If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person

Grace Series #1

by Philip Gulley, James Mulholland

Why Everyone Will Be in Heaven Two pastors present their controversial belief in eternal salvation for all through God′s perfect grace. Long disturbed by the Church′s struggle between offering both love and rejection, they discover what God wants from us and for grace for everyone.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Theology, Faith, Christian, Christianity

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Philip Gulley has become the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season, Gulley is the author of the Harmony series of novels, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, which are coauthored with James Mulholland.

He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana.

Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Spencer and Sam—in a rambling old house with Gulley’s eclectic chair collection (64 at last count) and a welcoming back porch.

Gulley is also the Pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting House in Camby, Indiana. If you find yourself in Camby, you're invited to attend a sermon.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life-changing book for me. This is the book that allowed me to once again call myself a Christian. For years, I wanted to be a Christian, always felt like I almost could be a Christian, but the whole hell-and-damnation, fire-and-brimstone fundamentalism with which I was raised kept getting the way. My good friend Lamar loaned me this book, and I read it in 2 days, and it was a real conversion experience. I realized I was a Christian, and a Universalist at that. Beautiful, astounding book.

[Travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terribly confused and confusing book. Let me say plainly: I am interested in reading arguments for a specifically Christian universalism.

This, however, is a pick-and-choose theology that is illogical, poorly argued, and based on the simple belief that "God whispered to" the author and told him something, and now everything else needs to fit. By just over halfway through the book, he's completed jumped the shark by ditching Jesus as the means of salvation, his divinity, while continuing to appeal to Jesus and the Scriptures (certain selected ones) to make his case.

A simple disclaimer about theology: If you're just some random guy in the 21st century, and you think that because God whispered to you, you can just begin picking and choosing what parts of 2,000 years of Christian theology are valid and which are not, you're not credible. And you're too arrogant to be listened to.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of new ways to define and conceptualize commonly misunderstood ideas:

- Salvation means being freed from every obstacle to intimacy with God

- Justice is the end or purpose of salvation, not the means of salvation. Justice does not mean wrath

- Grace is the means by which we work toward justice as the end. In this context, Romans 6:1-2 would say that grace doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want with no consequences, but grace allows us to seek God’s justice as an end and to work toward bringing it about

- Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.” The “way” referred to here is the way of grace and mercy, but we humans want to choose the way of wrath and vengeance and we believe the lie that God’s character and will is like ours in this way. Our human lack of grace and our desire for revenge creates hell on earth

- Matthew 18:14 says, “In just the same way your Father in heaven does not want any of these little ones to be lost.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “This is good and it pleases God our Saviour, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.” If God wills that all his people be saved, and God is omnipotent, then how could he not save all his people? The problem with believing God will not save every person is that you must believe one of two things: either God doesn’t will all his people to be saved, or God is powerless to save all his people. These verses indicate that God’s will is to save all people, and most believers would endorse his omnipotence, ergo God will save every person

- The cross is a symbol for and reminder of the cost of grace in an ungracious world

- While reading, I had this thought: Since God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, what has changed is our understanding of Him and His nature




Potent Quotables:

All religious truth is born of intimate experiences with God. Belief and Scripture are the offspring of such experiences.

He continues to reveal himself. It makes no sense to glorify the accounts of our ancestors’ encounters with God while dismissing our experiences with him today.

Jesus challenged slavish devotion to the written word. He encouraged his followers to be in relationship with a God who spoke to them personally. He invited them to step out of the rigid restraint of the letter of the law in order to experience the liberating power of grace. This has never been a popular message.

We are not to worship the Bible; we are to worship the One the Bible reveals.

To deny the Spirit’s authority is to deny the very means God chose to speak to his people.

Justice is the end rather than the means. It is the result of God’s gracious kingdom, not the tool to bring it about. It is making all things just as they were intended to be.

God’s love will be the reason, not the reward, for our repentance.

Nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God. Not even us.

