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That All Shall Be Saved
- Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Philosophy
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Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion "God" frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.
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In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world.
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Most thorough book on the Christ I've ever read...
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Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion "God" frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.
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Lucid and thoroughly well explained work
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In this provocative book one of the most brilliant scholars of religion today dismantles distorted religious "histories" offered up by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and other contemporary critics of religion and advocates of atheism. David Bentley Hart provides a bold correction of the New Atheists’s misrepresentations of the Christian past, countering their polemics with a brilliant account of Christianity and its message of human charity as the most revolutionary movement in all of Western history.
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Will the love of God save us all? In this audiobook Thomas Talbott seeks to expose the extent to which the Western theological tradition has managed to twist the New Testament message of love, forgiveness, and hope into a message of fear and guilt.
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Crisis! An explosive public meltdown. A violent incident in the psychiatric ward. Now, the pastor stares into the abyss of his own secret shame. Before he can be free, he must confront his demons and find grace. But will he let go? Will he allow himself to be healed? The Pastor explores the perilous human journey from self-will and striving, through defeat and despair, to hope and the redemption found only through surrender.
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Human suffering and shame undone
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How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read or listen to the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’ freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.
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This thought-provoking audiobook helps listeners reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the widely held evolutionary view of beginnings and will appeal to anyone interested in the Christianity-evolution debate.
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Everlasting hell and divine judgment, a lake of fire and brimstone - these mainstays of evangelical tradition have come under fire once again in recent decades. Would the God of love revealed by Jesus really consign the vast majority of humankind to a destiny of eternal, conscious torment?
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Irritating reader
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A More Christlike God
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Whether our notions of "God" are personal projections or inherited traditions, author and theologian Brad Jersak proposes a radical reassessment, arguing for a more Christlike God and a more beautiful Gospel. A More Christlike God suggests that such a God would be very good news indeed - a God who Jesus "unwrathed" from dead religion, a love that is always toward us, and a grace that pours into this suffering world through willing, human partners.
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The most Beautiful Truth
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The Sin of Certainty
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With compelling and often humorous stories from his own life, Bible scholar Peter Enns offers a fresh look at how Christian life truly works, answering questions that cannot be addressed by the idealized traditional doctrine of "once for all delivered to the saints".
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worth the listen
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The Naked Now
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The enlightenment you seek in other religions has been present in Christianity from the beginning. Richard Rohr, a global leader in spiritual awakening, helps you recognize the forces (such as ego resistance and dual thinking) that separate you from your deeper self. Then, drawing from Gospels and the greatest Christian contemplatives, he shows you what it means to be spiritually awake. You will learn why your ego resists change and growth, what is useful about popular ideas such as the law of attraction, what Jesus, the first mythical leader in the West, can teach you.
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Jesus and John Wayne
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How did a libertine who lacks even the most basic knowledge of the Christian faith win 81 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016? And why have white evangelicals become a presidential reprobate's staunchest supporters? Jesus and John Wayne is a sweeping account of the last 75 years of white evangelicalism, showing how American evangelicals have worked for decades to replace the Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of rugged masculinity and Christian nationalism.
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For years, Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection, and provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth".
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Amazing and insightful!!
- By simeon on 2020-02-18
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The Bible Tells Me So
- Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It
- Written by: Peter Enns
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Trained as an evangelical Bible scholar, Peter Enns loved the Scriptures and shared his devotion by teaching at Westminster Theological Seminary. But the further he studied the Bible, the more he found himself confronted by questions that could neither be answered within the rigid framework of his religious instruction nor be accepted among the conservative evangelical community.
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An excellent honest Evangelical look at Bible
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You're a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass)
- Embracing the Emotions, Habits, and Mystery That Make You You
- Written by: Mike McHargue
- Narrated by: Mike McHargue
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
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For thousands of years, scientists, philosophers, and self-help gurus have wrestled with one of the basic conundrums of human life: Why do we do the things we do? Or, rather, why do we so often not do the things we want to do? In You're a Miracle (and a Pain in the Ass), McHargue addresses these issues. We like to think we’re in control of our thoughts and decisions, he writes, but science has shown that a host of competing impulses, emotions, and environmental factors are at play in every action we undertake.
