That All Shall Be Saved

Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation

A stunning reexamination of one of the essential tenets of Christian belief from one of the most provocative and admired writers on religion today.

The great fourth-century church father Basil of Caesarea once observed that, in his time, most Christians believed that hell was not everlasting, and that all would eventually attain salvation. But today, this view is no longer prevalent within Christian communities.

In this momentous book, David Bentley Hart makes the case that nearly two millennia of dogmatic tradition have misled readers on the crucial matter of universal salvation. On the basis of the earliest Christian writings, theological tradition, scripture, and logic, Hart argues that if God is the good creator of all, he is the savior of all, without fail. And if he is not the savior of all, the Kingdom is only a dream, and creation something considerably worse than a nightmare. But it is not so. There is no such thing as eternal damnation; all will be saved.

With great rhetorical power, wit, and emotional range, Hart offers a new perspective on one of Christianity's most important themes.

©2019 David Bentley Hart (P)2019 Tantor

Thought-provoking with excellent narration

I greatly enjoyed listening to this book, and I plan to listen to it a second time. David Bentley Hart is not an easy author to read, and his vocabulary and erudition can make a book difficult to work through. I was very impressed with the narration here by Derek Perkins. He reads expressively, even with the most challenging vocabulary and detailed philosophical arguments.

Hart's argument in this book is compelling and addresses all of the key arguments that Christian theologians have put forward for an eternal hell over the centuries. He liberally appeals to the reader's (or listener's) instinctive sense of justice and morality throughout the book, but he backs up his frequent emotional appeals with cogent, well-argued philosophical and theological reflections. At the very least, his exposition of the views of some early Christian authors and the meaning of key Greek words in the New Testament opened a new vista for me about the core Christian message. What is salvation really all about, and what does it mean for individuals and all of humanity? The way he develops this point is deeply influential for me, and it will take a while to plumb the depths of meaning therein. I highly recommend this book, and the recording is excellent.

good but relatively ambiguous

I enjoyed the book, overall. I think there were some irrational presuppositions that could need reviewing. It is possible that one of the authors other publications covers these points. A few of the authors conclusions didn't sit quite right with me. As the author had said, there could be some bias in some of his conclusions. I believe that there was. It was still a good read (listen).

Universal Salvation Explained

A great metaphysical and theological argument for God saving all. Highly recommended. I'm interested in reading his other works.

I agree!

I love the argument that all will be saved. This book is thorough and I agree with the author.

All-encompassing, good, view of God

Well, largely discussing the concept of hell and eternal, conscious torment, what author David Bentley Hart is truly doing is saving the character of the Christian God from the so-called justice,-seeking religion of Christianity that remains unequivocally attached to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

In this book more as an excellent introduction to both ancient Christian belief that was lost in the last 500 years and a newer definition of freedom, a God of love and salvation.