When salvation requires a sacrifice, forgiveness and grace become commodities to be bought rather than gifts of God.

Jesus didn’t die to appease an angry God. He came to proclaim a God of love.

In the crucifixion we said no to God, but in the resurrection God rejected our rejection. This is the triumph of grace.

It is God who saves us, but for many it was Jesus who visited us in our captivity, when we were discouraged and without hope, and showed us God’s love. This is why the early church claimed Jesus as Savior. It wasn’t that Jesus died for our sins and saved us from the hands of an angry God. Jesus revealed the saving grace of God.

“In the present life God is in all, for his nature is without limits, but is not all in all. But in the coming life, when mortality is at an end and immortality granted, and sin has no longer any place, God will be all in all. For the Lord, who loves man, punishes medicinally, that he may check the course of impiety.” Theodoret the Blessed, 387-458

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are certainly parts of this book that are incredibly difficult to swallow or stomach, especially the parts about the death of Jesus.

The authors do a good job of answering dissenting questions that popped into my head as I read, but I'm not completely convinced of every point in their theology. Salvation for all is a concept I've been wrestling with for awhile now, and while this helps me to concur with the authors on many points, I will have to be content to only hope this is true and not know for certain. Whether it is a belief or only a wish that God's grace is big enough for the entire world and not limited to one group or another, after reading this book I want to act towards others as though it is a certainty.

I would recommend If Grace is True to almost everyone who believes they have all the answers. It's never a bad idea to come at something from another angle and see if it still looks the same...

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me realize that I wasn't a heretic, that other people have thought about the same things I've been thinking about for years, but I was too afraid to ask. This book has changed my whole concept of Heaven, of life after death, and of God's judgement. I like God a lot better now. The sad part of this book as that my pastor told me that Phil Gulley and Jim Muholland received death threats after this book was published. So crazy.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kind of a rollercoaster ride. At first I thought it was going to be great, an interesting topic and thought-provoking examples. I was ready to be convinced by the authors. Then I had to get past the awkward and sometimes poor writing. There is a special challenge to editing a book that is co-authored by two equal contributors, and I have to say, in this case it didn't work out too well. This is unfortunate because it was bad enough to obscure the authors' points at times. It was distracting how much the prose tended to ramble. Several times I found myself doing a kind of "double-take" as I turned a page--I had to go back and check where we came from to get to the point we were on at the top of the new page. The most memorable instance of this involved the authors rambling about someone's cute toddler at the bottom of the page, only to find themselves discussing Adolf Hitler at the top of the next page. Same paragraph. Say what now?

I was willing to put up with some of these eccentricities to hear the authors' theological point, which was pretty compelling. They argue that their position of universal salvation is supported by scripture. I found their thoughts somewhat convincing (though I continued to hold some reservations as they didn't answer all my objections that thoroughly) until somewhere around page 120 they jumped off the deep end and lost me completely. This is when they started talking about how they didn't necessarily believe in the Trinity, or in the divine nature of Jesus Christ. Here I'd been into the book hopeful that there was some way to be a Universalist *without* being a Unitarian! An extreme emphasis on God's grace over his judgement should have been an easy sell to me, with my evangelical Quaker and Lutheran theological heritage. But they completely lost me when they threw the baby out with the bathwater and basically summed up our Lord as a nice guy who was groovy with God. Ehhn. No thanks.

So this book was indeed thought-provoking (I'd skip to the appendix where they list universalist-ish passages from the Bible and Church Fathers if I were you) but not very well written, and kind of went of a theological deep end. Tread with caution.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book disturbingly persuasive. The authors answer all the usual 'but what about' questions about universalism (the idea that there's no hell and everyone will eventually accept God's love, either in this life or the next) with logic, stories and bible quotations.

