No Hell? Guest Scholar to Explore Christian Universalism in Public Lecture

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Eric Reitan

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Eric Reitan, professor of philosophy at Oklahoma State University, will present his lecture, “No Hell? Considering 10 Objections to Christian Universalism,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, in room 403 of the Science and Engineering Building.

An award-winning writer and scholar, Reitan specializes in ethics and the philosophy of religion. He is the author of dozens of professional articles, several short stories and two books. His first book, Is God a Delusion? A Reply to Religion’s Cultured Despisers, was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title of 2009. God’s Final Victory: A Comparative Philosophical Case for Universalism, his most recent work, was co-authored with John Kronen and published in 2011.

“No Hell?” will focus on Christian universalism, the doctrine that God ultimately succeeds in saving all persons, which has long been the minority view among Christians. The concept that some of God’s creatures are eternally lost, either damned to a fate of endless suffering or annihilated, has been a more widely accepted understanding of Christianity. The subject of universalism is so contentious that the evangelical preacher Rob Bell inspired widespread attention and controversy for exploring the theory.

Reitan’s argument is based on the premise that if the dominant Christian view that God is perfectly loving, desires the salvation of all and is all-powerful is accurate, then why shouldn’t Christians be universalists? He uses the responses given by defenders of the traditional doctrine of eternal hell—some biblical, some theological or philosophical, some pragmatic—to structure his argument by presenting the top 10 objections to Christian Universalism and his reasons for doubting them.

The lecture is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the department of philosophy and the religious studies program in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.