No Other Name : An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized

by John Sanders; Clark H. Pinnock

• ISBN13: 9781573831505
• ISBN10: 1573831506
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-11-01
• Publisher: Regent College Publishing

Author Biography

Dr. John E. Sanders (ThD, University of South Africa) is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Huntington College, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xiii
Preface	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Formulating The Issue
The Issue in Context	p. 11
The Question	p. 11
Should an Answer Be Attempted?	p. 15
The Topic within Evangelicalism	p. 20
Two Essential Truths	p. 25
Control Beliefs	p. 31
The Two Extremes: Restrictivism and Universalism
Restrictivism: All the Unevangelized Are Damned	p. 37
Key Biblical Texts	p. 38
Theological Considerations	p. 42
The Particularity and Finality of the Revelation and Salvific Work of Jesus	p. 42
General Revelation Does Not Provide a Means to Salvation	p. 45
Commitment to Christ Must Occur during One's Lifetime	p. 46
The Unevangelized Deserve Condemnation	p. 47
The Implications of the Restrictivist Position for Missions	p. 48
The Doctrine of Limited Atonement	p. 50
Leading Defenders	p. 51
Augustine	p. 51
John Calvin	p. 56
R. C. Sproul	p. 58
Evaluation	p. 60
The Accessibility of Salvation	p. 60
The Role of Christ in Salvation	p. 62
The Character of General Revelation	p. 68
The Boundary of Death	p. 70
The Question of Missions	p. 71
Limited Atonement	p. 71
Historical Bibliography	p. 73
Universalism: All the Unevangelized Are Saved	p. 81
Key Biblical Texts	p. 83
Theological Considerations	p. 89
Sovereign Love	p. 89
God's Eternal Persistence	p. 93
The Justice of God	p. 94
Leading Defenders	p. 98
Origen	p. 98
Charles Chauncy	p. 101
John A. T. Robinson	p. 104
Evaluation	p. 106
Universalism vs. Universally Accessible Salvation	p. 107
The Reality of Hell	p. 108
Divine Love and Human Freedom	p. 110
The Purpose of Divine Judgment	p. 114
Excursus on Radical Pluralism	p. 115
The Pitfalls of Radical Reinterpretation	p. 119
Who Is God? What Is Salvation?	p. 119
The Criteria for Truth	p. 122
Historical Bibliography	p. 124
Salvation as Universally Accessible
The Wider Hope	p. 131
Historical Bibliography	p. 137
Universal Evangelization -- before Death	p. 151
God Will Send the Message	p. 152
Key Biblical Texts	p. 153
Theological Considerations	p. 153
A Leading Defender: Thomas Aquinas	p. 156
Historical Bibliography	p. 159
Universal Opportunity at Death	p. 164
Theological Considerations	p. 165
Middle Knowledge	p. 167
Evaluation	p. 171
God Will Send the Message	p. 171
Universal Opportunity at Death	p. 172
Middle Knowledge	p. 173
Eschatological Evangelization	p. 177
Key Biblical Texts	p. 178
Theological Considerations	p. 189
The Insufficiency of General Revelation for Salvation	p. 189
Our Destinies Are Not Necessarily Determined at Death	p. 190
Implications of the Belief That Infants Who Die Are Saved	p. 191
The Broad Implications of Universally Accessible Salvation	p. 192
Leading Defenders	p. 195
Joseph Leckie	p. 195
Gabriel Fackre	p. 197
George Lindbeck	p. 200
Evaluation	p. 205
Historical Bibliography	p. 211
Inclusivism: Universally Accessible Salvation apart from Evangelization	p. 215
Key Biblical Texts	p. 217
Theological Considerations	p. 224
Believers vs. Christians	p. 224
The Role of General Revelation	p. 233
The Work of God in Effecting Salvation	p. 236
The Cosmic Work of Jesus Christ	p. 238
The Implications of the Presence of Other Religions	p. 241
Leading Defenders	p. 249
John Wesley	p. 249
C. S. Lewis	p. 251
Clark Pinnock	p. 257
Evaluation	p. 264
Historical Bibliography	p. 267
Conclusion	p. 281
Infant Salvation and Damnation	p. 287
Only Baptized or Elect Children Are Saved	p. 290
Through Baptism	p. 291
Through Election	p. 294
The Destiny of Infants Who Die Is a Mystery	p. 296
Evangelization in or after Death	p. 297
All Young Children Who Die Are Saved	p. 298
The Arminian Argument	p. 299
The Reformed Argument	p. 300
Conclusion	p. 304
Index of Subjects and Names	p. 307
Index of Scripture References	p. 311
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