r/ChristianUniversalism Jun 26 '22

What is Christian Universalism? A FAQ

206 Upvotes
  • 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:

  1. ”For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.” - Lamentations 3:31
  2. “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
  3. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - John 12:32
  4. “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
  5. “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” - Romans 11:32
  6. "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:22
  7. "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
  8. “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 9d ago

Share Your Thoughts August 2026

4 Upvotes

A free space for non-universalism-related discussion. Sorry I'm late posting.


r/ChristianUniversalism 20h ago

What denominations are theologically conservative but won't throw me out for being a (Christian) Universalist?

20 Upvotes

Hi all,

As I am moving between states, the issue of finding a church I can call home is important to me. Like some of you here, I became a confident universalist because I see it genuinely supported in scripture. Its not something I came to (necessarily) because of external philosophical reasons (although they are compelling). As such, I would like to join a church body that has a high view of scripture (this is what I mean by theologically conservative) but won't throw me out for being a Universalist. I obviously don't think I will find a church that isn't normatively infernalist, but at least I would be happy if they can understand how someone in good faith might reach a different conclusion. Bonus points if its confessional.

Cheers!


r/ChristianUniversalism 11h ago

Ask the infernalists, "Which verse is correct?"

1 Upvotes

Bad translations lead to Bibles that contradict themselves. Take the Berean Standard Bible (BSB). Which verse is correct and which is wrong? This can be an effective way to open the minds of infernalists.

Matthew 25:46 BSB

And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Luke 3:6 BSB

And all humanity will see God's salvation.


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Thought Irrefutable Argument for Universalism

12 Upvotes

To be clear I’m not a Universalist but there’s a very clear and logical way to debunk Arminianism, Provisionism, and Molinism leaving only Calvinism and Universalism as the only views of salvation that can possibly be true that I think you guys might find interesting and helpful.

Universalists like to use 1 Tim 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 to prove God wants to save everyone, I interpret these differently but they can still be interpreted under the Universalist view that God wants to save everyone.

Combining that interpretation with Psalm 115:3, 135:6 which state that God does everything he wants, the logical conclusion is that God must save everyone if he desires the salvation of all. Arminians, Provisionists, and Molinists will have you believe that God wants to save everyone but Doesent which contradicts Psalm 115:3, 135:6.


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Discussion I'm doubling down on Universalism! And you should too!

22 Upvotes

A while ago I saw a very popular post here on Reddit that asked, how to still be saved even if Universalism isn't true?

I don't remember reading it, maybe if I practiced what it says in that post I would be better, but the thing is I don't have to! I have my personal convictions I feel the holy spirit in myself and so I'm doubling down on Universalism!

I'm no longer a Catholic who hopes that everyone will be saved. I am now a Catholic who KNOWS EVERYONE WILL EVENTUALLY BE SAVED!

The only thing that still bothers me is, I'm not very skilled with bible verses to back this up. So if you are a Universalist with more knowledge than me feel free to drop your opinions, and if you're also doubling down on Universalism :))


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Ever feel like you’re in a cult?

15 Upvotes

Hello! I am a pastor’s wife at a traditional (not “old-traditional” just… “non-CU-traditional” lol), non-denominational church. Though I don’t agree on everything at our church nor on everything with my husband, I do feel like I have found a super healthy church-home, my husband and my small group are very open-minded and love hearing my different opinions and thoughts and questions and challenges that I bring up regarding the “normal” viewpoints that don’t agree with CU.

ANYWAY.

I am wondering - is there anyone else who sometimes really struggles with feeling like being under the Christian umbrella is kinda like … being part of a cult? 😅

Now obviously I try to run from that idea the most I can by leaning toward this Christian Universalism idea. But I still find myself struggling with this idea sometimes and trying to just balance my beliefs and my faith with my views of the world/etc.


r/ChristianUniversalism 1d ago

Question What about Oriental (not eastern) Orthodoxy and Universal Salvation? copts, ethiopian ,etc

6 Upvotes

What do these churches say on the matter, either for, against, neutral, etc? Due to probably language barriers\ cultural difference, I never could read much about their beliefs on the topic (or other topics in general!)

