Not a Hope in Hell

Reviews / Votes

"Few issues in Christian theology are as electrically charged as is the issue of universalism. Opponents of universalist doctrine generally find themselves on the defensive, since everlasting damnation seems unworthy of both the God who allows it and the creature who chooses it. In this illuminating and boldly constructive book, James Dominic Rooney examines the main claims of universalists and shows that a different path is necessary. Metaphysically sophisticated and judicious in its treatments of divine permission and human personhood, this book is urgently needed."

Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary

"To understand contemporary debates about universal salvation, one needs genuine philosophical precision. James Dominic Rooney is the ablest champion of the traditional Catholic position, and his arms include modal metaphysics, possible world semantics, and a mastery of the texts of St. Thomas Aquinas. An extended defense of the "metaphysical minimum" required for negative reprobation, Not a Hope in Hell is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to follow these debates and will continue to be so for years to come. "

Trent Pomplun, University of Notre Dame

"Christian hope partially lies in the moral plausibility of its claims about the afterlife. Debates over universal salvation and the doctrine of Hell are not merely an intellectual puzzle to be solved. They have a serious existential weight. Not a Hope in Hell offers a significant contribution to this ongoing debate. Father Rooney takes readers through these difficult topics with clarity and rigor. Theologians will profit greatly from reading this work. "

R.T. Mullins, University of Lucerne

"Starting from a minimalist metaphysics of hell, Fr. Rooney succeeds in three not easy objectives: he shows that universalism rests on premises about the nature of God that lead irremediably to make him the necessary author of sin; he elaborates a Thomistic theory of the permission of sin that allows complete providential control without making sin necessary; he proposes a defense of the benevolence of God that places the unconditional love for persons as the fundamental reason for God's permission of sin and eternal damnation. All this makes this book a must-read not only for anyone interested in the problem of evil but also in the philosophy of religion in general."

Agustin Echavarria, Universidad de Navarra