Christian universalism is a school of Christian theology focused around the doctrine of universal reconciliation – the view that all human beings will ultimately be saved and restored to a right relationship with God.
It is related to, but distinct from, general universalism, which in theological terms considers that there are universal truths contained in the teachings of religion, and is often contrasted with relativism. Under most frameworks of Christian universal reconciliation, the eventual salvation of all people follows from universal claims about God’s nature, and the ultimate purpose of divine judgment.
The term Christian universalism was used in the Christian Intelligencer in the 1820s by Russell Streeter—a descendant of Adams Streeter who had founded one of the first Universalist Churches on September 14, 1785.Russell Streeter 1835, Familiar conversations: in which the salvation of all mankind is…, page 266: "We now come to those distinguished men, Murray and Winchester, who, as our opposers would have people believe, were the inventors and first preachers of Christian Universalism."The Christian repository: volume 9, page 218 Church of the United Brethren in Christ (1800–1889), 1829 "In a piece entitled Christian Universalism, in the Christian Intelligencer, volume 3d, page 4, he wrote the following: "The Editor," speaking of himself, "deems it a solemn obligation to protest against proceedings calculated to make an…"The journal of Unitarian Universalist history: volumes 26–28 Unitarian Universalist Historical Society, 1999 "The adoption of the name Christian Universalist can, nevertheless, be explained plausibly in the context of Dean's debate with Aesop." Some Christian universalists like John Wesley Hanson claim that in Early Christianity (prior to the 6th century), this was the most common interpretation of Christianity.
As a formal Christian denomination, Christian universalism originated in the late 18th century with the Universalist Church of America. Their membership was consolidated with the American Unitarian Association into the Unitarian Universalist Association on May 15, 1961. There is no single denomination uniting Christian universalists, but a few denominations teach some of the principles of Christian universalism or are open to them.
Definitions
Within Soteriology Christian universalism has been defined as the belief that "all will be saved", such as by Avery Robert Dulles and Justo L. González. Sometimes "all" in this definition can be specified as "all men", "all created beings", or "all souls", like with Ken Jennings' definition. Everybody can be used instead, such as with Russell D. Moore's definition, as can "everyone", "every single person", "all persons", or "all people". This can be expanded to all moral or rational beings. Other times it has been limited to "all humans", or "all human beings", like with John Frame's definition. Other specifiers have included "all mankind", "all of God's children", "all good people", or "all sinners". Some include fallen angels, like Christian universalist historian John Wesley Hanson. This may depend on if angels are seen as intelligent and volitional beings. Some definitions even include Satan's salvation, such as with Randall Sullivan's definition. However, some definitions exclude the Devil and his demons. There also exists disagreements on whether non-human animals are included. It can be defined in the context of reaching heaven, or going there, like with Forrest Church's definition. This heaven was defined as "Spirit Land" by Andrew Jackson Davis.
Redemption may also be included in the definition, such as with Robin Parry's and David Bentley Hart's claims, or reconciliation, or grace. Parry emphasizes a bringing about of God's purpose and creation's destiny. Universal salvation, universal reconciliation, universal restoration, the blessed hope and irresistible grace have also been used as synonymous terms. However, reconciliation and salvation may be viewed as different concepts entirely, as posited by John Murray in the 18th century, who believed everyone already to be saved, yet still awaiting reconciliation after death. Meanwhile "universalist" has been defined as "believing that all will be saved", a "believer in Universalism", or as an "adherent to Universalism". The terms "member of an organized body of Christians" "member of a Christian denomination" exist among these definitions. Alt URL
It can also be defined as an openness to salvation for all without definitive affirmation or knowledge in advance. Christian universalism has also been defined as a Christian sect, or a religious denomination, such as by Thomas Baldwin Thayer. Alt URL Merriam-Webster specifies this as an 18th-century liberal Christian denomination, one which later merged with Unitarianism. Triumph has been used in the definition, such as of God's will to save all people, or the triumph of good over evil. Alt URL Lee Strobel defined Christian universalism as universal forgiveness and adoption through Christ. Another definition emphasizes attainment of perfect blessedness. It has also been defined as that which "overturned Calvinist doctrines of predestination". However, its definition has also included predestination for salvation.
Among definitions of Christian Universalism are those that assert that explicit faith in Jesus Christ is required for salvation and those who hold no such requirement. It has been argued that the claim that Christian universalism is defined as "all roads lead to God" is a straw man. Robin Parry argues that this is "a very recent sort of mangled up liberal version of universalism" that has not existed historically. However, it has been claimed that such pluralism can be included within Christian universalism's definition. Yet James Montgomery Boice rejects this, claiming that all people will be saved through Jesus Christ.
