Download or read book The Freedom to Choose Hell written by John C. Rankin and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-07-18 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a verse in the RSSV: "For God so loved the world, that he gave us each the freedom to choose to go to hell if we damn well want to." Now, I would give caution on how we use this verse, since it is from the Rankin Sub-Standard Version (i.e., my biblically informed imagination). But if we grasp the interface of theology between Genesis 2:8-17 and John 3:16-21 - and across the whole biblical text - it will stand the test of time. Or to put it another way: Heaven is for the many who love mercy; hell is for the few who guard bitterness. This is not a question I ever intended to be the subject of a book. It sought me out on five occasions. First, Kalen Fristad, in Destined for Salvation, believes in an "ultimate restoration" universalism, that all people will eventually be saved, even if they first spend a long time in hell. He sought me out to debate him. Second, a friend of mine asked me to read a book by Julie Ferwerda, Raising Hell, and write a critique. Julie believes the doctrine of hell is a nasty fiction. Third, this same friend asked me to read Rob Bell's bestseller, Love Wins. Rob relentlessly drives his whole book toward an "ultimate restoration" universalism, but does not explicitly use the language. Fourth, W. Paul Young, author of the bestseller, The Shack, gives theological background in Lies We Believe About God. He opens the door for an "ultimate restoration" universalism, and does not close it. And fifth, my long-time friend George Sarris has written Heaven's Doors, where he argues for an "ultimate restoration" universalism. He had me review his manuscript material ahead of time. All these writers have a love of hard questions. I pose them a boatload of questions, and embrace any questions that thus come my way.
Download or read book That All Shall Be Saved written by David Bentley Hart and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "David Bentley Hart makes the case that nearly two millennia of dogmatic tradition have misled readers on the crucial matter of universal salvation. On the basis of the earliest Christian writings, theological tradition, scripture, and logic, Hart argues that if God is the good creator of all, he is the savior of all, without fail."--
Download or read book Raising Hell written by Julie Ferwerda and published by . This book was released on 2014-04-23 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: - Why does He fail to mention hell in Genesis as the price for sin? - Why doesn't the Old Testament ever speak of hell? - Why does Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, never once mention hell? - Why was hell not part of early Church established doctrine?
Download or read book The Freedom to Choose Life written by Scott W. Gustafson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2024-05-28 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky proposes ministry as the way to resist and overcome the world’s evil. He employs two plotlines to do so. The action plot concerns the events surrounding the murder of Fyodor Karamazov. All evidence points to Dmitri Karamazov. Rational, circumstantial evidence convicts him; yet the reader knows he is innocent. The ministry plot occurs in this dark context where “small acts of love” are performed by The Elder Zosima, Alyosha Karamazov, and many others. These acts of love all answer this unspoken question, “What can be said and done in Jesus’ name that opens the future to new possibilities in contexts heretofore deemed closed and without hope?” Asking and answering this question is the essence of ministry, and since the question can be asked in any context, ministry is possible anywhere. Dostoevsky’s unabashed antisemitism, however, undermines his brilliant analysis. The concluding chapters document how unconfessed sins like antisemitism exert a death-dealing power that undermines our cultures, our communities, and our ministries. The Freedom to Choose Life shows how ministry resists and overcomes evil by these small acts of love and by the global effects of repenting of humanity’s unconfessed sins.
Download or read book Hell and the Mercy of God written by Adrian J. Reimers and published by CUA Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: God's goodness seems incompatible with inflicting horrible evil upon those who oppose his will and defy his law. If to this paradox we add the metaphysical requirement that God be perfect in goodness, the eternal evil of hell seems to be contradictory to God's own nature. Catholic philosopher Adrian Reimers takes on these challenges in Hell and the Mercy of God.
Download or read book Up to Heaven and Down to Hell written by Colin Jerolmack and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting portrait of a rural Pennsylvania town at the center of the fracking controversy Shale gas extraction—commonly known as fracking—is often portrayed as an energy revolution that will transform the American economy and geopolitics. But in greater Williamsport, Pennsylvania, fracking is personal. Up to Heaven and Down to Hell is a vivid and sometimes heartbreaking account of what happens when one of the most momentous decisions about the well-being of our communities and our planet—whether or not to extract shale gas and oil from the very land beneath our feet—is largely a private choice that millions of ordinary people make without the public's consent. The United States is the only country in the world where property rights commonly extend "up to heaven and down to hell," which means that landowners have the exclusive right to lease their subsurface mineral estates to petroleum companies. Colin Jerolmack spent eight months living with rural communities outside of Williamsport as they confronted the tension between property rights and the commonwealth. In this deeply intimate book, he reveals how the decision to lease brings financial rewards but can also cause irreparable harm to neighbors, to communal resources like air and water, and even to oneself. Up to Heaven and Down to Hell casts America’s ideas about freedom and property rights in a troubling new light, revealing how your personal choices can undermine your neighbors’ liberty, and how the exercise of individual rights can bring unintended environmental consequences for us all.
