Tag Archives: river of fire

How Hot is Hellfire? The Retributive and Choice Models of Hell

Posted on 20 January 2023 by Fr Aidan Kimel

For almost two millennia, especially in the Western Churches, everlasting damnation has been understood and justified as an expression of retributive punishment: God justly con­demns the reprobate because of their sins. The 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia, in its entry “Hell” authored … Continue reading →

Posted in Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 122 Comments

The Inescapable Love of God: Saved by the Gehennic Christ

Posted on 27 December 2022 by Fr Aidan Kimel

“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Eric Reitan, Thomas Talbott, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

St Isaac of Nineveh and the Scourge of Love

Posted on 15 August 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

God has created humanity for eternal communion with himself. By love he has created us for love to share in the Trinitarian paradise of love. Hear the inspiring words of St Isaac of Nineveh: Paradise is the love of God, … Continue reading →

Posted in Isaac the Syrian, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The River of Fire

Posted on 29 January 2021 by Fr Aidan Kimel

by Alexandre Kalomiros As presented at the 1980 Orthodox Conference sponsored by St. Nectarios American Orthodox Church, Seattle, Washington. A hard copy of this address may be purchased from Saint Nectarios Press. A reply to the questions: (1) Is God … Continue reading →

Posted in Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Divine Retribution, Hell, and the Development of Dogma

Posted on 6 June 2020 by Fr Aidan Kimel

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 Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 158 Comments

Divine Presence and the River of Fire

Posted on 28 July 2019 by Fr Aidan Kimel

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, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments