

| All of these books are available at amazon.com and most other booksellers. When you click on the UNIVERSALIST HERALD Bookstore at Amazon.com (below in blue) to buy any book or other item, Amazon.com donates a small amount of the sale to the UNIVERSALIST HERALD. UNIVERSALIST HERALD Bookstore Visit the UNIVERSALIST HERALD Bookstore at Amazon.com Page Contents: 1. BOOK REVIEWS Book: A New Universalism for a New Century by A. J. Mattill, Jr. . Book: LIFE AFTER DEATH: THE BURDEN OF PROOF by Deepak Chopra Book: DESTINED FOR SALVATION: God’s Promise to Save Everyone by Kalen Fristad Book: AWAKENING THE SOUL by John C. Morgan 2. UNIVERSALIST BOOK LISTINGS ______________________________________________________ A New Universalism for a New Century. by A. J. Mattill, Jr. Universalist Herald Publishing Company, Second Printing: 2008; $10 “A man before his time” is an apt phrase to describe Dr. A. J. Mattill, Jr. Very few of the individuals who gathered for the first Universalist Convocation fully appreciated the brilliant insight and theological thought A.J. Mattill brought to this 1990 event with his introduction of A New Universalism for a New Century. However, interest in Mattill’s book has grown over the years and many Universalists and Unitarian Universalists who have read Mattill have come to identify with the ideas and concepts found in A New Universalism for a New Century. Unfortunately, this book went out of print several years ago, and it has been difficult for interested folks to locate a copy to read. With this second printing, many Universalists, Unitarians, Unitarian Universalists, and other religious liberals, who have been searching for a positive and practical religious credo to match their modern understanding of the world, now have the opportunity to acquire a copy of this book and consider Mattill’s very meaningful and practical contribution to religious thought. At the heart of Mattill’s theology is Fourfold Reverence: Reverence for Truth; Reverence for Beauty; Reverence for Life; and Reverence for the Mystery of the Universe. The first element of his New Universalism is reverence for truth. By reverence for truth Mattill does not mean boasting that we possess the whole truth and nothing but the truth, for our conclusions are only approximations to truth and have only a greater or lesser degree of probability rather than absolute certainty. Truth is too elusive for any person ever to attain fully. Reverence for truth means a magnificent obsession for coming ever closer to truth, an all-absorbing search for truth that is never ending. To observe a reverence for truth requires that we become lifetime students. The greatest truth seekers are learners to their dying day, realizing that the more they know the more they have yet to learn. The second element of a New Universalism is a reverence for beauty. A religion without beauty is cold and sad and incomplete. As human beings, we hunger for art, beauty, ceremony, music, and poetry. A religion which fosters beauty, appeals to our sense of beauty, and satisfies our hunger for beauty is to that extent a true religion and an uplifting influence to the human spirit. Reverence for beauty means to train ourselves to see the maximum of beauty in the world around us. Once we can see and recognize the limitless beauty all around us, then we can contemplate this beauty until our hearts are on fire with ecstasy. Every day we can expose ourselves to a flower or a mountain or a sunrise or a sunset. Reverence for beauty not only means to see and contemplate beauty but it also means to cherish beauty as one of the most valuable assets of life. Reverence for beauty is seeing and contemplating and cherishing and creating all those sights and sounds and compositions and lives which are so excellent in form or color or harmony or spirit. The third basic element of a New Universalism is reverence for life. Reverence for life requires a humane religion which is sensitive to the misery and suffering of both people and animals and embraces both human rights and animal rights. Reverence for life requires that we honor nature and respect nature. The non-violence of reverence for life leads to the highest standards of conduct which are grounded in compassion and kindness which are not limited to humanity but which embraces all living beings. Whoever is filled with boundless compassion and kindness will respect the rights of all other living things, harm none needlessly, and help every one so far as possible. Reverence for life requires us to exercise a sense of benevolent kindness and loving responsibility for animals and plants and people, for all will to live and not to die, and all of us share in the marvelous mystery of life which flows through all living things. The fourth and final element of a New Universalism is reverence for the Mystery of the Universe. As we meditate upon mystery, we are filled with an overwhelming emotion concerning the inherent limits to the competence of our minds and the limits to our knowledge. We are forced to acknowledge that there are ultimate limits to what we may know both now and probably