"Questions discussed. 1. Does gospel salvation embrace deliberance from just and deserved punishment? 2. Is there sufficient evidence for beliveing that all men will be finally holy and happy? 3. Is there sufficient evidence for believing that any part of the human family will suffer endless misery in a future state?" - pages [3]

According to Christian doctrine, what happens to those who have died? While traditionally it has been said that one group of people spends eternity in heavenly happiness while another group experiences conscious, unending torment in hell, there are other Christians who believe in alternativesthat hell is simply a separation from God, that the lost are simply annihilated and not subject to torment, or that actually, in the end, all will be reconciled to God and live in heavenly glory. The Gift of God Is Eternal Life explores a five-century journey that traces the development and dispersal of the doctrines of universalism and conditional immorality in a compelling narrative collection of short stories. Beginning from when these doctrines were merely whispered about or published anonymously to the days when traveling evangelists preached them in the new and growing American republic, these engaging vignettes show how this once intense debate between Christians has evolved into modern times where such ideas can be freely discussedeven in mainstream television and evangelism. Do infants who die prior to an age of accountability receive salvation, and are those who have never heard the Christian message simply doomed? What about loved ones who die without having embraced the Christian gospelor those who believe in less-traditional Christian dogmas and institutions? The Gift of God Is Eternal Life can help both believers and nonbelievers understand the implications of these theological perspectivesnot just in an afterlife, but in their own lives here and now.

This text offers a detailed analysis and debate of the doctrines of atonement, universal salvation, and endless punishment. It is an essential read for scholars of theology and philosophy. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.