Download or read book Dare We Hope 2nd Edition written by Hans Urs von Balthasar and published by Ignatius Press. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is perhaps one of the most misunderstood works of Catholic theology of our time. Critics contend that von Balthasar espouses universalism, the idea that all men will certainly be saved. Yet, as von Balthasar insists, damnation is a real possibility for anyone. Indeed, he explores the nature of damnation with sobering clarity. At the same time, he contends that a deep understanding of God’s merciful love and human freedom, and a careful reading of the Catholic tradition, point to the possibility—not the certainty—that, in the end, all men will accept the salvation Christ won for all. For this all-embracing salvation, von Balthasar says, we may dare hope, we must pray and with God’s help we must work. The Catholic Church’s teaching on hell has been generally neglected by theologians, with the notable exception of von Balthasar. He grounds his reflections clearly in Sacred Scripture and Catholic teaching. While the Church asserts that certain individuals are in heaven (the saints), she never declares a specific individual to be in hell. In fact, the Church hopes that in their final moments of life, even the greatest sinners would have repented of their terrible sins, and be saved. Sacred Scripture states, “God ... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:4–5).
Download or read book Swinburne s Hell and Hick s Universalism written by Lindsey Hall and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-11-01 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title was first published in 2003. This book seeks to establish whether a Christian position must entail a belief in hell or whether Christians can hold a coherent theory of universal salvation. Richard Swinburne's defence of hell depends on the argument that hell is necessary if humans are to be genuinely free. It becomes clear that the contemporary discussion of hell and universalism cannot be separated from the issues of human freedom and God's knowledge, and so Hall centres the discussion round the question 'Are we Free to Reject God?' John Hick argues that although we are free to reject God there will eventually be an universalist outcome. Having examined the contrasting arguments of Hick and Swinburne, Hall builds on Hick's position to develop an argument for Christian universal salvation which holds in balance our freedom in relation to God and the assurance that all will finally be saved.
Download or read book Against the Gates of Hell written by Stanley R. Rader and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Divine Hours Volume Two Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime written by Phyllis Tickle and published by Image. This book was released on 2006-09-19 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second volume in a trilogy of prayer manuals compiled by Publishers Weekly religion editor Phyllis Tickle as a contemporary Book of Hours to guide Christians gently yet authoritatively through the daily offices. The Divine Hours is the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer. This beautifully conceived and thoroughly modern three-volume guide will appeal to the theological novice as well as to the ecclesiastical sophisticate. Making primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, The Divine Hours is also a companion to the New Jerusalem Bible, from which it draws its Scripture readings. The trilogy blends prayer and praise in a way that, while extraordinarily fresh, respects and builds upon the ancient wisdom of Christianity. The second book in the set, Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime, provides prayers, psalms, and readings for these two festive seasons. Compact, it is perfect for those seeking greater spiritual depth. As a contemporary Book of Hours, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime heralds a renewal of the tradition of disciplined daily prayer, and gives those already using the first volume the continuity they are seeking. The series will culminate in a third volume for springtime, completing the liturgical and calendar year with the offices for every day.
Download or read book Heaven Is Real But So Is Hell written by Vassula Ryden and published by Tate Publishing Company. This book was released on 2014-12-09 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ""Some people hear music in their ears and write symphonies; others see numbers in their mind's eye and solve amazing mathematical equations. I've been called to see the supernatural."" Heaven is Real But So is Hell is the story of Vassula's amazing journey. It started one day in November of 1985 and has propelled her since then on God's mission to reveal the truth to the world. Her conversations with God bring a clear message for the whole of humanity to return to the path of virtue. It brings a timely and critical message for our world and will be one of the most thought provoking books you'll ever read. This book is the story of her amazing encounters and what they mean for all of us. It gives us a glimpse of God's love and justice and of what is to come. This is a book with a strong message of hope. It is a book that will awaken not only for those who have strayed but also those who are still seeking their way.
Download or read book A Theodicy of Hell written by C. Seymour and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-09 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In A Theodicy of Hell Charles Seymour tackles one of the most difficult problems facing the western theistic tradition: to show the consonance between eternal punishment and the goodness of God. Medieval theology attempted to resolve the dilemma by arguing that any sin, no matter how slight, merits unending torment. Contemporary thinkers, on the other hand, tend to eliminate the retributive element from hell entirely. Combining historical breadth with detailed argumentation, the author develops a novel understanding of hell which avoids the extremes of both its traditional and modern rivals. He then surveys the battery of objections ranged against the possibility of eternal punishment and shows how his `freedom view of hell' can withstand the attack. The work will be of particular importance for those interested in philosophy of religion and theology, including academics, students, seminarians, clergy, and anyone else with a personal desire to come to terms with this perennially challenging doctrine.