forevermore. Because of these limitations, we have to accept the fact that there are unfathomable mysteries in the world which are altogether beyond our comprehension. This Mystery of the Universe is what many, if not most, people have in mind when they refer to God. The name “God” has long been used to symbolize the Unexplainable Mystery of the existence of the universe, of life, and of the lawfulness governing all things. The reverential awe we experience before the Mystery of the Universe is the fundamental religious feeling, the permanent and irreducible hard core of religious experience. The intense emotional thrill derived from contemplating this Mystery is the ultimate religious experience. This Mystery of the Universe is the Tremendous Mystery or Mysterium Tremendum. Before this Tremendous Mystery, be it personal or impersonal, we feel so utterly small and insignificant. As we meditate on the Mystery of the Universe, we are lifted above our everyday concerns and we begin to lose our inflated sense of our own importance. Observing a reverence for the Mystery of the Universe creates a life-long sense of awe and wonder. After presenting the outline of his religious philosophy, Mattill describes eleven characteristics of a New Universalism and provides several expositions of this world view to include The Jubilee Avowal which is a rewrite of the 1935 Washington Declaration of the Universalist Church of America. This is a wonderful book. Mattill’s theology is intellectually compatible with modern science and he provides practical disciplines for the expression of his theology that are compassionate and healing to the Earth and all its living inhabitants. A. J. Mattill, Jr. has earned three degrees: B.A. from the University of Chicago; B.D. from Evangelical Theological Seminary; and Ph.D. in Biblical studies and theology from Vanderbilt University. He has done post-doctoral work in Israel, Canada, and Germany. Dr. Mattill was a frequent contributor to the Universalist Herald in the 1980s and 1990s. He and his wife, M.E., are retired and live on a small farm near Gordo, Alabama where they follow a vegetarian lifestyle and practice organic gardening. To order a copy of the second printing of A New Universalism for a New Century, send check or money order payable to Universalist Herald and mail to Joyce Gilbert, 70 Harper Street, Rochester, NY 14607. Cost per copy is $10 postpaid to any US address and $12 postpaid to any international address. Vernon Chandler is a military chaplain, former pastor, prison chaplain, and also a former editor of the UNIVERSALIST HERALD. Book Reviewed: LIFE AFTER DEATH: THE BURDEN OF PROOF by Deepak Chopra Sometimes we modern day Unitarian Universalists forget the original meaning of the term “Universalism.” Universalism has its genesis in the belief of an immortal soul and the belief that all souls were eventually reunited with that which we call God. For those of us for whom the original meaning of Universalism and immortality remain a basis of our personal theology, you will find in Chopra’s latest book a comforting, powerful, and insightful investigation into the great mysteries of existence: death and eternal life. Deepak Chopra grew up in a Hindu family in India and was later exposed to Christian teachings via Catholic schooling. Trained as a medical doctor in both India and the United States, Chopra bridges Eastern and Western thought in addressing the most profound mystery: What happens when we die? In Life After Death, Chopra draws upon recent medical discoveries, cutting-edge scientific knowledge, quantum physics, near-death experiences (NDEs) and the wisdom of various religious traditions to provide the reader a very hopeful glimpse into the world of consciousness that follows the human death experience. Chopra rejects the notion of Satan as an all-powerful opposite of God. Everything Satan stands for is included in our own self-judgment. What we call Satan is a massive reflection of self-judgment and is a creation of our own consciousness. The only hell to which Chopra believes exists is psychological hell. We create our own hells. Hell is farthest from that which we call God because hell represents the low ebb of consciousness. The spiritually mature person, regardless of religious faith, is someone who pursues a meaningful life through the following: self worth; love; truth; appreciation and gratitude; reverence; and nonviolence. To live outside these values is painful, and if intense enough, perhaps the pain puts a person in his or her own psychological hell. When we become disconnected from ourselves, a sense of deserving to suffer begins. Hell is the suffering you think you deserve. When connections with that which we call God are repaired or restored, we no longer believe we deserve punishment and we are back in the flow of life with all its healing properties. Although Chopra does not use the term, “Purgatory,” his writing alludes to this concept. Bad Karma and/or low consciousness at the time of human death does have an impact upon the souls of the departed. If we have created a psychological hell in this life, aspects of this