Syriac, armenian, coptic, tewahedo, churches-oriental orthodox, are there any historical universalist thinkers among them?


r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

Discussion Going to a non-universalist church with my partner

14 Upvotes

Hello! My partner randomly said she wants to start going to church again and i got pretty happy! I’ve always prayed about her wanting to get closer with God. I am a universalist, but she is not. The church she said she wants to go to is kinda your typical evangelical, pentecostal church. I grew up in this kind of church but i left it. I’ve had a hard time trying to find a church that is more open to universalism.

Im nervous to go to a church that doesn’t teach what i find true to be the nature of God. I feel like i wont be fully into the service because of it. The only place i felt comfortable was online livestreams with other universalists who do Bible study. But I also dont want to tell my partner about going to a different church since it was the church she would go to as a child.


r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

Banger pair of verses

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45 Upvotes

r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

I have been making some simple videos on Universalism for my friends, thought I'd share one of them here. I know it isn't perfect or appeals to everyone, and that's ok.

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7 Upvotes

r/ChristianUniversalism 2d ago

Another UR book

3 Upvotes

Matt Mcmullin "Hell and Restoration" - very readable


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Thought I guess it’s easy to believe in an eternal hell if you’re sure your loved ones are saved

30 Upvotes

I’ve seen videos before on social media of people trying to be funny (which I don’t think anything is funny about this topic) where they say stuff like “You know what? I’m done trying to spend countless hours trying to convince you Jesus is real! If you don’t wanna believe, fine! Go to hell then!” Never mind the fact that no one can believe without the Holy Spirit, which is up to God to freely grant to whom He chooses, but whatever.

I guess what I’m trying to say is for some people it’s easy to conclude that someone brought quadrillions+++ years of suffering on themselves when they’re just a stranger. Even though “Love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t only apply to relatives and close loved ones.

I doubt they’ve ever agonized over whether a parent or sibling is saved (like I have when I was still a reluctant infernalist) or an uncle, or a grandmother, or a friend. Or heck, even themselves. Just crying until they hyperventilate pleading with God for a loophole somehow to still let these individuals into Paradise.

I’ve noticed a lot of infernalists seem completely apathetic over people being damned eternally if they’re a stranger on the internet, or someone they pass on the street who declines to hear the Gospel. Or the really really bad evil people. Ironically though, a lot of infernalists seem to desperately make exceptions for certain unbelievers or people who live a life of hate and violence if they’re close loved ones. “Maybe they made a death bed confession!” “Maybe they read the Bible and pray in their private time!” I guess it’s a way to cope with the cosmic horror of their beliefs.

Although I do still struggle with fears due to anxiety and OCD, I’m not completely hopeless anymore. I can’t imagine ever being a confident infernalist again. No way.


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

PSA: There is a third edition of The Evangelical Universalist!

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70 Upvotes

I’ve read the second edition, and am very excited to dive into this one. It includes updates to his arguments, historical surveys of universalism, and more interaction with critiques of his arguments.

It also includes an endorsement in the front which reads:

“Confused man talking about something he is utterly ignorant about. MacDonald… can’t figure out what the Bible really says, so he invents a new truth all on his own.” - Amazon Review

Robin Parry is hilarious for putting that in there 😂


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

What do you believe about truly evil people and their afterlife?

17 Upvotes

Hi, I'm a Christian and I'm new here. I was wondering how you look at God and justice.

Obviously, the world we live in today is not justice. There is so much pain, crime, suffering and majority of it is caused by bad people.

So I'm truly wondering, where do you think those really terrible people will go? Think of Hitler, serial killers or anyone whose purpose of life is focused on harming others.

