Lost in the hullabaloo surrounding the publication of megachurch pastor Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, is the fact that various ministers and evangelists have long been preaching the message of God’s all-inclusive love and the hope that all souls will be saved in the end – writing books, going on speaking tours, and starting websites and organizations to spread this uplifting interpretation of the Christian Gospel. This is nothing new and it has been going on not only for years, but for centuries. However, every time a celebrity minister comes out in favor of the wider hope of universal salvation, or even hints that they might believe it, it seems to set off a surge of excitement and new discovery of universalism among Christians.
I would like to give a shout-out to a few people I know personally, who are not celebrities and have not received significant media attention, but whose tireless work for the cause of Christian Universalism has prepared the ground in recent years for celebrities such as Bishop Carlton Pearson and perhaps now Rob Bell to join the cause for a more inclusive Christianity that doesn’t condemn people to eternal hell. I hope that the important role these unsung heroes have played in the decline of belief in eternal damnation and the advance of universalism will someday be more widely recognized.
First, I would like to recognize Rev. Kalen Fristad. He is the author of Destined For Salvation: God’s Promise to Save Everyone. This is one of the more readable, thoughtful, and Biblically sound books about Christian Universalism written in recent times. Kalen has served as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for over 30 years. Now semi-retired, he travels across America in a trailer, going from church to church to speak about the Gospel of universal salvation. He has already done this for several years and has spoken at hundreds of churches, not only Methodist but also various other denominations.
An admirer of Kalen Fristad’s work, I contacted him in early 2007 and asked him to serve as the chair of the board of directors of a new organization I was forming at the time, the Christian Universalist Association. He accepted the positon, helped me recruit highly qualified board members, and has done an excellent job leading the CUA board for the past few years, ever since the organization was founded. The Christian Universalist Association is now the premier ecumenical organization representing all types of Christians who believe in a universalist interpretation of the Gospel, with more than 1,000 members across America and worldwide.
Secondly, I would like to recognize Rick Spencer. Rick is a former Baptist minister, and he’s not someone you’re likely to hear much about, because he was never interested in self-promotion and he has mostly retired from public ministry. But for several years in the mid to late 2000s, he was one of the most important evangelists and organizers whose work brought hundreds of people into the Christian Universalist movement — many of whom have gone on to start their own ministries, write books, and themselves bring numerous souls into the cause.
Rick Spencer organized four annual “Inclusion” conferences from 2005 through 2008, some of which had over 200 people in attendance from all over the United States and Canada. At these conferences the speakers included some of the greatest modern-day evangelists who had been writing and speaking about the salvation of all through Jesus Christ, in some cases for decades, in house churches and small nondenominational churches and through newsletters and websites — people like Dr. Harold Lovelace, a Bible scholar and author who had been preaching Christian Universalism for over 50 years; Willie Cripps, a former United Pentecostal Church pastor; John Gavazzoni, a brilliant writer and engaging preacher; Charles Slagle, an author, former pastor, and musician; Robert Rutherford, a prophetic psalmist and hip pastor of a cutting-edge nondenominational church; and many others. Rick Spencer’s conferences were the primary place where Christians — especially those coming from an Evangelical or Charismatic background — could hear speakers they would be able to resonate with who were talking about the Gospel of universal salvation, and where they could meet and mingle with each other, make connections and get encouraged to start their own ministry projects to spread this wonderful message.
I attended Rick Spencer’s Inclusion conferences three years in a row, and I can honestly say that had it not been for those powerful formative experiences of the early 21st century Christian Universalist movement, I probably never would have founded the Christian Universalist Association or written my book, Christian Universalism: God’s Good News For All People. Rick Spencer may not be remembered outside the movement, but I can guarantee you that he is very much remembered and admired by many people who have played key roles in the movement over the past decade.
Finally, I would like to recognize the man without whose internet evangelism Christian Universalism might never have been rediscovered and become a prominent and rapidly growing movement in recent years: Gary Amirault. Gary’s website, Tentmaker Ministries, was one of the first and most substantive resources for Christians considering a universalist view of salvation. Even though Gary himself is mostly interested in Bible study, not organized religion, his work played a major part in getting the ball rolling for later developments such the Inclusion conferences and the CUA. It seems that most people I’ve ever talked to who have become Christian Universalists have, at one time or another, encountered Tentmaker and benefitted from reading some the articles on that site.
There are numerous other people, ministries, books and resources I could mention which have made significant contributions to the spread of Christian Universalism in recent times. But this article is not intended to provide an exhaustive list. My point is, people who are talking about Rob Bell’s recent (possible) embrace of the idea of universal salvation should realize that he is actually just the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, under the radar screen of the media, there are and have been plenty of people without whose courageous, foundation-building work there probably never would have been a book like Love Wins by Rob Bell.
Christian Universalism is not about a few celebrity ministers who are suddenly inventing a new heretical type of Christianity. Hardly. It is a movement and belief system with a rich history and many heroes and workers in the vineyard, both in the modern era and the ancient church. As we praise Pastor Rob Bell for his courage in writing his book and facing a great deal of public criticism because of his celebrity status, let us put his work in context and give props to those who have been saying the same things for years.