hell will continue in the next life. For some souls entering the afterlife, there will be torment and suffering. Chopra calls this hellish experience the condition of karmic suffering. However, this suffering is not eternal, but is rather remedial and rehabilitative. This concept is very compatible with early American Universalism. For Chopra, death deserves to be called miraculous, a “doorway to a far more important event—the beginning of the afterlife” and a mode of being that “can be as creative as living . . . the cosmos that you and I are experiencing right now, with trees, plants, people, houses, cars, stars, and galaxies, is just consciousness expressing itself at one particular frequency. Elsewhere in space time, different planes exist simultaneously.” It is on these other planes, created by the imagination of that which we call God, that the souls of the departed continue the adventure of consciousness. Chopra gives numerous medical and mystical accounts to support his belief in the continuation of the soul following the death of the human body. Life After Death: The Burden of Proof is full of spiritual wisdom. It is a wonderful guide for life after death exploration and it is so compatible with what Universalists have been teaching for centuries. I highly recommend this book to UNIVERSALIST HERALD readers. Vernon Chandler is a military chaplain, former pastor, prison chaplain, and also a former editor of the UNIVERSALIST HERALD. Book: DESTINED FOR SALVATION: God’s Promise to Save Everyone by Kalen Fristad Rev. Fristad is a dedicated Universalist who writes about Christian Universalism in a logical and loving fashion. The strength of his book comes from his twenty-seven years’ experience as a United Methodist minister in communicating to parishioners rather than to academics. He feels so intensely about the need to spread the Good News of Universal Salvation to everyone that, in the tradition of St. Paul and John Murray, he has been traveling around the country in a mobile home speaking to groups from various denominations. When he was recently in Houston, I had the privilege of hearing him speak and conversing with him. Interestingly, he begins his book by presenting the scriptures that are commonly sited as raising questions about Universal Salvation. After dealing with these questions, he moves on to a sampling of major verses supporting Universal Salvation. Additional Universalist proof-texts are scattered throughout. Next, he deals with Judgment and the fact that all punishment is “to make the wrong-doer a right-doer”. Rev. Fristad sites Biblical verses stating that God’s love is eternal and that God does not give up on us, even in Hell. He notes that after Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus went to Hell to bring out “all the people who in former times did not obey” (I Peter 3:18-20, 4:6). He adds that modern-day near-death experiencers report that such rescues are still occurring. Rev. Fristad says that God is more gracious than the best of we human parents and that God is always waiting for us to come home --- not only Here but in the Hereafter. Rev. Fristad uses M. Scott Peck’s developmental theory of four stages of spiritual growth to illustrate how humans at different stages of development view God. He notes that people at Stage II (formal/institutional level) are the ones most likely to oppose Universalism. Those who oppose Universalism are sometimes doing so because of the theological lens through which they view Biblical verses, but more often their opposition is based on wanting to be in God’s exclusive club. (This problem is as old as Jesus’ disciples jockeying for position in the Kingdom of God.) Next, the history of Universalism is presented from the 2nd Century to the present. The final chapter deals with how the traditional message of Christian exclusivity alienates people from God. The book ends with an Appendix on how to spread the word of Universal Salvation. This easily readable and well-organized book is a “must” for any Universalist and a source of comfort for all traditional Christians who have agonized over the fate of their non-Christian loved ones. Ken R. Vincent,Ed.D. is the webmaster for the UNIVERSALST HERALD (www. universalist-herald.net) Book: AWAKENING THE SOUL by John C. Morgan Awakening the Soul is a wonderful “download” from a seasoned minister’s soul --- a cornucopia of thought-provoking, spiritual readings from a variety of sources, seasoned with the hopeful message of Christian Universalism. John C. Morgan is a Christian Universalist minister with sixteen years of pastoral experience in the theologically diverse Unitarian Universalist denomination. Although structured as daily devotionals, this book provides a treasure-trove of material appropriate for Christian or interfaith ministers and lay leaders to use during group worship. This is the stuff that “Orders of Service” are made of! Liberal Christians will be especially delighted with the classic quotations and stories from prominent Universalists, including John Murray and George De Benneville. One example is this from Olympia Brown (the first woman