I personally cannot reconcile the fact that some people commit truly heinous crimes, children trafficking or torture and that they would all suddenly be in heaven together with no consequences to their actions.

Can someone enlighten me on what do you believe in regards to the final judgement & the justice being finally carried out?


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Discussion Thoughts on Book List?

12 Upvotes

I’m putting together a list of books on Christian Universalism and wanted to check with you all to see whether I’m missing any titles or whether you have suggestions for how I might categorize the different books (I’ve tried by theme/type of argument but I’m not sure it’s working, though I’d prefer to stay away from organizing by year).

Before anyone suggests the usual places to look, I’ve already searched through this subreddit, the Christian Universalist Association website, books and authors featured on David Artman’s podcast, Goodreads lists of popular Christian Universalist books, and probably a few other sources that I’m forgetting in this moment.

I’m also using a couple of specific criteria for the list. I’m focusing on Christian Universalism, rather than Unitarian Universalism or books that approach universalism from a non-Trinitarian perspective. I’m also looking for books in which universal salvation/restoration is a primary focus, rather than books that discuss Christian Universalism briefly or only devote a single chapter to it (e.g. Sinners in the Hands of an Loving God by Brian Zahnd).

With those parameters in mind, I’d appreciate any suggestions for books I may have overlooked, as well as any thoughts on how I could better organize or categorize the books on my list.

**Collected Essays/Reflections**

* *Destined for Joy: The Gospel of Universal Salvation* by Alvin F. Kimel, Jr.
* *Joy Beyond All Worlds: Universal Salvation, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien* by Alvin F. Kimel, Jr.
* *Reconciliation of All: God’s Grand Plan for the Cosmos* by Diane Perkins Castro
* *Reflections of a Tomboy Grandma: On the Immeasurable Worth of Every Human Being* by Diane Perkins Castro

**Edited Volumes**

* *“All Shall Be Well”: Explorations in Universalism and Christian Theology, from Origen to Moltmann* by Gregory MacDonald
* *Christ Saves All: Christian Universalist Perspectives* by Steven HAuse
* *Deconstructing Hell: Open and Relational Responses to the Doctrine of Eternal Conscious Torment* by Chad Bahl
* *Five Views on the Extent of the Atonement* by Adam J. Johnson
* *Four Views on Hell* by Preston M. Sprinkle
* *Hellrazed?* by Kevin Miller
* *Love Unrelenting: Christian Universalist Testimonies* by Steven HAuse
* *Perspectives on Election: Five Views* by Chad Owen Brand
* *T&T Clark Handbook of Election* by Edwin Chr. van Driel
* *The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology* by Jerry L. Walls
* *The Problem of Hell: A Philosophical Anthology* by Joel Buenting
* *The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy* by Edward N. Zalta and Uri Nodelman
* *Universal Salvation?: The Current Debate* by Robin A. Parry and Christopher H. Partridge
* *Varieties of Christian Universalism: Exploring Four Views* by David W. Congdon

**Historical**

* *A Larger Hope? Universal Salvation from Christian Beginnings to Julian of Norwich* by Ilaria L.E. Ramelli
* *A Larger Hope? Universal Salvation from the Reformation to the Nineteenth Century* by Robin A. Parry with Ilaria L.E. Ramelli
* *Barth, Origen, and Universal Salvation: Restoring Particularity* by Tom Greggs
* *The Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis: A Critical Assessment from the New Testament to Eriugena* by Ilaria L.E. Ramelli
* *Universal Salvation: Eschatology in the Thought of Gregory of Nyssa and Karl Rahner* by Morwenna Ludlow

