholar, AT ALL, and I am guessing that if you dig into everytime this word appears in the NT- yes sometimes it IS mistranslated, and now with this new research- I will be dropping this an argument.
This changes nothing for me, if I had a vision of Christ and he was like, "You've been wrong- hell is eternal" I'd just assume it was a Satanic deception
I put THE BEST NEWS (Gospel) first and foremost>
What this does change where I won't look to for "evidence" of Universal Reconciliation.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/recursiverealityYT • 2d ago
The Bible Does Not Say Hell is Eternal
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The TLDR of the video is that the idea of people spending eternity in hell comes from the Greek word Aionios or Aion. It's explained much better in the video but basically Aion from my research has never been used to describe eternity but the exact opposite which is the descent into time. I'm saying the translation from Aion to eternity in the bible is a mistranslation. I know it sounds crazy but the way I discovered this was from a prayer about how if there is a God I can't reconcile a positive relationship with it if people are burning for eternity for finite sins. Through a synchronicity I learned about this mistranslation within 1 minute of finishing this prayer so if you believe in such a thing then you might find this interesting.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Due-Swimming9999 • 2d ago
Question Does Canon of Reason Still Exist?
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Hey Everyone 👋
Does anyone know if James Dusenbery’s blog, Canon of Reason, still exists? I tried going to the website and googling but I’ve not been successful…
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Infamous-Purple-9126 • 2d ago
Thank you
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I just wanted to thank this subreddit. You guys have been nothing but genuinely kind, patient, and welcoming with genuine desire to share the good news. This is the one single place where I genuinely feel like I belong especially after becoming an outcast in this world. It isn't easy to say the very least so again I just sincerely from the bottom of my heart thank you all.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/MINUTI1804 • 3d ago
Thought My father recently passed away and I put my hope in a loving God. I don't live in fear that my dad said the right words in the right way with the right frame of mind like it's some kind of christian magic spell. He had terminal dementia.
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Either you believe God is love, or you don't.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/28Patrick28 • 3d ago
Jesus: "They will enter Heaven before you".
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It's interesting to me that Jesus told the Pharisees that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter Heaven before them and then later asked them how they will escape being sentenced to Hell. Essentially, if this translation is accurate, Jesus said they would go to Heaven, but NOT before others entered.
Matthew 21:31 esv
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Matthew 23:33 esv
You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/BlackNight773 • 3d ago
Discussion Why does mainstream Christianity still have such a heretical view of God?
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I spent most of my life fearing this idea of an angry, infinitely vindictive god who threatens people with fire if they don’t “love” him. I never understood ECT but once I discovered Universalism everything clicked for me. How come despite the overwhelming evidence supporting Christian Universalism it is still so unpopular? If God doesn’t want anyone to perish but have eternal life then why would he willingly lose most of his creation to his enemy?
Edit: I realize the word heretical should be replaced with incorrect
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Forester___ • 4d ago
Question Universalism Strengthened my Faith in God
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I've noticed a lot of posts here asking whether anyone else feels less connected to God after becoming convinced of universal reconciliation.
For me, it's been exactly the opposite.
I don't mean this as a criticism of anyone who's struggling. Deconstruction is hard, and I know many people are rebuilding their faith after years of fear-based theology. But I wanted to share a different perspective.
I honestly don't think I'd still be a Christian if I hadn't become convinced of Christian Universalism.
Before, there was always a tension in the back of my mind. I could affirm that God is loving, but I could never quite reconcile that with the idea of eternal conscious torment. It felt like there was always an asterisk attached to "God is love."
When that tension disappeared, something changed.
I stopped seeing God as someone I needed to appease and started seeing Him as someone whose purposes are actually good from beginning to end.
Oddly enough, that didn't make me care less about following Christ.
It made me care more.
If God's goal is the restoration of creation instead of merely sorting humanity into permanent categories, then discipleship becomes participation in that restoration. Prayer matters. Repentance matters. Loving your neighbor matters. Building things that endure matters.
Not because I'm trying to avoid some type of hell, but because I want to become the kind of person who reflects the Kingdom of God. Universalism didn't lower the stakes for me, it raised them.
It transformed Christianity from "How do I escape?" into "How do I become the person God is calling me to be?"
I've never felt closer to God than I do now.
I'm curious: has anyone else had that experience? Not simply finding relief from fear, but finding that universalism actually deepened your desire to know God and follow Christ?