Category Archives: Eschatology

The Hell of Self and the Redemption of the Outer Darkness

Posted on 9 April 2019 by

In his unspoken sermons George MacDonald takes up the task of redefining our inherited notions of justice and punishment. The principle of retribution, he avers, is an unfit vehicle for the proclamation of the gospel. The lex talionis must be jettisoned. … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology, Inklings & Company | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The True Grit of God’s Justice

Posted on 8 April 2019 by

Is God bound to punish sin? George MacDonald’s answer is no. If the answer were yes, then forgiveness would be impossible. Justice and mercy would find themselves opposed to each other, generating a schism within the Godhead. But we know that … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology, Inklings & Company | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Preaching Apokatastasis: It’s All About Gospel!

Posted on 6 April 2019 by

I finally obtained a copy of the published version of my paper “Preaching Apokatastasis.” A few editorial changes were made before publication, but on the whole this is the same paper that I shared with everyone a couple of years … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology, Preaching | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sed Contra: Apokatastasis for Thomists

Posted on 5 April 2019 by

My friends know that I rarely listen to podcasts. I prefer to read essays and short books. Plus podcasts just take up so much time, time I could be spending watching Game of Thrones or dreaming about life in Rivendell. … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Universal Salvation: What are the odds?

Posted on 4 March 2019 by

There are different kinds and degrees of hope. There is the hope that tomorrow will be a bright and sunny day, given that the weatherman says there’s only a 5% chance of rain. We might call this an almost-certain hope. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , | 41 Comments

“But beyond evil, there is yet a ‘being as nothing’ with the forgiving ‘yes’ that offers release again, beyond the ‘no’ that blights being”

Posted on 26 February 2019 by

What of God as the absolute judge? We tend today to be uncomfortable with judgment: we think it smacks too much of revenge. Can we evade judgment, finally? Justice is God’s, it is said. But true judgment is not vengeance, … Continue reading →

Quote | Posted on 26 February 2019 by

What is Orthodox Hell?

Posted on 20 February 2019 by

What is the Orthodox doctrine of hell? I honestly do not know. I do know what many Orthodox have taught about hell during the past hundred years or so, and I know some­thing about what the Church Fathers taught about … Continue reading →

Posted in Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 44 Comments