Regarding the 'Hitler argument' they state: "Ironically, Hitler's desire to purge humanity of those he thought impure and deficient is the extreme manifestation of what many religions affirm - that some people ultimately deserve annihilation. He damned millions to concentration camps and furnaces, convinced he was purifying the world. He did on earth what many expect God to do in the afterlife." (p164)

They don't hold back on their piercing criticisms of the mainstream view and yet as a whole the book is less fire and brimstone, more fire and toasted marshmallows.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, I'm only on page 11. This book is delicious! 5 stars so far.

I've struggled with "How can a loving God allow anyone to go to hell - an eternal place of torment? I wouldn't do that to my children. Even if they rejected me. Why would God make someone go to hell because they reject Him?" "I love you but if you don't choose Me, 'POOF' to you. You can go to hell!" Yah, that sounds like love - NOT!!

That would be conditional, wouldn't it?

I'm looking forward to what the authors have to say further on this.

Okay, now that I'm on p. 78, I have to say there is some stuff I am not comfortable with but I'm willing to continue, at least for a bit.

Ya, well, I'm not going to finish this book....adios

[Mattmiller · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book attempts to make a case for Universalism. Although the authors correctly point out problems that do occur in churches and with Christians, their flawed theology is hardly the remedy for how people can better love God and their fellow man. By openly advocating a "pick what you're comfortable with" approach to the Bible, their reasoning seems haphazard and nonsensical. The authors' view of a universal salvation implies that God is bound to save each and every person because to do otherwise would contradict His nature. You can only come to this assumption by not paying attention to the full revelation of the character of God in the Bible.

The grace that this book proclaims may sound enticing at first, but is far from amazing. It is not grace at all.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book really made me think. So many of the ideas in this book where things that I felt as a child and had forgotten about. Some of the ideas in this book may be difficult for some Christians to buy into, but I really like the idea of seeing everyone as God's children. It takes so much of the judgmental aspects of church out of the picture.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I do share the authors’ belief that we as humans have made God little, petty and punishing, while She (I actually use “They” more often, but if you are going to take issue, then probably the “Feminine God” will probably help you know where I stand… so you don’t need to read further…) is actually the essence of love, relationship, forgiveness and that wonderful quality: GRACE.

I found this book very well intended and to some extent helpful, a bit dated maybe, (1986) very Quaker forward (in the best possible sense) and a worthwhile read for me.

To recommend a book on this particular issue of grace vs. burning in Dante’s Inferno, I might recommend “That All Shall Be Saved; Heaven, Hell & Universal Salvation” by David Bentley Hart.

Truthfully I have not finished Hart’s book, I started it and left it on a chair and I guess someone was interested and took it, but by page 42 I was convinced of “original grace over original sin”. So bless you, who took it, and I will see you in Heaven!

As far as the “authors” voices and blending in this book, some further editing might have helped the flow. Granted I find multiple author voices nearly always interrupts my engagement in a book and then I reread sections, which made me weary in this instance.

[Snail-Paced Reads]

I read most of this book about seven months ago and then somehow never finished the final chapter, so my memory is a bit hazy, but I do remember really loving the arguments presented for universal salvation. It was awesome seeing faith leaders put words to the ideas I've been wrestling with for so long on my own, and reading so many relevant historical Christians and supportive verses for God's perfect and all-saving grace back to back at the end hit home so hard.

[Joshua · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where did these guys go to seminary?

I read this book with an open mind. I'm convinced that the concept of God sending people to an eternity of torment; and the fact that the majority of earth's people don't made the standard (whether by choice, ignorance, or culture) to escape this torture is the single most flawed belief in Christianity. So I understand the Universalist's mindset, and was hoping to read an honest and biblical approach to their beliefs.

But this book should even make Universalist's upset, as this book treated most of the Bible as bird cage liner.

In an effort to be fair to the authors, there were a few parts of the book that were enjoyable, enlightening and agreeable. But even the good parts for me were always conditioned with a "however".

