Text of Parry's Rethinking Hell talk!

[Alex_Smith]

Robin Parry gave this excellent talk at the 2015 Rethinking Hell Conference:

Text as blog posts:

• Parry—Burning Love: The Theological Hermeneutics of Hell (1162 words)
• Parry—Hell in the Context of the Biblical Narrative (321 words)
• Parry—Creation: all things are from him and for him (1304 words)
• Parry—Redemption: all things are through him (835 words)
• Parry—Church: a foretaste of the age to come (470 words)
• Parry—Consummation: all things are to him (343 words)
• Parry—The Victory of Divine Love over Evil (441 words)
• Parry—The Prison and the Guillotine—Augustinianism (1195 words)
• Parry—The Prison and the Guillotine—Arminianism (908 words)
• Parry—The Hospital (548 words)

Entire talk as a PDF:
Parry—Burning-Love—Rethinking-Hell-Conference (7602 words)

[Alex_Smith]

Parry—Burning Love: The Theological Hermeneutics of Hell

[JasonPratt]

Great, looking forward to it!

[Alex_Smith]

Great, looking forward to it!

Parry—Hell in the Context of the Biblical Narrative

Paul writes that creation is “from” God, “through” God, and “to God” (Rom 11:36). God is the context of the world—the origin and the destiny of creation. That basic pattern forms the very broad Christian theological framework within which we must operate: exitus et reditus—“going forth” from God and “return to” God.

The Big Picture of the Bible—Diagram 4 of “The Evangelical Universalist”, p129

[JasonPratt]

For anyone whose system, like mine, can’t see the video from this forum, here’s the link to the video directly:

youtu.be/sooAFh_b_Ac

[Alex_Smith]

For anyone whose system, like mine, can’t see the video from this forum, here’s the link to the video directly:

youtu.be/sooAFh_b_Ac

Thanks.

Parry—Creation: all things are from him and for him

All Christians are universalists about creation—God created all things, through his Word. And creation is not simply about origins (everything comes from God), but about purpose and destiny. Created things have an end, a destiny, and that end, as the beginning, is God. The end of creation is there in its beginning: creation is from God, for God, and oriented towards God, reaching towards its potential and completion in God. So the question of universalism and hell can be framed in terms of whether or not God will bring all creation to the goal for which he intended it…?

[Alex_Smith]

Most Christians are universalists about Christ’s humanity (he represents everyone), crucifixion (died for everyone), & resurrection (everyone will be raised).

Parry—Redemption: all things are through him

[Alex_Smith]

How does the “now & not yet” tension effect salvation? Robin Parry shares some thoughts.

Parry—Church: a foretaste of the age to come

[Alex_Smith]

Parry—Consummation: all things are to him

For God to be the God revealed in Jesus Christ, the God of the gospel, our eschatology must be gospel-shaped. And what does that look like? The answer, I suggest, is that it looks like the risen Lord. The gospel calls the shots. The gospel determines the shape of the end.

[Alex_Smith]

Parry—The Victory of Divine Love over Evil

Doctrines of hell—in both Augustinian & freewill versions, & both eternal torment & annihilationist editions—have more problems than a hedgehog has spikes. It is hard to know how best to handle the issue in so short a time. So I thought I’d use the Rethinking Hell triangle as my guide on the journey & use the issue of God’s victory over evil as a way in.

[Alex_Smith]

Parry—Augustine’s Prison

In the above post, Robin Parry unpacks significant problems with Augustine’s view of hell:
—would mean God sustains the existence of sinners & evil forever
—undermines the simplicity of God, the Trinity, & His beauty
—isn’t a display of biblical justice
—isn’t desiring what’s best (love) for his children, which is union with God in Christ

I came across this disturbing photo from the “Old Jail” tourist attraction in St. Augustine:

[Alex_Smith]

Can God achieve all His good intentions for Creation or does He reluctantly settle for second best people choose evil? Robin Parry identifies the cost of the “free will implies eternal self-harm or self-annihilation” views:

Parry—Free Will & Annihilationism

[Alex_Smith]

Parry—The Hospital

God will annihilate evil entirely by restoring & reconciling all creation to himself, thereby healing everything & everyone. “God does not create trash, and he does not trash what he creates.