This Greek word is the origin of the modern English word eon, which refers to a period of time or epoch. What is striking and inspiring about the revolutions in the Middle East is their true universalism. Christian universalism refers to the idea that every human being will eventually receive salvation in a religious or spiritual sense, a concept also known as universal reconciliation. [5] The real difference between Obama and Bush is that Obama is actually what Bush claimed to be: a moral universalist. Christian universalists point out the mistranslations of the Greek word αιών (lit. aion), which give rise to the idea of eternal hell and the idea that some people will not be saved. [30] [44] [45] The basic idea of Christian universalism is universal reconciliation – that all peoples will eventually attain salvation. They will eventually enter the kingdom of God in heaven through the grace and works of the Lord Jesus Christ. [29] Christian universalism teaches that eternal hell does not exist and that this is not what Jesus taught. They point to historical evidence showing that some early church fathers were universalists, and attribute the origin of the idea of hell as eternal to mistranslations, as do many Bible verses to argue that the concept of eternal hell is historically supported neither in Judaism nor in early Christianity. [30] In The Work of Art of the Future, he shows that beyond “local nationalism” there are signs of a “supranational universalism.” The Christian view makes the universalism of the moral law particularly clear.
Hinduism embraces universalism by understanding the whole world as one family that idolizes the one truth, and therefore it accepts all forms of belief and rejects labels of different religions that would imply a split in identity. [82] [83] [84] [self-published source] Belief in a fundamental truth is another important tenet of universalism. Living truth is considered broader than national, cultural or religious boundaries or interpretations of this single truth. As the Rig Veda says, “Truth is one; The Magi call him by different names. [1] A community that calls itself universalist can emphasize the universal tenets of most religions and accept others in an inclusive manner. Author David Frawley says that Hinduism has a “fundamental universalism” and that its teachings contain “universal relevance.” [68] Hinduism is also religiously pluralistic in nature. [69] A well-known Vedic hymn of Rig says, “The truth is one, although the wise men know it variously.” [70] Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gītā (4:11), which manifests itself as an incarnation, God says, “As men draw near to me, so I receive them. All roads lead to me. [71] The Hindu religion has no theological difficulty in accepting degrees of truth in other religions. Hinduism emphasizes that everyone worships the same god, whether you know it or not. [72] Islam recognizes to some extent the validity of the Abrahamic religions, the Qur`an identifies Jews, Christians and “Sabi`un” (usually referring to the Mandaeans) as the “People of the Book” (ahl al-kitab).
Later, Islamic theologians extended this definition to Zoroastrians and later even Hindus, as the early Islamic empire brought many people who professed these religions under its rule, but the Qur`an explicitly identifies only Jews, Christians and Sabians as People of the Book. [90] [citation needed for verification], [91] [verification failed], [92] [verification failure] The relationship between Islam and universalism has become crucial in the context of political Islam or Islamism, especially with regard to Sayyid Qutb, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and one of Islam`s most important contemporary philosophers. [93] Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article on universalism Apparently, universalism and individualism come to the fore over time. Universalism refers to religious, theological and philosophical concepts with universal application or applicability. Universalism is a term used to identify certain teachings that all people consider in their education. In the broadest sense, universalism affirms that religion is a universal human quality. This can be compared to non-universalist religions. In this context, religion is defined as a set of beliefs about the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when viewed as the creation of one or more superhuman agencies that typically involve devotional and ritual observations, and often contain a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. In unorthadox Christianity, universal reconciliation is the teaching that all sinful and alienated human souls are ultimately reconciled to God through divine love and mercy. Unitarian universalism believes that religion is a universal human quality, emphasizes the universal principles of most religions, and accepts other religions integratively, believing in universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine.
Universalism has had a strong influence on modern Hinduism and in turn has influenced modern Western spirituality. This concept of “universalism” still makes it difficult for the country to recognize its racial and religious minorities. The idea of universal salvation is the key to the Mahayana Buddhist school. [15] [16] A common feature of Mahayana Buddhism is the idea that all living entities have Buddha nature and therefore all beings can aspire to become bodhisattvas, beings who are on the path of Buddhahood. [16] This ability is considered something that all beings in the universe have. [17] [18] This idea was called “Bodhisattva universalism” by Buddhist scholar Jan Nattier. [19] The Greek term apocatastasis was associated by some with belief in Christian universalism, but at the heart of the teaching was the reparation or restoration of all sinful beings to God and his state of bliss. In ancient patristics, the use of the term varies.
Traditional Islam[94][95] sees the world as divided, composed of the House of Islam, that is, where people live under Sharia law; [95] and the House of War, that is, where the people do not live under Sharia law, which must be proselytized[95][96][97] by all available means, including, in some traditionalist and conservative interpretations,[98] the use of force, as a holy struggle in the way of God,[92][98][99] to convert its inhabitants either to Islam, or to rule them according to Sharia law (cf. Dhimmi). [100] [101] Hindu universalism, also called neo-Vedanta[76] and neo-Hinduism,[77] is a modern interpretation of Hinduism that developed in reaction to Western colonialism and orientalism. It denotes the ideology that all religions are true and therefore deserve tolerance and respect. [78] The other beliefs of Christian universalism are generally compatible with the foundations of Christianity. The 19th century theologian Marvin Vincent wrote about the word aion and the supposed connotations of “eternal” or “temporal”: The very first word in Sikh script is “Ik,” followed by “Oh-ang-kar.” This literally means that there is only one God and that God is healthy, including the entire universe. He goes on to say that all creation and energy are part of this primordial being. As such, it is repeatedly described in Scripture that everything that happens is part of God`s will and must be accepted as such. This happens for a reason, even if it is incomprehensible to a person. The first undisputed documentation of Christian universalist ideas took place in 17th-century England and 18th-century Europe, as well as in colonial America. Between 1648 and 1697, the English activist Gerrard Winstanley, the writer Richard Coppin and the dissident Jane Leade taught that God would grant salvation to all people.
The same teachings were then spread in France and America in the 18th century by George de Benneville. The people who taught this doctrine in America later became known as the Universalist Church of America. [40] The first universalist church in America was founded by John Murray (pastor). [41] There is an essay proving that he is Presbyterian; another to show that the great playwright was a universalist.