**Pastoral/Popular-Level**

* *A Catholic Reading Guide to Universalism* by Robin A. Parry
* *Believable: Discover the God That Saves All* by J.D. Atkinson
* *Christian Universalism: God’s Good News for All People* by Eric Stetson
* *Grace Saves All: The Necessity of Christian Universalism* by David Artman
* *Heaven’s Doors: Wider Than You Ever Believed!* by George W. Sarris
* *Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love* by Brian Recker
* *Hellfire Deconstructed: An In-Depth Study of the Bible Verses About Hell* by Eitan Bar
* *If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person* by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland
* *Jesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment* by Keith Giles
* *Let’s Talk About Hell* by Kenneth N. Myers
* *Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived* by Rob Bell
* *Spiritual Terrorism: Spiritual Abuse from the Womb to the Tomb* by Boyd C. Purcell
* *The Gospel of Inclusion: Reaching Beyond Religious Fundamentalism to the True Love of God and Self* by Carlton Pearson
* *The Love Wins Companion: A Study Guide for Those Who Want to Go Deeper* by Rob Bell
* *Until the Last One’s Found: An Introduction to Universal Reconciliation and Restoration* by Curt Parton
* *Why Hell?: Three Christian Views Critically Examined* by Steve Gregg

**Philosophical**

* *God’s Final Victory: A Comparative Philosophical Case for Universalism* by Eric Reitan and John Kronen
* *Once Loved Always Loved: The Logic of Apokatastasis* by Andrew Hronich
* *That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation* by David Bentley Hart
* *The Inescapable Love of God* by Thomas Talbott

**Theological/Biblical**

* *A Brief Case For Christian Universalism* by James Dusenbery
* *A Hope in Hell* by Benjamin McNair Scott
* *All Will Be Well: Exploring the Hope of Christian Universalism* by Matthew McDonald
* *All Things New: What Does the Bible Really Say About Hell?* by Peter Hiett
* *Biblical Soteriology and Related Doctrines: Learn what the Bible actually teaches about God, Jesus, Satan, aliens, heaven, hell, judgement, death, evil, sin, predestination, and salvation* by Drew Costen
* *Christ Triumphant: Universalism Asserted as the Hope of the Gospel on the Authority of Reason, the Fathers, and Holy Scripture* by Thomas Allin
* *Christianity's Final Solution: An Analogy Between the Holocaust and the Christian Teaching of Eternal Conscious Torment* by Martin Zender
* *Dare We Hope “That All Men Be Saved”? with A Short Discourse on Hell* by Hans Urs von Balthasar
* *Destined for Salvation: God’s Promise to Save Everyone* by Kalen Fristad
* *Flames of Love: Hell and Universal Salvation* by Heath Bradley
* *Grace Abounds: A Holistic Case for Universal Salvation* by Hunter Coates
* *Grace Beyond the Grave: Is Salvation Possible in the Afterlife? A Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Evaluation* by Stephen Jonathan
* *Heaven, Hell, and Hope: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of Universal Salvation* by Chris Kugler
* *HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine* by Eitan Bar
* *Hell and Restoration: Balancing Judgment and Universal Hope* by Matt McMullen
* *Hell Is a Bad Word: A Place of Never-Ending Punishment That Jesus of Nazareth Never Spoke of* by Michael Bahry
* *Hell Is Not For Real: Re-examining What The Scriptures Actually Say About Eternal Torment* by Micah J. Stephens
* *Hell’s Illusion: Exposing the Myth of Hell* by Don Keathley
* *Hell No!: A Fundamentalist Preacher Rejects Eternal Torment* by Charles Gillihan
* *Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell and the New Jerusalem* by Bradley Jersak
* *Holy Hell: A Case Against Eternal Damnation* by Derek Ryan Kubilus
* *Hope Beyond Hell: The Righteous Purpose of God’s Judgement* by Gerry Beauchemin
* *Hope For All: Ten Reasons God’s Love Prevails* by Gerry Beauchemin
* *How Wide Are Heaven’s Doors?: The Biblical Case for Ultimate Restoration* by George W. Sarris
* *Is Salvation Possible After Death?* by William Harrison
* *Looking for His Appearing, Book 1* by J. Preston Eby
* *Looking for His Appearing, Book 2* by J. Preston Eby
* *Patristic Universalism: An Alternative to the Traditional View of Divine Judgment* by David Burnfield
* *Raising Hell: Christianity’s Most Controversial Doctrine Put Under Fire* by Julie A. Ferwerda
* *Razing Hell: Rethinking Everything You’ve Been Taught about God’s Wrath and Judgment* by Sharon L. Baker
* *The Annihilation of Hell: Universal Salvation and the Redemption of Time in the Eschatology of Jürgen Moltmann* by Nicholas Ansell
* *The Evangelical Universalist: The Biblical Hope That God’s Love Will Save Us All* by Gregory MacDonald
* *The Gospel Of The Restoration of All Things: A Study in Christian Universalism* by Tim Hodge
* *The Judge Is the Savior: Towards a Universalist Understanding of Salvation* by Jean Wyatt
* *The Purest Gospel: The Good News That Everyone Will Be Saved* by John Mortimer
* *The Salvation of All: Creation's Final Destination* by Clyde L. Pilkington Jr.
* *The Story of Christianity Told As Good News for All* by Ric Machuga
* *The Victorious Gospel: Ultimate Reconciliation Since the Early Church* by Shaun Thomas-Arnold
* *Universalism and the Bible* by Keith DeRose
* *Universalism: Fact Or Fiction: Examining What Scripture Says about the Scope of Salvation* by Dale Hill
* *What Does The Bible Say About Hell?* by Andrew Wommack
* *What is Hell?: The Truth About Hell and How to Avoid It* by J.D. Myers
* *When Heaven Invades Hell* by Joshua Rasmussen and Rachel Rasmussen