There is debate on whether "hopeful universalism", defined as "the hope that all would be saved" or "the desire that all would be saved" counts as Christian universalism or not. For example, the United Methodist Church rejects Christian universalism being defined as "the possibility that all may be saved". Karl Barth's idea of universal election, where everyone is not saved but only chosen for salvation, has sometimes been seen as hopeful universalism. It has been argued that belief in hopeful universalism makes one a soft universalist, like Hans Urs von Balthasar, and is taught by the magisterium, as opposed to a dogmatic or hard universalist. However, the use of such labels has not been met with universal support.
Christian universalism has been argued to mean that everyone will make the same choice, and has been differentiated from Christian inclusivism, which has been claimed to be more focused on expanding the realm of choice, such as allowing the possibility of salvation without hearing the name of Christ.
Christian universalism has also been defined as an event that has already taken place, like with Billy Graham's definition. The rejection of eternal torment, eternal damnation, or eternal punishment has been included in its definition before. It has been also claimed that there are Christian universalists who believe in annihilationism.
Other theologians reject the universal salvation definition of Christian universalism and instead favor defining it as a universal call to evangelism, such as with John Robert Walmsley Stott's definition. Christian universalism has been defined as a universal opportunity for all to explicitly hear the gospel, either pre-mortem or post-mortem, such as with N. T. Wright's definition. There are disagreements whether it is merely a universal offer, or also universally effective.
Outside Soteriology Christian universalism without a soteriological meaning ranges from a protection of universal rights, to genuine toleration, to a kind of monotheistic imperialism. Bible scholars Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler used the term Christian universalism in a sentence where they describe what they view as Martin Luther's antipathy towards Judaism. The authors see such views like Luther's as anti-Jewish and ignoring the universalistic message of the book of Jonah. The view of the authors is that Jonah is an antihero who is an example of what should not be done. The authors do not believe that Jesus invented universalism, but instead that "Jonah is in the same universalistic tradition as the first chapter of Genesis, which proclaims that all people are created in the divine image." They argue against the claim that Judaism is xenophobic as they believe universalism existed in the Tanakh in the sense of viewing the judgment being passed by the God of Israel who is the God of the world, and on the basis of ethics rather than ethnicity. Christian universalism, when defined as relating to the idea of the God of Israel being seen as all of creation's one Lord, has been argued to be foundational for the development of Christianity. Paul Johnson describes a universalism of Jesus where all of humanity is loved and where he is everyone's neighbor.
John Barton argues that there is a tension within Christianity between universalism and particularism, as characterized by how God is both the universal creator of all people, yet also chose Israel, a particular people.
Beliefs In his Plain Guide to Universalism, Christian ultra-universalist Thomas Whittemore writes, "The sentiment by which Universalists are distinguished, is this that: at last every individual of the human race shall become holy and happy. This does not comprise the whole of their faith, but, merely that feature of it which is peculiar to them and by which they are distinguished from the rest of the world."
The remaining central beliefs of Christian universalism are compatible with Christianity in general: God is the loving parent of all people (see Love of God). Jesus Christ reveals the nature and character of God and is the spiritual leader of humankind (see New Covenant). Humankind is created with an immortal soul which death does not end—or a mortal soul that shall be resurrected and/or preserved by God—and which God will not wholly destroy. Sin has negative consequences for the sinner either in this life or the afterlife.
In 1899, the Universalist General Convention, later called the Universalist Church of America, adopted the Five Principles: the belief in God, belief in Jesus Christ, the immortality of the human soul, that sinful actions have consequence, and universal reconciliation.
Views on hell Christian universalists disagree on whether hell exists. However, they do agree that if it does exist, the punishment there is corrective, remedial and does not last forever. Plain Guide to Universalism Chapter 2, Section III, Auburn: "There are some Universalists who hold to punishment after death, nevertheless, we are glad to hail them as Universalists. They agree with us in our views of the great consummation, – all punishment, in their view, is disciplinary, and they denounce punishment, either in this world or the next, having any other object, as cruel and unjust."
Purgatorial hell and patristic universalism Purgatorial universalism was the belief of some of the early Church Fathers, especially Greek-speaking ones such as Clement of Alexandria,Brian E. Daley, The Hope of the Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology (Cambridge University Press, 1991), 46-47. Origen,Brian E. Daley, The Hope of the Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology (Cambridge University Press, 1991), 57–58. and Gregory of Nyssa.Brian E. Daley, The Hope of the Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology (Cambridge University Press, 1991), 88–89. It asserts that the unsaved will undergo hell but that hell is remedial (neither everlasting nor purely retributive) according to key scriptures and that after purification or conversion all will enter heaven.