History of Christian universalism

Part of a series on
Salvation in Christianity
General concepts
Christian universalism Divine judgment Eschatology Immortality Last Judgment Particular judgment Resurrection (universal) Transcendence Universal reconciliation Justification Monergism Synergism Unlimited atonement
Particular concepts
Conditionalism Entering heaven alive Intermediate state One true faith
Punishment
Hell (Christian views, Problem of Hell) Purgatory Soul death
Reward
Heaven in Christianity World to come
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Part of a series on
Universalism
Philosophical Moral universalism Universal value Universality Universalizability
Economic and societal Cultural universal Universal basic income Universal basic services Universal design Universal health care Universal suffrage
Christian Beliefs Apocatastasis Theosis Trinitarian universalism Universal reconciliation Churches and groups Unitarian Universalism International Council of Unitarians and Universalists Primitive Baptist Universalists Universalist Church of America Other History Unlimited atonement
Other religions Baháʼí Faith Brahmoism Hinduism (Neo-Vedanta) Sufism Universalism and the Latter Day Saint movement
Spiritual Mysticism Nondualism Perennialism Theosophy
Category
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The doctrine of Christian Universalism has been rejected by most mainstream Christian churches, which tend to maintain at least the possibility that many are not saved, but it has received support from many prestigious Christian thinkers as well as many groups of Christians. It has been argued that the Bible itself has a variety of verses that seem to support a plurality of views.^[1]

Universal salvation may be related to the perception of a problem of Hell, standing opposed to ideas such as endless conscious torment in Hell, but may also include a period of finite punishment similar to a state of purgatory.^[1] Believers in universal reconciliation may support the view that while there may be a real "Hell" of some kind, it is neither a place of endless suffering nor a place where the spirits of human beings are ultimately "annihilated" after enduring the just amount of divine retribution.^[1]

The concept of reconciliation is related to the concept of salvation—i.e., salvation from spiritual and eventually physical death—such that the term "universal salvation" is functionally equivalent. Universalists espouse various theological beliefs concerning the process or state of salvation, but all adhere to the view that salvation history concludes with the reconciliation of the entire human race to God. Many adherents assert that the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ constitute the mechanism that provides redemption for all humanity and atonement for all sins.

Modern Unitarian Universalism emerged in part from the Universalist Church but, being a non-credal faith, it holds no official doctrinal positions. Universal reconciliation, however, remains a popular viewpoint among many of its congregations and individual believers, including many who have not associated with the Universalist Church.

An alternative to universal reconciliation is the doctrine of annihilationism, often in combination with Christian conditionalism. Some Christian leaders, such as influential German theologian Martin Luther, have hypothesized other concepts such as "spiritual mortalism" or "soul death".