For instance, I appreciated the fact that the authors stressed experience as an important aspect in our faith. This sometimes doesn't get stressed enough. However, I felt the authors relied on too much experience and not nearly enough Biblical exegesis. This is a dangerous territory. Cult leaders and abortion clinic bombers use this same method.

I appreciated all the Bible verses they displayed that, at least on the surface, seems to justify Universalism. However, with a topic as extreme as this, merely quoting scripture is never enough. Proper exegesis is vital. I understand that this isn't a heavy and theological book, which is fine. But I wondering if they COULD even present a proper exegesis as many of the scriptures they used, they beat around the bush or completely disregarded their true meanings.

I truly appreciated the love and passion they have for God and exhibit that to others. Their verbiage on how God loves everyone was at often times quite beautiful. However, much of this was, unfortunately, like a one-string banjo.

I appreciated that they have no qualms about their more liberal theology. I am sometimes considered theologically liberal as I believe that there is still so much in the Bible we've yet to unlock, and the theological traditions should be reexamined and reinterpreted. However, regarding the violence in the Old Testament, they gave wildly absurd pat answers to justify the belief that God has always been a passive, non-violent God. They chalked up all the Old Testament's violence to the belief that David, Isaiah, Elijah, etc., truly didn't understand God, completely disregarding the times God commanded and supported violence. I'm aware the Old Testament violence is problematic and contrary to the descriptions of God under our new covenant, but to flat reject much of the Old Testament without good reason is lazy.

I appreciate that they mentioned that Jesus gives the view of what God looks like, but the authors flat out discredit Jesus whenever he talks about the rich young ruler going to hell. HUH?!?

And there were a few things I didn't appreciate.

I didn't appreciate the fact that they indirectly denied the divinity of Christ. They did it in subtle ways. Of course they weren't going to blatantly say it, because that would have lost some of the readers that would otherwise loved the book.

I didn't appreciate the fact that the authors sometimes seemed just...confused. The mentioned how God saved Adam and Eve and used it for their defense that God is merciful and non-violent. In the next paragraph, they mention that God destroyed the earth with a flood during the time of Noah. They mentioned it, but didn't explain why, as it just contradicted the previous paragraph.

I didn't appreciate that they deny that Jesus' death on the cross had any significance. I'm okay that their not fans with mainstream views on atonement, but to flat out deny it had any importance is just...odd.

I didn't appreciate that they took C.S. Lewis' book "The Great Divorce" wildly out of context.

I didn't appreciate that they blatantly contradicted themselves at times. As the book defines grace for everyone, including Hitler, they say, "My fear is that if hell exists it will be populated with people like the man C.S. Lewis described-Christians offended by grace."

So hell, if it exists, is full of Christians who have accepted God's grace, yet their mistake of underestimating God's grace is the very thing that puts them in hell. DIDN'T THE AUTHORS JUST UNDERESTIMATE GOD'S GRACE WITH THIS STATEMENT?!?

Please believe me, I'm not the type of person who just gives one star because he disagreed with the tenants of any book. I still think Universalism is a viable (and GOOD LORD I HOPE IT'S A TRUE) theory. But I believe that this book should even make Universalists upset. I am utterly shocked that so many people gave this 5 stars. It tells me that a lot of people probably didn't read the book but gave it a positive review just because their fans of Universalism.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. Especially Universalists.