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Thank You, Mike
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-12-20
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What Do We Do With the Bible?
- Written by: Richard Rohr
- Narrated by: John Quigley O.F.M.
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Selective use of scripture - by preachers and politicians alike - has been employed to justify violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia...the list goes on. Still, we believe the Bible has something important to say. How can we read it in a contemplative and intelligent way? In What Do We Do with the Bible?, Richard Rohr answers just this question. He offers a methodology of hermeneutics (interpretation) that creates a foundation for a hopeful and cosmic vision - incarnation from beginning to end of time. (He explores this vision further in The Universal Christ).
Publisher's Summary
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.
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What listeners say about That All Shall Be Saved
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Almond Park
- 2020-07-24
Wonderful.
The must-read book for anyone puzzled or troubled or mystified by the “infernal isn’t orthodoxy” or the belief in a realm of eternal torment for the damned. Hart’s good sense and scholarly expertise and courage are liberating and exhilarating. Get it, read it, share it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Lex VK
- 2019-09-26
Universalism without Gracr
While a Universalist myself, I found DBH's analysis harsh and uncharitable reducing any views contrary as self deluded "moral imbicility" (a term he uses frequently). He supports his argument by dismissing gross oversimplifications of concepts of freedom and personhood, and fails to subject his own definitions to such scrutiny. That said I did enjoy his exegetical and historical sections.
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- Mary Benton
- 2019-11-24
The most important part...
For a book on such a weighty topic by an author of such exceptional knowledge and intelligence, this book was in real sense, entertaining. David Bentley Hart's incredible vocabulary and keen wit made what could have been a dry analysis a pleasure to listen to. The reading by Derek Perkins was also exceptional. I felt like I was listening to DBH himself, so fluidly did the words roll off his tongue. That said, I think it should be noted that listening to this book is quite acceptable if all one is seeking is an overall gist of DBH's thoughts on this subject. To really study them, one should have a readable copy (Kindle or hard copy). There is a great deal to reflect on here and to capture all of the references (Biblical and otherwise), one would have to keep pausing the audio to make notes. I chose the former path - to listen and get the gist. I may still buy a copy to read. I certainly think it would be a worthwhile project but I must consider whether I would truly take the time to go through the entire book again (and again) when I essentially heard what I considered the most important part that I wanted to hear. I had already read some discussion of the book and wanted clarity about the part I considered most essential for accepting the author's premise. While DBH's reasoning skills are extraordinary and quite persuasive, the part I needed to hear had to do with his opinion regarding the proper translation of the Greek term in the Bible that is typically handed on to us as "eternal". All of the reasoning in the world would, for me, have a tough time standing up to the possibility that it conflicted with what Jesus said. DBH indicated that he would have to abandon Christianity if it could be proved to him that the existence of an eternal hell was essential to the faith. I don't know that I could say the same thing. No matter how smart DBH is - or how smart I think I am (no comparison though, to be honest) - the God's Wisdom and Truth is greater. If I otherwise wholly believe in Christ and Christianity, I have to trust that what doesn't make sense to me can still be true and consistent with God as good and loving, even if completely mysterious to me. I found myself reacting a bit to DBH's mocking tone about believing impossible things. Though DBH presents himself as a believer, it made me wonder if he was going to later produce books trying to convince me that there was no Virgin birth or that Christ did not really rise from the dead. Are these not "impossible things" to our human understanding? Yet I believe them - and I think for good reason - even though my mind cannot fathom them as truly "possible". Granted, I do not have the same "good reason" for believing in an eternal hell but neither am I going to toss out a Church teaching that seems to be supported by Scripture merely because human reason says it doesn't make sense. I got what I came for. DBH produced - quite far into the book - a thorough enough discussion of the translations of the Greek to convince me that what has been translated as "eternal" is not and should not be unequivocally accepted as a proper translation. The Greek word may or may not mean a very long time but that is quite different from eternal. He also provided additional support to his argument by noting that some prominent Fathers of the early Church assumed that salvation was ultimately universal. There is much else in this title that is worth pondering, e.g. punishment of the wicked as retributive vs. remedial, consideration of what the freedom in "free will" means, etc. It is definitely worth a read/listen by anyone with even the slightest interest in the subject.