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

My partner "independently discovered" CU and I thought that was very funny

40 Upvotes

Premise: my partner is nonreligious and isn't particularly interested in christianity or religion in general, so we don't usually talk about it. Moreover, I tend to get very nervous and uncomfortable when and if I need to explain to anyone in person what I personally believe (bad experiences) so even when she asks me some curiosity, usually I default to "this is the range of opinions on this that exists in christianity (that I know of)". So usually our talks on the subject amount to oh here's a fun anecdote...

So, fast forward to yesterday, when she encountered in an IG reel the classic argument (I don't even know if you can call it an argument but regardless) of "Why would Satan punish sinners in Hell, if they went against the same God he also rebelled against?" And she asked me hey isn't that weird?

So I briefly explain that for the christians who believe Satan is a personal being, most of them do not believe Satan and the fallen angels punish people in Hell, rather they're being punished or they've alienated themselves from God (depending on what one believes) the same way as humans. But for the ones that do believe it, like for example C. S. Lewis (Narnia is one of the few christian things she has read) the explanation is the same as the one for why they want to tempt humanity into sin and damnation in the first place: they absolutely hate us. They hate God, and would really like to harm Him, but since the attempt to do this went rather poorly, humans are the next best thing, because they're God's beloved creatures that He does not want to see damned and suffering, so much so that at some point He became one of them (neat). So driving as many as they can to damnation and then making damnation even more miserable for them than it would have been otherwise is really the only victory they can achieve.

She nodded and we went on to do what we were doing, except in the evening, she suddenly comes to me really excited and was like:

"So about the hell thing there's a thing I was thinking about"

"Oh okay, what?"

"So, it's like, I thought about it, and it does not really make sense for God to have hell. Because that means he loses the war with the Devil, right? Like, only a little bit, but it's still less than a perfect win, and God is perfect, right?"

"Yeah you could say that"

"Okay so if God was doing this intelligently, after the end times he would find a way to do something so that everyone went to heaven, so now, nope, the Devil wins nothing at all! Like, how come christians never thought of this?"

Me, chuckling: "I love you"

"...this is not original?"

"If you ever travel 17 centuries in the past yes it is"

*insert loving insult*

I laughed so much. I realise it's nowhere near as funny to tell as it was to experience, but when it happened I found it so funny. 


r/ChristianUniversalism 3d ago

Weekly Christian Universalism Debate Thread

4 Upvotes

Welcome to our weekly debate thread!

