The Devil's Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism

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Surveys the history of Christian universalism from the second to the twenty-first century, offering a critique of universal salvation from a biblical, philosophical, and theological standpoint.
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Will all people eventually be saved? Will all evil finally turn to good, or does some evil remain fully and stubbornly opposed to God and God's goodness? Will even the devil be redeemed?The question of the devil's final salvation has been continuously debated since the time of Origen. This comprehensive book surveys the history of Christian universalism from the second to the twenty-first century and offers an interpretation of how and why universalist belief arose. Michael McClymond explores what the church has taught about universal salvation and hell and offers a critique of universalism from a biblical, philosophical, and theological standpoint. He shows that the effort to extend grace to everyone undermines the principle of grace for anyone."No reader of this text could call McClymond's treatment of this vital question [universalism] superficial, and scholars of every eschatological persuasion will benefit from his work. Simply put, there is no other book like this. Monumental is one adjective which comes to mind, given the more than one hundred and fifty thinkers spanning nearly two millennia who come in for analysis. It is the sheer ambition of its scope which is most impressive: McClymond takes readers everywhere from sixth-century Palestinian monastic settlements to Dutch synagogues in the 1600s to Vatican II and beyond. This historical survey, compendiously researched, along with McClymond's multiple appendices treating sundry issues associated with debates on universalism not just in Christianity but in multiple religious traditions, will serve as a welcome resource to be consulted and re-consulted in future studies on universalism, whether broadly considered or with respect to the myriad individual thinkers whose thought McClymond details and engages. . . . . These two sweeping volumes inform and challenge."--Roberto J. De La Noval, Modern Theology"Why would one write a treatise on universalism as large as this one? The answer is simple: universalism is a widespread and increasingly popular notion not just in Christianity but also in Judaism and Islam. Moreover, its affirmation affects everything in the Christian faith and ultimately renders grace meaningless. With immense erudition, the author traces the notion of universalism through the centuries; introduces us to its proponents from the Christian fold and elsewhere; and convincingly shows that it relies on a nonliteral interpretation of Scripture and a substantial rejection of church tradition, freely borrowing from other sources such as the paranormal and the esoteric. These two volumes provide us with a wealth of insights, an enormous amount of carefully laid-out material, and important conclusions."--Hans Schwarz, professor emeritus of systematic theology and contemporary theological issues, University of Regensburg"The Devil's Redemption is an outstanding work, covering the development of Christian universalism from the second century to the twenty-first and not forgetting its connections to its Jewish and Islamic counterparts. The book's erudite investigation is sustained by a solid and consistent philosophical-theological background that allows the author to make his main points in a straightforward way. McClymond makes an extremely strong case against universalism, revealing its weak metaphysical presuppositions as well as its historical failures. This is certainly a must-read book not only for specialists but also for every educated Christian in a time like ours, when universalism has an unparalleled appeal."--Claudio Pierantoni, professor of medieval philosophy, Universidad de Chile"McClymond's study is an in-depth historical and systematic theological critique of Christian universalism--the idea that no