[Thomas Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 2006, long before Bell's "Love Wins" was penned.
Reading two of Mr. Gulley’s other books did not prepare me for the reading of this one. The writer who, with a fellow pastor in this work, so eloquently speaks of the trials of a pastor in a small town has depth and the courage to call others to like places. When one reads this book one is confronted with God’s Grace as extravagant, unbiased, unearned and universal. Having become a disciple of God in an Evangelical tradition, I am very comfortable with three of these attributes, the fourth takes some pondering.
The authors’ are pastors, disciples of God, and did not stop their Spiritual development or education when they received their Seminary degrees. They took seriously the Love of God and the relationship with creation God has. Their search lead them to the conclusion: God WILL save everyone.
The book is divided into chapters that take each of the words in that phrase and speaks to the concerns raised by the statement. This is not an easy undertaking, as they have wrestled with the arguments against this statement, many of which were raised within this student, and present the reason’s behind such a bold statement. The book is well written but not an easy read for most of us, as the content is so antithetical to what is held by most Evangelicals. Written in a first person singular voice for clarity, the authors make every effort to be clear, precise and inviting in their arguments. Read this book only if you are willing to be confronted with a view of God’s Grace that is expansive and beyond comprehension.
As a therapist, I was impressed by the power of learning displayed in this work. The authors are not content with remaining unchallenged and living life without questions. The results of such an undertaking are risking what one has always “known,” finding a place full of strange, scary and exciting ideas, and a perpetual youthfulness in the way one view’s life. This work bristles with energy and vision. The reader may not agree with what is written, but they will notice that the work was penned with a large amount of enthusiasm.
As a theologian, this book spoke to me. I have grown up in an Evangelical faith system (Christ is Savior and the Only way to the Father), therefore, to read “like minded” believers speak of the validity of Universalism is a shock. What was more shocking was my agreement with most of what is said in this work. The argument set forth in this book is that the Grace of God is greater than anything that may seek to resist it: “sin,” refusal to accept the love of God, assertion of Self will, Predestination, ANYTHING! Nothing will withstand the irresistible Grace of God forever. The longer I walk in the Grace of God, the more convinced I am of its irresistible nature. Standing in the presence of perfect Love, absolute Acceptance and perfect Knowledge will be the only Judgement needed for repentance.
The authors do seem double minded in their consideration of Jesus. They speak of Jesus as “not needing to be Divine” yet affirm Christ’s resurrection “on faith.” This was (is) confusing to this reader, both assertions (Jesus’ Divinity and the Resurrection) require leaps of faith. What is asserted within this book is that even this faith is not required for the Grace of God to “save” all people.
This book needs to be read and discussed among this present Body of Christ. In a pluralistic society that is slowly killing itself with its Self absorption the Grace of God is needed more now than ever. As the author’s profess in this work, the reason we tell (the Story of God) is to stop the suffering God’s creature’s bring upon ourselves. Maranatha!

[Steven Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you consider yourself a Christian you should check out this book. If you're not, you may want to read it in order to get a Christian view that is not in the media nearly as much as the fundamentalist version. In fact, fundamentalists have defined the religion for so many people for way too long. I find it so odd that most who reject Christianity outright, whether atheists or agnostics, agree with the fundamentalists on what Christianity is! Why agree with that view?

Anyway, these guys believe in the resurrection, probably literally, but don't believe in Christ's unique divinity. They believe that God's grace will reach every person whether in this life or after death in eternity. They promote personal experience as being the ultimate authority (very Buddhist) and they draw extensively on scripture, though they reject inerrancy completely.

Weaknesses - these authors, both Quaker pastors, hammer their point home. Very repetitious. Certain passages are eloquent and wonderful. Others read like a broken record. One could also question how uniformly they apply their reason to all aspects of their faith. Why are they Christians? Why do they believe in God? and so forth. But I think their heart is in the right place. AND, I believe that there may be tremendous advantages in this life to believing that every single person will ultimately experience reconciliation and live in perfect love forever. I enjoyed the book very much.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit the premise of this book was very attractive. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone went straight to heaven after death, regardless of what they believed or did during this life time? I do totally agree with the author that we are ALL God's children, that He loves ALL of us equaly and that He wants ALL to be saved. And I truly believe, that as a result, He will do everything in His power to save us, even by allowing us to see His glory at our moment of death so that we can make that decision with our eyes wide open and with a total understanding. But Jesus Himself said there is a hell and that those who reject Him will spend the rest of eternity there. So to doubt that is to doubt everything that Jesus ever said and did. I didn't actually finish this book but I read enough. I still highly recommend "Blue Like Jazz" for those who are struggling with the Christian faith.

