Christ Triumphant: Universalism Asserted as the Hope of the Gospel on the Authority of Reason

Publisher Description

""I plead for the acceptance of this central truth as the great hope of the gospel, that the victory of Jesus Christ must be final and complete, i.e., that nothing can impair the power of his cross and passion to save the entire human race.""--Thomas Allin In 1885, the Rev. Thomas Allin waded into the debates on final punishment that had plagued the Church of England during the nineteenth century. His contribution was a radical book that sought to demonstrate that reason, tradition, and Scripture all affirm that God will one day redeem his whole creation through Jesus Christ. Universal salvation, he maintained, was the only way to coherently affirm the victory of God over evil. Allin's book is one of the first detailed attempts to show that global salvation was not some modern heresy, but an ancient Christian tradition with a serious claim to catholicity and orthodoxy. Turning the tables on the critics, Allin boldly argued that universalism, far from being dangerous, was actually needed to defend the orthodox faith of the church. This new edition of Allin's classic work includes an introduction that sets it in its historical context, the addition of subtitles to help readers navigate the argument, and numerous explanatory annotations. ""This annotated edition of Thomas Allin's Christ Triumphant is most welcome. I am confident that many will be surprised to learn that the ""wider hope""--the hope for the ultimate salvation of every human being--enjoyed such vigorous support among so many of the church fathers."" --Fr. Aidan Kimel, Orthodox priest, theologian, blogger ""Robin Parry has done us a terrific service in producing this edition of Thomas Allin's most important work. He has opened up Christ Triumphant to a contemporary audience in a host of ways, not least with his introduction, his fresh typesetting, and his copious, helpful annotations. Christ Triumphant rejoins a burgeoning group of books that demonstrate that hope for universal salvation need not be taken as a departure from the theological tradition."" --Rev. Dr. Andrew Davison, Starbridge Lecturer in Theology and the Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge ""Universalism Asserted ... is the very best compendium of the glorious truth of modern times."" --Rev. Basil Wilberforce (1841-1916), Canon of Westminster Abbey ""In this author the doctrine of eternal hope has found no common champion."" --The Star (London) Thomas Allin (1838-1909) was an Anglican priest from Ireland, best known for his defense of Christian universalism. Robin A. Parry is an editor for Wipf and Stock Publishers and, writing as Gregory MacDonald, the author of The Evangelical Universalist.