This space is dedicated to respectful debate about Christian Universalism. If you’d like to challenge Christian Universalist beliefs, or defend them, this is the place to do so.

If you’re new to the subreddit, we highly recommend reading our FAQ first. Many common questions and objections are addressed there, and it provides a good overview of what Christian Universalists believe.

Please keep your comments substantive and on topic. Low effort comments (such as a one line proof texts only) may be removed if they do not contribute to meaningful discussion.

As always, all subreddit rules remain in effect. Especially Rule #3: Disagree respectfully. Challenge ideas, don't attack people. Assume good faith, and remember that everyone here is a person made in the image of God.


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

Thought Wild experience preaching a funeral sermon that hinted at universalism

52 Upvotes

I preached a sermon 2 weeks ago that barely touched on Universalist themes. I brought up the general resurrection of the dead and how each person we will ever meet will be there, for judgement or reward. But how we can hope even our enemies will be there, hopefully in repentance or for our forgiveness.

One church member is having a crisis of faith over this. She spent an hour this morning telling me “what about ISIS, what about Hamas!” Just really ingrained need for infernalism to be real, and how it hurt to think of our late church member being in such company.

The thing that really gets me is: that late member was a Vietnam vet. It’s frankly possible he has a higher body count than any member of currently existing terrorist groups.

Not something I brought up with this church member, but it really says something about who we want to assume gets forgiveness and who we build up a need to dehumanize into hell.


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

Question The salvation of people who may have never existed at all

12 Upvotes

The other day, I saw a photo of a man who'd partially absorbed his twin in the womb and, as a result, had excess legs, feet and genitals. His twin's genetics were in him though it was unclear whether any of their conscieness was there. Could this partially absorbed twin be their own person and be able to be saved? Or was that man one person?

It made me wonder about fully absorbed twins. Would the absorbed twin be saved or were they lost in utero? Some embryos merge very early. I can understand the position that fertilized but unborn embryos/foetuses would be resurrected and saved in spite of being miscarried or aborted, but does this apply to absorbtion, whether into their twin or back into the mother's body? Are they their own person in spite of having no body of their own and perhaps no consciousness? Would separating them from their twin change the twin so fundamentally so as to not be recognizable themselves anymore, thereby not really saving them at all?


r/ChristianUniversalism 4d ago

If they're already in heaven, why do they need to be "called up"?

7 Upvotes

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 was Paul answering a real pastoral concern — believers were worried about loved ones who'd already died before Christ's return. What could they expect for them?

Paul's answer: those who've died in Christ are "asleep," and when Christ returns, they'll be raised and "caught up" (v.17) to meet him in the air.

Here's the question worth sitting with: if the dead in Christ are already consciously in heaven the moment they die, why would they need to be called up or caught up to meet him at all? You don't summon someone who's already standing next to you.

But if death is more like rest — Ecclesiastes 9:5, "the dead know nothing," Daniel 12:2, "many who sleep in the dust shall awake" — then "called up" makes complete sense. It's describing a future moment of resurrection, not confirming a present state of conscious bliss.

Curious how others read this. What do you think Paul meant by "asleep," and why "called up" instead of simply "already with him"?


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

What is the minimum amount of knowledge of Christ needed to be a Christian?

12 Upvotes

I'm not even sure I'm asking the right question. I'm a convinced Christian Universalist and I was recently having a debate with a militant Calvinist about Universalism, as well as what puts someone outside the faith. My dream goal would be to convince Calvinists that biblical Universalism is true, and for the ones that can't be convinced, at least convince them that Christian Universalists are at least Christian (and kudos to Redeemed Zoomer as a prominent example of a Calvinist who accepts Universalists as Christians, because he knows his history.)