[Andy Dixon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll sum up my rating of this book by quoting the author:

"Can a Christian believe God will save everyone?
Obviously, if a Christian must believe the Bible is the 'infallible words of God,' the answer is no. There are too many verses about judgment, hell, and the eternal punishment of the wicked to make such optimism reasonable. If you are unwilling to question the Bible, neither my experiences nor my arguments will carry much weight."

"I believe Jesus had a special relationship with God and an important role in human history, though I'm no longer persuaded this required his Divinity. I'm committed to living the way of Jesus, though I no longer insist 'there is no other name under heaven given to me by which we must be saved "(Acts 4:12)

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a more accepting view of God. God is full of love and grace. He is not out to send us to hell because of our faults. This is a God that I am more inclined to believe in!
Try it, You'll like it!

Merged review:

This book is not your typical religious book. It is about the all loving God for all the people of the world. Love and grace are the key components to this view of God. It is a book to build you up not one to point out your flaws. I find this view both refreshing and spiritually fulfilling.
I challenge you to read it and grow.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely horrible. His experiences have led him to adopt a heretical theology. Unfortunately, he is also an antiChrist according to 1 John and does not believe the Bible to be inerrant. He picks and chooses which parts of the OT/NT are "accurate" representations of the "true God." The God of Jesus (gracious, compassionate, loving) is the god he adopts. Sadly, he has traded one false god for another and is leading people astray from the truth with his book. I know my words may seem a little harsh, but as far as orthodoxy goes in evangelical Christianity, he is FAR from it.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book written by people who have had a remarkable change of opinion. When I read that one of them told a woman who wanted to join his church to come back when her life was in better order, I almost choked. But they repent! they know now that we have to love everybody, etc,etc. I tried to recommend it to some LDS missionaries, but I don't think they appreciated my proselytizing on their time...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one came into my life courtesy of the church whose services I watch on TV. They were going to have as a guest minister one of the co-authors of this tiny tome. It made a lot of sense to me... beware if you don't have universalist leanings... it might make you think.

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

One can accept Universalism while also believing in the divinity and the exclusivity of Christ. To accept one doesn't mean you have to reject the other. The authors would not agree. Also, many parts of the book are boring; there are better books out there on the subject.

[John Beeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly underwhelming. Even though I nearly believe what the authors suggest, I found their arguments a bit silly.

[Cindy Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Angie Kirkland recommendation.
It's stuff I've felt in my heart my whole life about God but the church isn't selling.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors claim this book is controversial. I found it to be life affirming and true to my own beliefs.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my religious experience, and then I got to have lunch with the author. I can't even put it into words.

[Twilight O. ☭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a committed Christian, but if I were I would be a committed universalist. While there are a number of verses which unquestionably speak of a sort of punishment for sin, there are also an unquestionably higher number of verses which speak of an ultimate reconciliation of all things to God. Moreover, it simply makes sense: a God of infinite love cannot maintain the existence of a place of suffering and hatred for an infinite period of time. How can God's victory over sin be a victory at all if the enemy stronghold is not only allowed to stand, but is maintained by the allegedly victorious party?

Plenty of great theologians have gone into the arguments for why universalism is nigh irrefutable from the standpoint of religious philosophy and is more than defensible from the standpoint of Biblical authority. If Grace Is True is not one of these books. Instead, it is a passionate defense of the universalist spirit. The authors readily acknowledge the scriptural challenges which face universalists, but addressing these challenges directly is not their purpose. Instead, they appeal to rather simple ideas of who we take God to be and what behavior we'd consider consistent with our ideas of Him.