Thank you for taking the time to pay tribute to the ministers and evangelists who have been preaching the message of universalism before there was a Rob Bell. I took the time to visit each link to learn more about them. I’ve read your book, Christian Universalism: God’s Good News For All People, and have shared copies with a number of interested individuals. Thank you for writing it! For me, there has been some resistance along the way, which makes seeing all the ‘hullabaloo’ about Rob Bell all the more encouraging. My ‘hullabaloo’ about Rob Bell may be found here:
http://www.interfaithspiritquest.com/2011/03/love-wins-rob-bell.html
One of my ‘hullabaloos’ about the CUA may be found here:
http://www.interfaithspiritquest.com/2009/09/new-christianity.html
I am certain that your work, along with all those who came before and along side, have contributed to the atmosphere of the moment, a moment where the change of heart in someone like Rob Bell is possible. People will be searching now for more information, and thanks to all the ‘unsung heroes’, they will find it. That’s what happened to me….so thank you for being there.
With God, all these things are possible.
Blessings & Joy to you Eric!
Thanks Sheila! Your articles are excellent. Thanks for posting the links. Blessings and joy to you too!
Eric
My interest in Unversalist history runs mainly from 1750 to 1910, so I certainly missed reading much about the evangelicals and others who have either kept the faith alive or rediscovered it to keep it alive in the 100 years since then. Thanks for the hat tip to all those working to help folks today discover the joys and comfort of God’s Love.,
The period of 1950 to 2000 is quite fascinating for Christian Universalism. It was mostly kept alive by various “circuit riders” and newsletter writers operating outside of denominational structures, most of whom were involved in some way in the Charismatic movement (e.g. the Latter Rain Revival and its offshoots). Some of the people who were involved in Rick Spencer’s conferences came out of that tradition.
When I talk about Universalism, I like to begin at the source which is, obviously, Jesus. When Christians stopped writing the New Testament and began writing theology, it was Universalist. In the 2nd century, we have early church heroes like St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, St. Macrina the Younger, and her brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa who were Universalist. At the end of the 19th century, Dr. J. W. Hanson published a wonderful book, UNIVERSALISM, THE PREVAILING DOCTRINE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH DURING ITS FIRST 500 YEARS, which is back in print and available on amazon.com. This is a book that needs to be next to every Bible in the world!
J. Preston Eby must be recognized as a Hero of Christian Universalism as well as
Dr. Boyd Purcell author of the best book on CU I’ve ever read. Who is Dr. Boyd Purcell?
Boyd C. Purcell, Ph.D., author of Spiritual Terrorism: Spiritual Abuse from the Womb to the Tomb
Boyd C. Purcell is a National Board Certified Counselor, a Licensed Professional Counselor, an Ordained Christian Minister, and a Board Certified Chaplain. Educationally, he has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Comprehensive Social Studies (World/European/American History, Geography, Political Science, etc.) He also has a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling, a Master of Divinity Degree in Biblical Studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in the integration of psychology and theology. In terms of experience, Dr. Purcell has over 40 years of ministry in counseling: agency, clinical, pastoral, psychiatric hospital, school, substance abuse, private practice, and chaplaincy—providing spiritual care at the end of life for hospice patients.
Spiritual Terrorism is thus a unique blend of the historical, psychological, and theological perspectives in regard to major world religions. This integrative approach provides the greatest probability of understanding the complex problem of the use and misuse of religion, being liberated from fear-based religion, and finding healing for damaged emotions due to spiritual abuse/terrorism.
Dr. Purcell started using the terms “spiritual abuse” and “spiritual terrorism” early in the 1990′s. He presented on these topics to counselors, social workers, hospice personnel, chaplains, and other clergy at various local, state, regional, national, and international conferences. Evaluations were always overwhelmingly positive. Many participants reported that they had never heard of these terms but recognized that they had been spiritually abused. Some clergy and mental-health professionals realized that they had failed to recognize it in former patients and had, consequently, not been able to help them very much and had lacked the knowledge to have made a helpful referral.
Many examples of people having been healed of spiritual abuse/terrorism are in this book. Dr. Purcell is trusting that many readers will see themselves in various examples and, as a result, find help and, most of all, hope for surviving spiritual abuse including terrorism. There is definitely assurance in this book of surviving spiritual terrorism and having Biblical certainty of eternal life in heaven and enjoying the abundant life while still on planet earth!
http://www.HealingSpiritualTerrorism.com
Eric -
I am a ex-fundamental independent Baptist pastor that has come to accept “Christian Universalism”. I am reading all I can find on the internet. I now live in Chandler, Arizona and am trying to find a church for my wife and I to fellowship with. Are there any Christian Universalists here? So many seem to want to throw out the baby with the bath water so to speak. I still believe most everything I always have. It’s only the ending that has changed!
Can someone help us?
Thanks for your time -
AL
Don’t leave out Jacques Ellul. He had a profound effect on me (even though I don’t understand most of what he said). Here is a quote from The Ethics of Freedom: “Even though I could hardly teach it as dogmatic truth, I might accept the fact that all men are saved by Christ. It seems to me that the universality of salvation is implied by the fact that the totality of condemnation fell on Christ. Since Christ was God, he did not assume a mere part of our condemnation, or the condemnation of a section of men. The measure of his deity means that he bore the condemnation of all men. Hence there is no condemnation in Christ. Even while I admit the theological and biblical difficulties which this opinion involves, it might still seem that this is a gracious gift to all men and all ages by the God who is love.”
Don’t forget philosopher Thomas Talbott (“The Inescapable Love of God”) and Robin Parry, a.k.a. Gregory McDonald (“The Evangelical Universalist”).