Hopeful Universalism in Joseph Ratzinger's Theology - Andrew Hronich

Andrew Hronich lays out why he believes we have reason to think that Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) holds to a hopeful universalist stance.
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[Elizjim]

Thank you. I am a Catholic hopeful universalist ❤

[benc]

Yes we must dare hope, else we deny the total victory of Christ.

[MatthewWayne]

a fair and accurate portrayal of Ratzinger's thought on the subject

[gbmtmas]

Thank you for this very well done presentation on the views of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). It was very informative, and you provided me with references that help me believe that the late Pope-Emeritus was in the Hans Urs Von Balthazar theological camp. I consider this discovery a wonderful discovery. Thank you again for sharing your insight.

[kevinjanghj]

As a former evangelical convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, God bless Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He did not sit on the papal throne for long, but sought like his predecessor to reconcile and foster greater dialogue with Orthodox and Protestant communions of Christianity.

[dalelerette]

We're all living off the kindness of other people. God created us to be fruitful and multiply. Why do people have to make this so complicated? The Hopeful Universalists of Joseph Ratzinger were right. ❤

If the devil was just doing his job, please reward him.
If the devil is not really guilty, please have mercy on him.
If the devil just did not really know, please have mercy on him.
If the devil is really very guilty, please have mercy on him.

But I leave this up to God's will because He knows better than I do. ❤

[jimstrahan]

I agree and would add the parable of the one lost sheep, who is carried on His shoulders back to safety. That means He loses none. Also, as Talbott pointed out, an individual cannot make a truly intelligent decision without knowing all the facts. Once exposed to the knowledge of God’s love and His wonderful plans for us, choosing death over life would fit the definition of insanity.
In this life, we give help to those who are insane; we don’t condemn them to death! Do we think God would do less? That would be . . . insane!

[peterhiett]

Thanks Steven and Andrew! Fascinating stuff--Bodhisattva: didn't know that.

[mikevane]

I very much enjoyed your presentation. Thank you! You mentioned in Joseph Ratzinger's book Eschatology he references a similarity between a Buddhist bodhisattva and Christ. While that works for me I am surprised Ratzinger ever wrote that. In trying to find the reference without buying the book and having no luck I asked the Bing AI and this was the response.... Yes, Joseph Ratzinger wrote a book called “Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life” which was originally published in German in 1977 and subsequently translated into English in 19881. The book is the study of the “eschaton”, the end times in accordance with the Christian doctrine, such as the parousia, heaven, and hell1. I couldn’t find any reference to Buddhism in this book. I hope that reference the page number from his book. Thank you

[bluegreenOD]

‘Living Buddha, Living Christ’ - beautiful

[kevinrombouts]

Joseph Ratzinger may speculate on the possibility of an individual's heart being so hardened towards live that they never respond to Jesus as Lord and Saviour but I believe he and all of us might be better advised to meditate on 1 Corin 13 where Paul says " love never gives up" and the parables of the list son, list coin and list sheep which confirm 1 Corin 13. Do we really believe it could be possible for any creature to fail to ultimately respond to The power of God's love and the promise of Jesus in John's gospel that when I am lifted up ( finished work of the cross) he would draw ( drag) all people to himself. To me it almost seems blasphemy that any sentient rational being could hold out against the will of God and the sovereignty of his love. If they did they would remain a God unto themselves and ultimately we have to accept the universe has but ONE GOD who will in the end be All in All. (1 Corin 15)

[meinnameistmensch]

Ratzinger did not desert from „Nazi military“ but from the German army, namely the Wehrmacht.

[k.arlanebel]

To say that you hope for ultimate redemption might be saying something personal, but it says nothing theological. Or is theology just a personal opinion or a logical guessing game? "Might" and "maybe" are not meaningful theological terms. To say that everyone might be redeemed is not essentially different from saying that most people (including people in the Church) might be lost. It is vague to the point of pointlessness. It is. in fact, to say that you don't really know what salvation entails without acknowledging that you don't really know. (To say that you know what salvation usually entails, but there might be exceptions, is to say nothing and to build a false paradigm). Scripture tells me that Jesus himself asked the question of whether when he returned he would find any faith at all ! (the possibility of no one saved?) What all this really points to is people pretending to know things that they don't know. St. Silouan said, concerning this issue, that one should never assume that one is a saint and never assume that one can't be saved. We tend (from fear and arrogance) to get caught up in paradigms that are in fact beyond our abilities. The fact is that Ratzinger doesn't know the answer to this question and neither does John Calvin, and neither does David Bentley Hart. They are only making personal confessions that can't be verified. Jesus told me to not swear anything because such comes from the Evil One, to love my neighbor even if my neighbor is my enemy, and to follow Him. He also told me by implication that I don't even know what salvation means, but by following him I will find out what it means, and in no other way will I find out.

[dorinamary]

So many people need to do more research about Hitler! We have been so very mislead.