Talbott, who is cited here multiple times, has made great use of similar arguments in his outlining of the three propositions on salvation available to Christians and the different configurations of these three propositions we can choose from. Those three propositions are: God loves everyone and wishes to save us all, God has the power to save all those he seeks to save, those who do not repent will be separated from God forever. Some choose 1 & 3, saying that God wants to save everyone but that some will be damned because God is not capable of living up to proposition 2. Some choose 2 & 3, denying that God desires to save everyone. Only universalists choose 1 & 2, and these are the principles which most definitively align with the message expressed by the Biblical narrative.

I go on that tangent because this argument appears in If Grace Is True as well, in less explicit and schematic form. Anecdote after anecdote is offered of the authors' experiences with various people in their lives and the ways they've seen God live through them. They make parables out of their own lives and the lives of those they know, while drawing parallels to the parables of Jesus. It's an effective approach emotionally, no doubt. But, and this is a sadly major but, they fail to ever explicate the philosophical argument in any detail or with any rigor. As a result, these emotional appeals never hit home the way they should. They impact the reader, but they don't convince.

But maybe the point isn't to convince. Maybe the point is to plant seeds in ways outright arguments never can. Doubt is, first and foremost, a psychological phenomenon whereby our currently held beliefs no longer seem to make satisfactory sense of the world. We're driven to confront doubt by our desire for intellectual harmonization, and the harmony desired has less to do with airtight arguments as it has to do with reliable guides to action in life. Talbott's argument is, in my view, irrefutable, but perhaps irrefutable arguments won't win the hearts of those whose hearts have not yet been opened to doubt. Where argument fails, pathos often succeeds. As someone who is past the point of needing to be opened to the possibility of universalism, this book did little for me. But maybe that's on me.

I read this book in one sitting, however, which speaks volumes to the brilliance of the prose. Religious works are rarely compelling in the way If Grace Is True manages to be, and serious praise should be offered for that. Again, I probably am simply not the right audience for this book: I can absolutely see this being the sort of book that could be the right thing for the right time in someone's life. That's absolutely a valid experience to have with a book, even if it wasn't mine.

[Steve Irby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished "If Grace is True: Why God will Save Every Person," by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland.

"All Christians should be 'hopeful universalists'." Roger Olson.

This is a very accessible book and deals with more than just universalism, but universalism (that all persons will end up with eternal life) is the main topic.

The Wesleyan Quadrilateral looks for the face of God via scripture, reason, tradition and experience. Ive rarely found a book that emphasized the experiential aspect and honestly it's good. This is an area I believe that a group of people (the Church) who have recieved the gift of the indwelling of the Spirit underutilize. We, like Peter watching the sheet being lowered, are not comfortable with something that goes against what we've been told since childhood. This is especially dangerous when our view of scripture is flat and everything between leather carries the same weight. It doesnt.

"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." Jn. 5:39-40

If Jesus is Lord then we must be cautious in how we discern scripture.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Mt. 5: 38-39

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Mt. 5: 44-45

And we are to discern because we have been gifted to do so.

“All this I have spoken while still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Jn. 14: 25-26

The main question we must approach all topics with is who do we mean when we say "God?" The writers state that the God of Jesus Christ is the one we are discussing in this work. Jesus reflects the very nature of God thus we begin with Him and no where else to learn about the heart of God.

In an effort to be Ecumenical, win friends and influence people the writers offer an olive branch to the Reformed side of Christianity by affirming predestination as per Rm 8 and then they say that Augustine, Calvin and McArthur just get the quantity of the elect wrong.

When approaching the ramifications of universal from a pluralistic perspective, they admit that the trinity, incarnation and Atonement are seen now differently than they used to be. I don't believe this trade-off is necessary for pluralism. I think a Christ-on-top pluralism is workable; that all who are saved will be so through the name of Jesus even if they currently lack the knowledge of Him.