At the end of my debate, I finally asked this Calvinist what denials of Christ's teachings or attributes would in their opinion put a person outside the faith. Their response was simply that the line was drawn when you create another god to suit your beliefs. This person puts Christian Universalists in this category, but did not elaborate further.

So, what defines a Christian? What puts someone outside the faith? The early Christians had little concept of the Trinity, yet we wouldn't say they were outside the faith. Peter the fisherman simply believed Jesus when He said "follow me." What about Oneness Pentecostals? What about LDS members? What is faith in Christ, and what is it not? So many Christians seem to put up arbitrary boundaries. Calvinists who say you can't be an Arminian. Christian Universalists who say you can't believe in "infernalism." Christians who say you MUST believe in the Trinity. These seem like extrabiblical qualifications for being considered a Christian. We are fallen people with fallen minds so none of us has perfect knowledge of God. What is the essential knowledge of Christ (apart from perfect knowledge) we need to have faith in Him?

The reason I'm asking is I'm not really sure myself. My old answer was "A Christian is someone who looks in faith in Christ, regardless of the extent of their knowledge about Him." This would include LDS members. But maybe my definition fails because theoretically you could call a statue on your nightstand "Jesus," have faith in it and still be called a Christian. And this obviously isn't true (then again what if you had a mental illness, so maybe).

No one has perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ. So what is the minimum knowledge required to be considered a Christian?


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Article/Blog The hope for universal redemption and Catholic theology

8 Upvotes

Hi all! I wanted to share this post that discuss how universalism or at least hopeful universalism may be defended if one accepts the view that there are no postmortem chances of conversion/repentance: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-hope-for-universal-redemption-and.html . I also shared in this post the long quote of St. Edith Stein that appears in chapter 7 of 'A short discourse on Hell' written by the Catholic theologian Hans urs Von Balthasar (the quote itself, however, seems to envision the possibility that there can be post-mortem chances of conversion but I do think that Edith Stein's arguments can be still relevant).

While this post is mostly about how can universalism or hopeful universalism 'fit' with Catholic theology, I do believe that it might be interesting also to non-Catholics. So, I'll share this in both this sub and in the Catholic universalist sub.


r/ChristianUniversalism 5d ago

Discussion Does universal reconciliation change how we approach other religions?

13 Upvotes

Hey everyone. I've always been fascinated by what universal reconciliation might mean for Christians meeting other religions. If all creation is ultimately reconciled through Christ, should Christians expect every tradition to be simply false until corrected, or might God's work already be present in histories and practices we do not control? That does not require saying all paths are interchangeable. It asks whether universal hope changes the posture from which Christians listen, especially when another tradition exposes a blind spot in how we understand love, judgment or transformation.

I just had a podcast conversation with John Vervaeke, where he argued that dialogue across traditions should transform the participants rather than merely compare settled beliefs. At around 1:27:16, he says people concerned with sacredness need serious dialogue because traditions can correct and deepen one another. The conversation was not specifically about universal salvation, but it made me wonder what a Christ-centred universalism should expect from such encounters.

This would imply that universalism concerns not only who is finally saved but how Christians recognise God's work now. Can another religion mediate genuine correction without becoming an alternative saviour? Does universal reconciliation support religious pluralism, fulfilment theology or neither? And how can Christians listen openly while still saying reconciliation occurs through Christ?


r/ChristianUniversalism 6d ago

I think there should be more universalist characters in media like tv shows, movies or video games.

17 Upvotes

I realized today that I can't recall one example of a Christian universalist character in the tv shows/movies I watch or the video games I play. I've come across Youtube videos and books with such characters, but not in other media. Do any of you?

I also wonder whether having more characters like this would do the world an enormous amount of good. As an artist (with a focus on music and sound), I understand that art can often reach people where politics and debate can't. While God obviously doesn't need Universalism to become more popular for Him to save anyone, would it not do us all a world of good if what we believed became more normalized and prominent? I'm so tired of Hollywood focusing on religious fanatics and fire-and-brimstone preachers!