Exploring Evangelical Conditionalism (Annihilationism)
Former Rethinking Hell contributor Nick Quient joins Chris Date to discuss Nick’s recent book, The Perfection of Our Faithful Wills: Paul’s Apocalyptic Vision of Entire Sanctification, and how the apocalyptic theology of the apostle Paul supports conditional immortality and challenges the doctrines of eternal torment and universalism.
Continue reading “Episode 137: The Apocalyptic Paul, with Nick Quient”
A special episode of the podcast introducing listeners to the new weekly YouTube live stream, Rethinking Hell Live, streaming Mondays at 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. In this audio version of the inaugural episode, Chris Date responds to clips on YouTube featuring Dr. William Lane Craig.
Continue reading “Episode 126: Rethinking Hell Live 01, Responding to William Lane Craig”
Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date interviews R. Zachary Manis, Professor of Philosophy and Graduate Director of the Master of Arts in Christian Ministry program at Southwest Baptist University, about his new book, Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God: An Essay on the Problem of Hell, in which he argues that only a variation of the doctrine of eternal torment can adequately answer the theological and philosophical problems of hell while staying consistent with Scripture and tradition.
Continue reading “Episode 123: Sinners in the Presence of a Loving God, with R. Zachary Manis”
Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date delivers a presentation on hell and apologetics to the Belfast chapter of Reasonable Faith.
Continue reading “Episode 120: Reasonable Annihilationism: Hell, Apologetics, and Evangelism”
Chris Woznicki joins Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date at the Rethinking Hell 2019 Far West Chapter Symposium to discuss the theological reservations he has about conditional immortality and which prevent him from yet embracing it, despite what he acknowledges is its exegetical strength. This is part 2 of the recording; listen to part 1 with Zachary Seals in episode 118.
Continue reading “Episode 119: “Why I am Not (Yet) a Conditionalist”–Part 2, With Chris Woznicki”
Zachary Seals joins Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date at the Rethinking Hell 2019 Far West Chapter Symposium to discuss the theological reservations he has about conditional immortality and which prevent him from yet embracing it, despite what he acknowledges is its exegetical strength. Also, listen for an important announcement about the upcoming 2019 Rethinking Hell Conference!
Continue reading “Episode 118: “Why I am Not (Yet) a Conditionalist”–Part 1, With Zachary Seals”
Dr. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, joins Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date to discuss his take on hell and final punishment as a systematic theologian and his five-volume series, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World.
Rethinking Hell contributor Chris Date responds to comments recently made by James White on the Dividing Line, in which White rightly explains that biblical language of Christ shedding his precious blood means he died as a substitute in place of those for whom his sacrifice was made. Chris asks, if the blood of Christ points metonymically to his substitutionary death, doesn’t that mean the punishment awaiting the unsaved is likewise death?
Continue reading “Episode 115: “The Precious Blood of Christ”: A Response to James White”
Rethinking Hell contributors Peter Berthelsen and Glenn Peoples join Chris Date for the fifth of a series of episodes reviewing Hell Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents Eternal Punishment, edited by Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson. This fifth episode in the series reviews chapter 6, “Biblical Theology: Three Pictures of Hell,” by Christopher Morgan, and chapter 7, “Systematic Theology: Three Vantage Points of Hell,” by Robert Peterson. Continue reading “Episode 105: "Hell Under Fire" Under Fire, Part 5: Hell in Biblical and Systematic Theology”
It is often the case when discussing matters of eschatology that a variety of terms will be used to argue for one’s position. Subtle nuances drive the need for additional terms, and our position of conditional immortality (“conditionalism”) is no exception. The primary reason that we prefer that term over “annihilationism” is that the study of eschatology involves much more than a narrow focus on what happens to the risen lost. While it is certainly true that the majority of our effort is often spent arguing for the annihilation of the risen lost, that’s not the full scope of what conditional immortality is.
With that in mind, I would like to offer a biblical case for the compatibility of conditionalism and what is often called “new creation” (NC) theology. For my purposes here, I will define that as the belief that the new heavens and new earth mentioned in Isaiah, 2 Peter and Revelation refers not to some other plane of existence where we will dwell after this world is destroyed, but rather to this world fully redeemed (even if possibly recreated), in which risen humanity will dwell with God, enveloped by His glorious, manifest presence—the final realization of God’s purposes for creation.