Those are some high points to this very readable book. Where do I land?--not there yet. I still believe that universalism takes away from the gift of freewill God gave mankind (the book addresses this issue). But more importantly we must read books that are where we know we "dont land" going in. We will probably learn something if only on a secondary subject. We will know where we are by better understanding where others are. We are then in a position to speak intelligently and coherently about a topic. Some of the worst comments against--in this case--universalism come from people who condemn Rob Bell's "Love Wins" and yet they haven't read it. And yet it is one of the most beautiful depictions of Jesus I've read. And finally, you read what you disagree with because you may be convinced you have been wrong.

#IfGraceIsTrue #PhilipGulley #JamesMulholland #Universalism

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A CHRISTIAN ARGUMENT FOR UNIVERSALISM

Philip Gulley is a Quaker minister who has also written bestselling books such as 'If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus,' 'Front Porch Tales: Warm Hearted Stories of Family, Faith, Laughter and Love,' etc. James Mulholland is a theologian who has also written 'Praying Like Jesus: The Lord's Prayer in a Culture of Prosperity,' etc. (NOTE: The page numbers below correspond to the 225-page hardcover edition.)

Gulley wrote in the first chapter of this 2003 book, "Now I have a new formula... It is the most compelling truth I've ever known. It is changing my life... This truth is the best news I've ever heard, ever believed, and ever shared. I believe God will save every person. Now by 'salvation,' I mean much more than a ticket to heaven... I mean being freed of every obstacle to intimacy with God." (Pg. 7-8)

He concedes, "If you believe every statement or story about God recorded in Scripture is equally true, nothing I can say will alter your conviction that God will save some and damn the rest. But I suspect many, like me, have struggled to reconcile the often contradictory biblical images of God." (Pg. 49-50)

He states, "God is never glorified by wrath. God's power is never demonstrated in his capacity to punish but rather is shown in his ability to transform and redeem the wicked---those who do evil and those who hope for the death of evildoers. Wrath is always evidence of the absence of grace. Choosing wrath is choosing evil. It means destroying our enemies rather than loving them." (Pg. 93) He recalls that formerly, "I ridiculed those who suggested God didn't want to save every person, but I never recognized that my pride in choosing God was equally ridiculous. I suggested God wanted to save every person but couldn't... God was simply powerless... my true passion was for human freedom. I insisted we were free to reject God's grace. It never occurred to me that God might be free to reject our rejection." (Pg. 102-103)

He suggests, "There is one major problem with atonement theology. It contradicts the ethic of Jesus. Jesus rejected the demand for 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' Rather than demanding payment for injury, he commanded us to turn the other cheek." (Pg. 127)

He observes, "Whenever I share my belief in the ultimate salvation of every person, I am invariably asked, 'You mean every person? ... You mean people who don't even believe in God? You mean people who've done horrible and evil things? You mean Hitler is going to be in heaven?' The answer is yes. I mean the whole world, every person who has been, is, and shall be... I mean atheists, agnostics, the apathetic, and the hostile. I mean the rapists, child molesters, and terrorists." (Pg. 161)

Less "biblical" and theologically-oriented than many books with similar conclusions, this book prefers to speak directly to the heart. It will be of definite interest to anyone studying such issues... whether or not you agree with all of the positions expressed.

[Greg Schloesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Gulley has quickly become one of my favorite authors on the subject of faith and Progressive Christianity. This is his third book that I have read and I continue to be enthralled at his insights and practical manner of explaining difficult topics. As I mentioned in a previous review, I have been walking the same searchers path as he has, so I can easily relate to his questions, doubts and rationale.

In If Grace is True, Gulley, along with co-author and fellow Quaker pastor James Mulholland, goes into depth about the ramifications of God's boundless and endless grace. The sinners and non-Christians are not abandoned or shunned by an all-loving and grace-filled God. They are not going to be tossed into a burning hell for all eternity. No, they are loved and cherished by God, who never stops pursuing them, never gives up on them (or me!). Gulley and Mulholland assert that everyone -- everyone -- will be "saved". No one will perish or be abandoned. I, too, have come to believe this.

This is a absolute MUST read for anyone who has ever wondered about God's grace, evil and hell.