Photo by Emily In “Theological integrity” Jefferson Vann explains how conditionalism is more than a single doctrine. It is an integrated systematic theology. Theologians are always concerned about integrity, but our concerns and the issues that cause them are not always the same. Sometimes, we need to express a particular doctrine that makes sense of the emphasis of Scripture. Ballard expresses this concern over the New Testament expressions of the Trinity: “Either some doctrine of Triunity concerning God must be accepted, or the authoritative integrity of the New Testament must be dismissed ..read more

Christianity and the Problem of Evil by Larry Lacy (Christian Faith Publishing, Pennsylvania, 2021) This high-calibre 260-page study of theodicy is deeply philosophical but also presents a biblically apodictic affirmation of Conditional Immortality/Annihilationism (CI) from the pen of Christian philosopher Lacy (taught at Rhodes College, Memphis, USA, for 40 years). He devotes about 70 pages to setting out a formidable case for final annihilation of the lost, instead of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT), via mostly careful biblical exegesis. Albeit a body-soul dualist, he categorically rej ..read more

      In “the life to come,” Jefferson Vann compares conditionalism with its opposing views and suggests that the alternative views fail to account for Paul’s cosmology (as revealed in 1 Timothy 4:8).     the life to come 1 Timothy 4:7-8 NET. 7 But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness. 8 For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.” I taught for several years in Bible college overseas as a missionary. Our primary goal ..read more

Is The Soul Immortal? by Daniel Ritivoiu (Amazon, 2021) This 145-page book answers its question-title in the negative, thus upholding Conditional Immortality (CI). It is self-published but in serious need of a capable editor – for instance, all the pagination in the ‘Table of Contents’ (2-3) is out by several pages once you turn to just about any of the 29 chapters! There are, however, only a few typos & printing errors. No information is made available on author Ritivoiu, not even on the Amazon page; but the fact that he cites several SDA sources, authors & an SDA pastor suggest ..read more

Book Review: A Traveler’s Guide to the Afterlife (Intermountain Institute for Religion, Science, and Culture, 2021) by Timothy Gordon This is a very thorough yet accessible “Bible literacy study guide” (according to the front cover), meant for Sunday School or similar small group teaching on all things eschatological. It is over 200 pages long, complete with regular crossword summaries & ‘Questions for Discussion’ sections, & authored by retired US Navy Commander Gordon, who has doctorates in Christian Apologetics & Christian Education, plus a string of theological & scie ..read more

Book Review: Hell No: The Surprising Truths the Bible Teaches about Death, Resurrection, and Judgment (Resource Publications, Oregon, 2021) by S.L.Miller English literature graduate & seminary theology student Miller has penned a compact but very readable defence of Conditional Immortality (CI) including just over 150 pages (with very few typos or misprints). Her book is made up of 19 generally short chapters (+ footnotes), followed by Bibliography & Scripture Index. As the back cover reports, this is “a serious deep dive into Scripture but also a conversational foray into truth, writ ..read more

We who consider ourselves Bible-believing Christians take the scriptures seriously, and so we should.  We have come a long way since William Tyndale was strangled and then burned at the stake by the Catholic Church in 1536 at age 42.  What was his crime?  He had translated the entire Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek languages into English, which all literate English-speaking people could then read and understand.  The problem facing us in this century is this:  Many Christians subscribe to several ideas which they sincerely believe are promoted in the Bible.&n ..read more

Book Review: With Me in Paradise: What Happens to You After You Die (Leqach Publishing, Pennsylvania, 2021) by David E. Seip If you have ever peered into a distorting mirror at a funhouse or carnival, you will readily grasp what it is like reading pastor & professor David Seip’s recent 100-page book extolling body-soul-spirit trichotomism. As everybody probably knows, in a funfair hall of mirrors you first see your familiar body image reflected in the curved mirror, but then your image bends out of shape, becoming elongated, even squashed, so that what seems familiar, the original shape ..read more

Book Review: No Hell: The Unscriptural Pagan Myth of Endless Punishing by God (David Belt Productions, Annapolis, Maryland, 2020) by David D. Belt A professor of both Sociology & Strategic Intelligence, former US Navy Captain Belt has penned a weighty 365-page tome deconstructing hell as Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) while promoting Annihilationism/Conditional Immortality (CI). His book is a formidable defence of CI yet also a curious mix of lengthy scriptural analysis alongside rather oversimplified (or at least under-informed) theological exposition, since he notably omits prominent EC ..read more

Photo by Josh Sorenson   In “scaffolding” Jefferson Vann examines the historical use of scaffolding as a metaphor for the body’s destruction at death and the soul’s supposed survival.       Grant Anderson’s comments on the unseen world are typical of early 20th-century anthropological dualists: “There is a natural world which is to last but for a time and then pass away; but there is also a spiritual world, which will last throughout all eternity. Man is a compound being and is in correspondence with both the visible and the invisible world. In speaking of man, the apostle ..read more