Mark McLeod-Harrison’s new book, The Resurrection of Immortality (Cascade, 2017) is a welcome contribution to the growing literature related to personal eschatology. His concern in the book is to explore the question of human immortality. Historically, parties to the debate … Continued
The doctrine of purgatory is naturally associated with Roman Catholic theology, but some Protestant philosophers and theologians affirm the doctrine (albeit a version of the view which sees purgatory as serving the function of completing sanctification rather than providing final … Continued
Last weekend’s Rethinking Hell conference at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena went extremely well. Greg Stump, Christopher Date, et al. did a superb job organizing and directing it. Those in attendance represented the spectrum of Christian views on the issue: traditionalists, … Continued
In this last installment of this series, I will highlight some of the insights and flaws of the last few chapters of Love Wins. Chapter five, entitled “Dying to Live,” deals with the doctrine of the atonement. Bell points out … Continued
Chapter 3 of Love Wins is entitled “Hell.” Given the fact that it is the most controversial chapter, it is perhaps ironic that it is also the most logically sound chapter in the book, at least in terms of the … Continued
Chapter two of Love Wins is entitled “Here is the New There” and is about heaven. Bell’s principle concern in the chapter is to correct some popular misconceptions about the point of the Christian life, especially the notion that redemption … Continued
Rob Bell’s book Love Wins isn’t just popular. It’s a cultural phenomenon. With an extremely effective pre-publication ad campaign, the book sold like hotcakes weeks before its release. And since its release it has perched high on the New York … Continued
Lately, I’ve been pondering some of Thomas Talbott’s arguments against the traditional doctrine of hell (in his 1990 Faith and Philosophy essay “The Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment”). He makes many interesting points, both in criticism of eternal conscious torment and … Continued
Conditional immortalism is the view that human beings are not naturally immortal but are only granted immortality (eternal life) by God as part of our salvation. In other words, immortality is conditional upon divine grace. Thus, those who are saved … Continued
I hold to a high view of providence—what is sometimes called the “Augustinian” perspective. This is essentially the view that God actively governs the entire cosmos, including human beings. The Augustinian view jives well with the Calvinist doctrine of salvation, … Continued