Download or read book Beyond the Shadowlands Foreword by Walter Hooper written by Wayne Martindale and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2007-05-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Those who know Lewis's work will enjoy Martindale's thorough examination of the powerful images of Heaven and Hell found in Lewis's fiction, and all readers can appreciate Martindale's scholarly yet accessible tone. Read this book, and you will see afresh the wonder of what lies beyond the Shadowlands.
Download or read book Hell written by Jerry L. Walls and published by University of Notre Dame Pess. This book was released on 1992-08-31 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerry L. Walls cogently argues that some traditional views of hell are still defensible and can be believed with intellectual and moral integrity. Focusing on the issues from the standpoint of philosophical theology, he explores the doctrine of hell in relation to both the divine nature and human nature. He argues, with respect to divine nature, that some versions of the doctrine are compatible not only with God's omnipotence and omniscience, but also with a strong account of His perfect goodness. The concept of divine goodness receives special attention since the doctrine of hell is most often rejected on moral grounds. In addition, Walls maintains that the doctrine of hell is intelligible from the standpoint of human freedom, since the idea of a decisive choice of evil is a coherent one.
Download or read book Love Wins written by Rob Bell and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-03-15 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of Christians have struggled with how to reconcile God's love and God's judgment: Has God created billions of people over thousands of years only to select a few to go to heaven and everyone else to suffer forever in hell? Is this acceptable to God? How is this "good news"? Troubling questions—so troubling that many have lost their faith because of them. Others only whisper the questions to themselves, fearing or being taught that they might lose their faith and their church if they ask them out loud. But what if these questions trouble us for good reason? What if the story of heaven and hell we have been taught is not, in fact, what the Bible teaches? What if what Jesus meant by heaven, hell, and salvation are very different from how we have come to understand them? What if it is God who wants us to face these questions? Author, pastor, and innovative teacher Rob Bell presents a deeply biblical vision for rediscovering a richer, grander, truer, and more spiritually satisfying way of understanding heaven, hell, God, Jesus, salvation, and repentance. The result is the discovery that the "good news" is much, much better than we ever imagined. Love wins.
Download or read book Choose Heaven Hell written by Peter Smith and published by Covenant Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2019-01-03 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Death is a mystery, and people fear that which they do not understand. No one looks forward to dying, but it is inevitable. The mystery is, "Is there something or someplace where a person will go to after their last breath?" There are many beliefs concerning this matter, and not all of them can be true. Television and the media have trained our minds to believe that heaven and hell is a figment of our imagination. There is no life after this one. Others believe in some sort of heaven or hell. They have questions: Are they real? What are they like? What goes on while there? Where are they? And vitally important, Who will reside in either place, and why? The focus of this book is to develop an understanding about hell. Hell will remain a mystery as long as a person does not go to the source for the information. There are books written which speak of people who have died, gone to hell, and then come back. Should we believe them? Are they fiction or fact? Where can we go to receive the truth and answers? Is there a source which we can believe and not question? This book is not written on fable or fiction but on fact. The writer never went to hell or had visions from God. The answers concerning hell are available to any who seeks and is interested in their life after death. Read on and become informed. Knowledge of hell will help the reader in making a life-changing decision. Read on if you desire the truth.
Download or read book Four Views on Hell written by Zondervan, and published by Zondervan Academic. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent years have seen much controversy regarding a unified Christian doctrine of hell: Do we go to heaven or hell when we die? Or do we cease to exist? Are believers and unbelievers ultimately saved by grace in the end? By focusing on recent theological arguments, Four Views on Hell: Second Edition highlights why the church still needs to wrestle with the doctrine of hell. In the fair-minded and engaging Counterpoints format, four leading scholars introduce us to the current views on eternal judgment, with particular attention given to the new voices that have entered the debate. Contributors and views include: Denny Burk – representing a principle of Eternal Conscious Torment John Stackhouse – representing a principle of Annihilationism (Conditional Immortality) Robin Parry – representing a principle of Universalism (Ultimate Reconciliation) Jerry Walls – representing a principle of Purgatory Preston Sprinkle concludes the discussion by evaluating each view, noting significant points of exchange between the essayists. The interactive nature of the volume allows the reader to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of each view and come to an informed conclusion. BONUS CONTENT: Includes entire first edition of Four Views on Hell to help readers grasp the history of the discussion and how it has developed over the last twenty years.