in the United States to be ordained by a denomination): “The foundation of democracy is the realization that every human being is a child of God…, always trusting in the one God which ever lives and loves.” The overall tone of the book is best described by John Morgan himself at the end of the Preface: “In the end, it won’t matter how much you have, but rather how much you have given. It won’t matter how much you know, but rather how much you love. And it won’t matter how much you profess to believe, but rather how deeply you live the few enduring truths you claim as ultimate. All the rest is discipline.” Awakening the Soul by John C. Morgan is available from: Amazon.com and the publisher, Skinner House Books (www.uua.org/skinner). Ken R. Vincent is webmaster at www.universalist-herald.net and author of THE GOLDEN THREAD, GOD’S PROMISE OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION. UNIVERSALIST THEOLOGY HOPE BEYOND HELL by Gerard Beauchemin This book is a Bible literalist's guide to Universalism. THE EVANGELICAL UNIVERSALIST by Gregory Mac Donald This book is very scholarly . Buy it for the wonderful chapter on the Universalist interpretation of the Book of Revelation. THE GOLDEN THREAD, GOD'S PROMISE OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION by Ken R. Vincent This book begins with the Bible verses that ancient and modern Universalists have used to show that God is the parent of ALL and in the end will save ALL. It continues with 2000 years of Christian mystical religious experience and modern-day near-death experiences. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW:THE CASE FOR CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM by Thomas Allin and Mark T. Chamberlain This is a 21st Century update of a 19th Century book. The result is an excellent introduction to the Bibical basis for Universal Salvation. IF GRACE IS TRUE: WHY GOD WiILL SAVE EVERY PERSON by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland This is an easy-reading book about two Quaker ministers' journey to Universalism. IF GOD IS LOVE by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland This is a sequel to IF GRACE IS TRUE. The main premise of the book is that what we believe does matter and that believing in Universalism could change the world. GOOD GOATS by Dennis Linn, Shelia Linn, & Matthew Linn This is a "basic read" on Universalism. It is suitable for Middle School-age children to adults. It is written by three Roman Catholics and has won a seal of approval (Imprimi Potest) from the Catholic Church. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY SAY ABOUT HELL? by Randy Klassen This is an excellent book on Universalism in spite of its title. Rev. Klassen is a Mennonite minister with a very well thought-out Universalist theology. THE INESCAPABLE LOVE OF GOD by Thomas Talbott This scholarly book is readable. Prof. Talbott presents an excellent overview of Universalist theology. THE ONE PURPOSE OF GOD: AN ANSWER TO THE DOCTRINE OF ETERNAL PUNISHMENT by Jan Bonda This is a very scholarly analysis of Universalism by a Dutch Reformed pastor. DESTINED FOR SALVATION: GOD'S PROMISE TO SAVE EVERYONE by Kalen Fristad This is a readable book by a Methodist minister who is a dedicated Universalist. UNIVERSAL SALVATION: ESCHATOLOGY IN THE THOUGHT OF GREGORY OF NYSSA AND KARL RAHNER by Morwenna Ludlow This is a very scholarly comparison of the Universalist theologies of an ancient Universalist and a modern one. EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW: THE BIBLICAL RATIONALES FOR UNIVERSAL SALVATION IN EARLY CHRISTIAN THOUGHT by Steven Harmon This is a scholarly study of the Universalism of Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa by a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship theologian. DARE WE HOPE "THAT ALL MEN BE SAVED"? WITH A SHORT DISCOURSE ON HELL by Hans von Balthasar Father von Balthasar was a Roman Catholic priest whose theology is a hopeful Universalism. OLDIES BUT GOODIES UNIVERSALISM: The Prevailing Doctrine of the Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years by J.W. Hanson This book needs to be next to every Bible in the world. It is a must read for all Universalists. It is available from amazon.com or online at Tentmaker. A TREATISE ON ATONEMENT by Hosea Ballou Rev. Ballou was one of the great Universalist thinkers of the 19th century. This book has been reprinted countless times. BIBLE PROOFS OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION by J. W. Hanson The title says it all. This is a great book on Universalism by an outstanding theologian. BIBLE THREATENINGS EXPLAINED: OR PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE SOMETIMES QUOTED TO PROVE ENDLESS PUNISHMENT SHOWN TO TEACH CONSEQUENCES OF LIMITED DURATION by J. W. Hanson The title tells you what this book is about. If you argue with Fundamentalists, don’t be without this one. ANCIENT HISTORY OF UNIVERSALISM by Hosea Ballou II This book covers the first 500 years of Christianity and makes a case for Universalism being the dominant theological position in Christianity during that time. THE MODERN