On the Universalist Heresy

Universalism is the speculation that we can know with certainty that every single human being or possibly every creature, including the devil himself, will be saved, and was condemned in 543 by the Church. It dates from the time of Origen in the third century, with his defense of what he called “Apocatastasis,” the notion that all things will be all in God—everyone shall be saved. I dare say it is a belief well-established among Catholics today, supported by some Catholic theologians predisposed to this view.

Universalism stems from doctrine of hell, the idea that people might be separated from God for all eternity and endure eternal conscious torment because of this alienation. Universalist theologians, following Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar say that Universalism represents the triumph of hope over biblical evidence. Yet the Church has taught from the beginning that both heaven and hell exist, and there are two possibilities for each of us: eternity with God or eternity apart from God. At some point in the future, the Church and Scripture tell us, everyone is going to die, or Jesus is going to return. Whichever happens first, we will stand before the Maker of the universe and learn how and where we will be spending eternity. Our lives at present are to be about being ready—as wee the wise virgins.

In That All Shall be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation (Yale University Press, 2019) David Bentley Hart assures us we all will end up in heaven. His universalist message is that a God of love could never allow the possibility of spending eternity in hell. This opinion flies in the face of almost two thousand years of Christian tradition and agreement on the topic. If the traditional view is correct, and it has been revealed to be so, then Hart is nurturing a dangerous, false assurance of salvation. This is the very serious dangers of universalism.

First, why should followers of Christ go to the trouble of trying to convince people to turn from sin and give their lives to God when they will end up in heaven no matter what? As such, a belief in Universalism leads its proponents to ignore Our Lord’s command to proclaim the good news and risk being held accountable for souls lost.

Secondly, universalism undermines the motivation to live such that we are ready to face judgment. Why should I sacrifice, love my enemies, pursue virtue, and practice spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting and almsgiving to become holy if I will gain heaven regardless? This is the greatest problem facing the Church in the United States today. Teachers and preachers who tell people exactly what they hope is true are legion, misleading them into thinking they are safe. In reality, they/we are in grave danger, and if we do not get right with God, we will end up in eternally separated from Him for eternity.

When was the last time you heard a sermon or homily on the real and imminent danger of spending eternity apart from God? This Thanksgiving how often will your family and friends discuss the possibility that they might die, or that Jesus might return at any moment—and so they should be ready to face judgment? Heaven and hell are real, and the question of how to get into one and avoid the other is the most significant issue in all of our existence. How many of us spend time readying ourselves for eternity, or thinking about it, or talking about it with others? We make time for worldly concerns—making money, winning elections, attaining sexual fulfillment. But making time to ensure we don’t spend eternity separated from the Lord and Giver of life? No. Many are apparently sure that God is going to open the door to Heaven to us and everyone else. As such, we can focus on the really important things here and how. Jesus is loving and forgiving, and so we don’t have to be overly concerned with eternity. The idea that everyone goes to heaven is today embedded in our national soul. And Jesus said unto them:

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

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