9 people found this helpful
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- Ropebender
- 2020-01-07
A hard book to listen to, and a hard one to ignore
Because of the deep nature of the theological material in this book, I think a print version is a better choice. The 30 second rewind is too much, and to give adequate study takes too much thought, too many pauses, and no way to fully absorb these controversial ideas. Most Christians today would jump to quickly dismiss the book as claptrap. That is, unless they take the time to fully digest the logic presented. I personally thought I would immediately see through the anti-biblical beliefs of Mr Hart. Instead, I find myself wanting to discuss this with a few others. It's not easy to get past the overall logical points he makes. There are some very angry reviews out there for this book. I fear most of them were written by people who never really tried to read the book with an open mind. It's really hard to do that when you have spent many years believing in an eternal hell for evil people. Carefully read, Heart may shake those long-held views. But I recommend a print version of the book, so you can make marginal notes and use a big black marker over parts you don't agree with.
4 people found this helpful
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- Timothy K
- 2019-11-08
Wind bag
Mr. Hart works hard to make his point, but all too often he tries to impress his readers with his command of the language. This leads to many passages with needlessly complicated words and phrases.
4 people found this helpful
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- Marc C.
- 2019-12-28
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.
3 people found this helpful
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- Ed B
- 2019-10-07
Best Philosophical Case for Christian Universalism
Going back to the earliest sources of Christianity the author makes the best case for Christian universalism grounded in philosophy I have seen and I have read many a Christn universalist book. The dismissive air toward infernalist arguments is both succinct and charming.
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2019-12-10
Can one Defeat God?
Hart is able to reveal a logical treatise that will leave the reader asking one’s self, “why did I ever believe in Eternal Conscience Torment?” To believe in ECT Hell is to believe in a god who can be defeated.... nicely done Hart!
2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2019-12-10
The Book Is a Masterpiece, the Reader Is the Best
Thomas Talbott once wrote, "If one is looking for an explanation of why so many within the evangelical community, even among the more elite scholars, are woefully ignorant of how universalist interpret the New Testament and put theological ideas together, one need only consider how few of them have ever encountered a vigorous and sustained defense of the doctrine of universal reconciliation. Hart gives that vigorous and sustained defense and more to anyone willing to withhold judgment until having heard both sides of this important matter.
2 people found this helpful
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- SGMMurray
- 2020-11-05
Best book I’ve read on Christian theology
DBH convinced me of what most atheists know intuitively: that God can’t be the good, omnipotent, eternal tormentor of rational souls. He helped me understand what the New Atheists miss: that free will implies not autonomy to choose between equal alternatives but rather freedom from choice itself - willing effortlessly and without distraction to draw near to the Good, in accordance with one’s true nature. He also explains the true meaning of Omnipotence. God is all power - the motive force behind that makes action possible, and the good that motivates every desire. It is impossible for a soul, insofar as it is rational, to desire anything but the good; therefore when a deranged person seeks through an evil action a limited good (the temporary pleasure of vengeance, for instance), it is motivated by the innate rational desire, however distorted through the prism of fallen consciousness, for the Good as such. God is both pokes of the magnet: both the beginning and end of all desire. Beautifully read, too. Between DBH’s complex ideas, expansive vocabulary, and enviable diction, and the lilting English accent of the reader, this is an excellent sleep aid.
1 person found this helpful
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- Elizabeth Weddington
- 2020-07-09
Impeccably argued!
I really enjoyed this from a logical standpoint. extremely well articulated and has put words to feelings I have had for some time, as well as fleshed out unexplored territory of the logical fallacy of eternal conscious torment. See this as a helpful tool used with Jersak's works, which tend to be very pastoral, whereas this is very academic.
