Reviewed by:

• That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart
• Glenn B. Siniscalchi

Recognizing that certain expressions of Christianity have taught that everyone will see the beatific vision, Hart maintains that the doctrine of universal salvation has frequently been the minority viewpoint within Christian communities. However, that minority stance does not prevent Hart from arguing persuasively that the credibility of the gospel message is at stake in this debate. This book is a mesmerizing defense of the claim that everyone will freely submit to the Christian God. This is not to say that all beliefs concerning damnation are logically incoherent, but one should acknowledge the strength of Hart’s theological and philosophical arguments in That All Shall be Saved that the fires of hell will cleanse the unrepentant of the shortcomings that prevented them from cooperating with the Reign of God during their earthly lifetimes.

Each of four meditations focuses on a distinct argument in support of the basic thesis of the book. Following the lead of Gregory of Nyssa, for instance, the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo reinforces the theology of God as the origin and destiny of all human beings. The second meditation discusses some of the complicated issues related to the proper translations and exegesis of the biblical texts (and whether the doctrine of an eternal hell is biblically based). Hart offers a plethora of textual evidence that the doctrine of universal restoration is firmly rooted in the scriptures. The third meditation continues the tradition of classical Christian thought on the collective nature of the identity of human beings. To state the case succinctly, if one person is saved, we must conclude that everyone will reach heavenly bliss. In Hart’s words, “Finite persons are not self-enclosed individual substances; they are dynamic events of relations to what is other than themselves” (p. 151). The last meditation concentrates on the nature of freedom as a condition of being for responsibility and excellence, not as the mere ability to choose between competing options. With this traditional understanding of human freedom in the background, the onus is placed on whether the intellect is able to see the good and the true in a fallen world. God’s grace therefore becomes paramount in guiding human beings toward their final ends.

Reading this book as a Catholic theologian with a strong interest in fundamental theology, interfaith dialogue, and the philosophy of religion, I have been fascinated by Hart’s scholarly publications and public lectures, many of which are available online. These have played a major role in convincing me that his depiction of the eschatological horizon is correct. Catholic scholars who live with anxieties about the incompatibilities between conciliar teachings and belief [End Page 125] in universal restoration are strongly encouraged to consult Trent Pomplun’s article, “Heat and Light: David Bentley Hart on the Fires of Hell,” Modern Theology 37 (April, 2021): 523–530.

Many intellectuals have discussed Hart’s works in several respectable forums, but, when their reviews and commentaries are carefully interpreted, one becomes perplexed by the misrepresentations of the arguments in support of select universalist positions. As long as one accepts a few other foundational beliefs about the nature of a theistic God and Christianity, the cumulative effect of the case that is presented in Hart’s book will likely remain irrefutable.

审核人：

• 一切都将得到拯救：天堂、地狱和普世救恩大卫·本特利·哈特(David Bentley Hart)
• 格伦 B. Siniscalchi

认识到基督教的某些表达方式教导每个人都会看到幸福的愿景，哈特坚持普遍救赎的教义经常是基督教社区中的少数观点。然而，这种少数立场并不能阻止哈特令人信服地论证福音信息的可信度在这场辩论中受到威胁。这本书令人着迷地捍卫了每个人都会自由地服从基督教上帝的主张。这并不是说所有关于诅咒的信仰在逻辑上都是不连贯的，而是应该承认哈特在《一切都应得救》中的神学和哲学论证的力量地狱之火将洗净那些不肯悔改的人的缺点，这些缺点阻碍了他们在尘世的一生中与上帝的统治合作。

四个冥想中的每一个都侧重于一个独特的论点，以支持本书的基本论点。例如，在 Nyssa 的 Gregory 的领导下， creatio ex nihilo的学说强化神学作为所有人类的起源和命运。第二个冥想讨论了一些与圣经文本的正确翻译和解释相关的复杂问题（以及永恒地狱的教义是否基于圣经）。哈特提供了大量的文本证据，证明普遍复兴的教义牢牢植根于圣经。第三种沉思延续了古典基督教思想关于人类身份的集体性的传统。简而言之，如果一个人得救，我们必须得出结论，每个人都会达到天堂的幸福。用哈特的话来说，“有限的人不是自我封闭的个体实体；它们是与自身以外的事物相关的动态事件”（第 151 页）。最后的冥想集中在自由的本质上，它是追求责任和追求卓越的条件，而不仅仅是在相互竞争的选项之间做出选择的能力。以这种对人类自由的传统理解为背景，责任在于智力是否能够在堕落的世界中看到善与真。因此，上帝的恩典在引导人类走向最终目标时变得至关重要。

作为一名对基础神学、宗教间对话和宗教哲学有着浓厚兴趣的天主教神学家阅读这本书时，我对哈特的学术出版物和公开讲座着迷，其中许多都可以在网上找到。这些在说服我相信他对末世地平线的描述是正确的方面发挥了重要作用。强烈鼓励因公会教义与普遍复兴信仰之间的不相容而感到焦虑的天主教学者[第 125 页结束]查阅 Trent Pomplun 的文章，“热与光：大卫本特利哈特论地狱之火”，现代神学37（ 2021 年 4 月）：523–530。

许多知识分子在几个受人尊敬的论坛上讨论过哈特的作品，但是，当他们的评论和评论被仔细解读时，人们会对支持选定的普遍主义立场的论点的错误陈述感到困惑。只要人们接受一些关于有神论上帝和基督教的本质的其他基本信仰，哈特书中所呈现的案例的累积效应可能仍然是无可辩驳的。