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Tag Archives: retribution
God-damnation or Self-damnation?
“I am not going to try to prove the doctrine [of hell] tolerable,” writes C. S. Lewis in his book The Problem of Pain. “Let us make no mistake; it is not tolerable. But I think the doctrine can be … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology
Tagged C. S. Lewis, David Hart, eschatology, eternal damnation, eternal punishsment, hell, Lawrence Farley, perdition, retribution, Thomas Talbott
22 Comments
St Isaac the Syrian and the Punitive God of the Scriptures
“Do not call God just,” St Isaac the Syrian scandalously declares, “for His justice is not manifest in the things concerning you.” But surely God punishes the wicked, we quickly retort. Surely there is divine reprisal, an infliction of deserved … Continue reading
Posted in George MacDonald, Isaac the Syrian
Tagged divine love, divine mercy, George MacDonald, God, Isaac of Nineveh, justice, retribution, wrath
29 Comments
Divine Retribution, Hell, and the Development of Dogma
In A.D. 754 Emperor Constantine convened a counsel of bishops in Hieria to condemn the veneration of icons and prohibit the practice in the catholic Church. It identified itself as the “Holy, Great, and Ecumenical Seventh Synod.” Twenty three years … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology
Tagged apokatastsis, damnation, hell, John Romanides, retribution, retributive punishment, river of fire, universal salvation
158 Comments
But the Problem of “Infernalism”
by David W. Opderbeck, Ph.D. As I noted in my first post, David Hart’s moral objection to what he calls “infernalism” is important but raises questions about the nature of epistemic and theological authority. In this post, I’ll highlight what … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, David B. Hart
Tagged Aquinas, damnation, David Hart, God, hell, justice, retribution
20 Comments
Divine Presence and the River of Fire
The title of Zachary Manis’s book Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God succinctly summarizes his constructive proposal. He calls it the divine presence model: “the eternal suffering of hell is not the result of any divine act that … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Eschatology
Tagged damnation, divine justice, final judgment, free will, God, hell, retribution, river of fire, Zach Manis
32 Comments
Despairing into Gehenna: Manis, Kierkegaard, and the Choice Model
For over fifteen hundred years, the dominant Christian understanding of hell has been one of everlasting punishment. Zachary Manis summarizes the traditional position (particularly as taught in the Western Church): “The purpose of hell is retribution: one’s consignment to hell … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Eschatology
Tagged annihilation, choice model, damnation, despair, free will, hell, justice, Kierkegaard, retribution
108 Comments
Book Review: ‘Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God’
Hell will always be a compelling topic for Christian preachers, theologians, philosophers, and believers everywhere. Preachers love it, because it dramatically raises the homiletical stakes—congregants are guaranteed to sit up and take notice. Theologians love it, because it provides a … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, Eschatology
Tagged damnation, divine justice, Faust, free will, God, hell, perdition, retribution, Zach Manis
6 Comments
The True Grit of God’s Justice
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, George MacDonald
Tagged damnation, George MacDonald, hell, justice, punishment, retribution
12 Comments