1 person found this helpful
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- Free Thinker
- 2020-01-12
An antidote for an infernal problem
The problem of reconciling an eternal hell with a God of infinite goodness has perplexed both theologians and everyday believers for almost two millennia. One would need a calculator to compute the number of books, tracts, and sermons devoted to this very topic. Dr. Hart takes a different approach than most of his colleagues. According to him, the dilemma is itself an illusion, because there is no eternal place of torment to rationalize away. Those who believe otherwise are either deluded or evil. This is not exactly a new position, as Dr. Hart is careful to point out in the text. Universalism, or the belief that all human beings will eventually make their peace with God, was taught and faithfully believed during the first five centuries of the Christian era. According to Dr. Hart, the church began to lose its way beginning with Augustine, who in his masterpiece The City of God describes human history as a tension between two unalterably opposed forces: the kingdom of Christ and the domain of the Devil. According to Augustine, these two empires are destined to do battle until the end of time, at which point God will consign the evil ones to eternal conscious torment and welcome his blessed ones into his presence forever. Dr. Hart shouts a hearty "amen" to most of Augustine's thesis, except for the part about evildoers suffering eternal conscious torment. This, he says, is logically and morally incomprehensible. By all means, those who commit horrific evil should pay for their atrocities. But not forever. This is utterly unjustified, even for people as vile as Hitler or Stalin. So what will ultimately happen to those who spend their mortal lives inflicting pain on others? Dr. Hart says that they will get what they have coming, in the torments of Hell. But, unlike the traditional view, in Hart's model Hell is akin to the traditional Roman Catholic concept of Purgatory, a place of purging where the punishments are designed not so much for retributive as for redemptive purposes. Simply put, some of us, maybe all of us, will have to go through Hell to get to Heaven. Dr. Hart builds a strong case for this view. In the process, he deconstructs the numerous assumptions that underlie the traditional view of Hell. He explores the nature of personhood, the concept of freedom, and the role of Christ in redeeming humanity. I want to keep this review brief, so I shan't elaborate on Dr. Hart's arguments. Instead I will focus on how his critics have responded to the book. I have noticed three typical "rebuttals" of his position, which are as follows: 1. The free will defense: This view says that God honors the freely made choices of his creatures, even when those decisions lead to eternal suffering. This view is shaky on its surface and disintegrates upon closer examination. After all, no sane earthly parent would let his child run into a burning building simply because she wanted to. He might allow her to suffer a blister on her finger, just to show her why it's a bad idea. But "honor" her irrational choice to destroy herself? Only a lunatic or a sadist would follow that fallacious logic. 2. The argument from church history: This essentially says the Universalism must be false because of the church's long history of proselytizing. Why devote so much effort to spreading the Good News if eventually everyone will end up in the same place? This argument rests upon the assumption that the only value that Christianity offers is its "get out of Hell free" pass. Since the assumption is false, so is the argument. 3. "Dr. Hart is smug and self-congratulatory; plus, he's a Socialist. So he must be wrong:" This is nothing but the old ad hominem argument, which has been repeated ad nauseum since the days of Aristotle. I won't bother refuting it since it doesn't deserve the effort. Suffice it to say that even a pretentious jerk can be right on occasion. In other words, Dr. Hart's detractors, so far as I can tell, rely on straw man fallacies, appeals to consequences, or ad hominem attacks, all of which tells me that they have no answer to his arguments. The question is 'why." Why would people who profess their love for all humanity be so resistant, so unalterably hostile, to the idea of Universalism? Dr. Hart speculates that their true motivation is the desire for a "positional good." In other words, it's no fun going to Heaven unless everyone you hate is going to Hell. As someone who has spent his entire life around "Christians," I have no doubt whatsoever that Dr. Hart is correct in his appraisal. There are no more hateful, spiteful, or malicious people on earth than those tender-hearted followers of the gentle Savior who gave his life for humanity. As proof, I refer you to any or all of the online message boards populated by people of faith. If there is a Devil, then he speaks through the mouths and keyboards of his most vociferous opponents. Sadly, I must include Dr. Hart himself in their company. He is every bit as smug and self-congratulatory as the infernalists whom he takes to task in this otherwise excellent book. In the name of combating pride and puritanism, he reveals himself over and over to be a proud puritan. This is evident in the many personal attacks he launches throughout the text. Other reviewers have pointed to specific quotes of this nature in the book, so I won’t duplicate their efforts here. However, I would say that Dr. Hart should spend a little less time pointing fingers and a lot more time looking in the mirror. Other than this single, regrettable defect, I have nothing but praise for this book. It offers a much-needed remedy to a reproachable illness. I only wish that the good doctor would avail himself of the prescription he offers so heartily to others.
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