HISTORY OF UNIVERSALISM FROM THE ERA OF THE REFORMATION TO THE PRESENT TIME by Thomas Whittemore This book covers the history of Universalism from the Reformation up to the mid 19th century. MYSTERY HID FROM AGES AND GENERATIONS MADE MANIFEST BY THE GOSPEL REVELATION OR SALVATION OF ALL MEN BY Charles Chauncy This is an 18th Century Book. It's English is a bit flowery, but it is not without charm. FOOTPRINTS HEAVENWARD OR UNIVERSALISM THE MORE EXCELLENT WAY by M. J. Steere The author has a good heart and is a good Universalist, but the book rambles a bit. VOICE TO UNIVERSALISTS by Hosea Ballou This is a collection of Hosea Ballou’s writings, hymns, poetry, etc. There are a number of excellent books on Universalism that are out of print that are on the Internet and can be found at: Tentmaker And also, True Grace Ministries UNIVERSALIST HISTORY JANE LEADE: BIOGRAPHY OF A 17TH CENTURY MYSTIC by Julie Hurst The is an excellent book on the life of a 17th century English Universalist. THE LARGER MESSAGE: UNIVERSALIST RELIGIOUS EDUCATION'S RESPONSE TO THEOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL CHALLENGES 1790 TO 1930 by Elizabeth Strong The title says it all. AMERICAM UNIVERSALISM,4TH ED. by George Williams This is a basic overview of various Universalist theological positions. UNIVERSALISM IN AMERICA: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF A LIBERAL FAITH by Ernest Cassara Selected writing from Universalists 1741 to 1961 UNIVERSALIST MOVEMENT IN AMERICA, 1770-1880 by Ann Lee Bressler This book focuses on the early years of Universalism in America. UNIVERSALISM IN AMERICA by George W. Cooke The title says it all. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE by L.B. Fisher Because it was written in 1912 much of it is dated, still this book is not without its moments. THE LARGER FAITH: A SHORT HISTORY OF AMERICAN UNIVERSALISM by Charles A. Howe This is an excellent overview of the Universalist Church of America. MAGLIPAY UNIVERSALISTS by Fredric John Muir According to Joseph Gentili, “this book is about a homegrown Universalist denomination with 26 churches and fellowships, which evolved with support from the Universalist Church of America, Negros Oriental, the Philippines. IN THE HANDS OF A HAPPY GOD: THE “NO-HELLERS” OF CENTRAL APPALACHIA by Howard Dorgan This book is about the Primitive Baptist Churches of Central Appalachia. THE OTHER SIDE OF SALVATION: SPIRITUALISM AND THE NINETEENTH CENTURY- RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by John B. Buescher This book looks at the interest in spiritualism by Universalists. AN EXPOSITION OF VIEWS RESPECTING THE PRINCIPAL FACTS CAUSES AND PECULIARITIES INVOLVED IN SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING PHENOMENAL STATEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS BY Adin Ballou Written in 1852 this book is a series of case studies of spirit manifestations. THIS DAY IN UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST HISTORY by Frank Schulman This is an excellent reference book for preachers and religious educators. HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM by Mark Harris This is a library reference book. REVEREND ELHANAN WINCHESTER: BIOGRAPHY AND LETTERS Editor: Edwin S. Gaustad The story and letters of a Universalist sage. BOOKS THAT INCLUDE UNIVERSALISM AWAKENING THE SOUL by John C. Morgan A collection of daily devotions which feature some elements of Universalist theology and history. NEVER FAR FROM HOME by Carl Scovel Universalist, Derek Lee Parker writes:"this famed Unitarian Christian preacher brings us a Universalist spirituality of courage, hope, and universal reconciliation. UNIVERSAL SALVATION ? by Robin A. Parry and Christopher H. Partridge Two-thirds of this book is by Universalists. The Universalists include Thomas Talbott, Morwenna Ludlow, and Eric Reitan. LIFE AFTER DEATH by Tom Harpur Virtually all books on the Near-Death Experience are Universalist in their orientation. This book is included because the concluding chapter has a strong Christian Universalist statement. NOTHING BETTER THAN DEATH by Kevin Williams This Near-Death Experience book also has a Bible based Universalist chapter. VISIONS OF GOD FROM THE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE by Ken R. Vincent This book looks at the near-death experience in the context of world religion. It is Universalist in its orientation and the Bible is the relgious text most frequently quoted. DEATH AND ETERNAL LIFE by John Hick Professor Hick is a United Reformed theologian and the most prominent Universalist scholar living today. This is a treatise on eternal life and includes a chapter on Universal Salvation. DISPUTED QUESTIONS IN THEOLOGY AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION by John Hick Professor Hick's books address many topics but about forty percent of this book is relevant to Universalists. GOD DOES NOT FORECLOSE: THE PROMISE OF UNIVERSAL SALVATION by David Lowes Watson Prof. Watson is a Methodist theologian and committed Universalist. In spite of it's title the book is mainly about the need for Universalists to evangelize. |