Wider Hope: Catholic & Orthodox Faith Resources
Valuable quotes and original articles. With suggested reading, videos, Christian Art, and Sacrementals. For Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Orthodox believers, and other Christians (and for those who are not yet Christian.)
--Fr. Karl Rahner, Roman Catholic Priest and Theologian
"The far-reaching plans of God cannot be thwarted or suffer a definitive defeat. I believe in, and hope for, the universal salvation and ultimate reconciliation of all rational creatures with the Creator and among themselves."
--Fr. Wacław Hryniewicz, Roman Catholic Priest and Theologian
Original Articles, Quotes, and Gifts
Links
A Larger Hope: Volume 1, by Ilaria Ramelli (Roman Catholic Scholar)
Universal Salvation from Christian Beginings to Julian of Norwich (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
A Larger Hope: Volume 2, by Robin Perry (Protestant Author) and Ilaria Ramelli (Roman Catholic Scholar)
Universal Salvation from the Reformation to the 19th Century (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Terms for Eternity: Aionios and Aidios in Classical and Christian Texts, by Ilaria Ramelli (Roman Catholic Scholar)
Discusses words commonly translated eternal or everlasting in classical, Patristic, and Biblical texts. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
The Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis: A Critical Assessment from the New Testament to Eriugena, by Ilaria Ramelli (Roman Catholic Scholar)
Evidence that the Hope of Universal Reconciliation has a firm foundation in Christian scripture and Tradition. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
The Apocalypse of St. John: an Essay on Dogmatic Theology, by Fr. Sergi Bulgakov
This is the best Commentary I ever read on the book of Revelation. Written by an Orthodox priest who fled the Bolsheviks, and then the Nazis. But who saw it all as merely foreshadowing the even darker days that would proceed the dawn of a golden age for the Church. Which he believed would in turn proceed The Second Coming of Christ, the General Resurrection, Judgement, and Apokatastasis. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Saint Gregory of Nyssa's Great Catechism
Catechism teaching universal salvation, from the 4th century Bishop of Nyssa (brother of St. Basil the Great), who was declared "Father of Fathers" by the Seventh Ecumenical Council. And is recognized as a Saint by the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Church. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Creative Fidelity: Weighing and Interpreting Documents of the Magisterium, by Fr. Francis Sullivan
A very helpful book (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
David Bentley Hart New Testament
A New Translation of the New Testament, by Greek Orthodox Scholar and prominent universalist, David Bently Hart (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Catholic Edition Revised Standard Version Study Bible, personally engraved at your request
Makes a great gift (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Catholic Bible
New American Bible (Catholic Edition), Large Print, Leathersoft, Brown, Holy Bible (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Ancient Faith Study Bible
A study Bible providing insights from Early Church Fathers (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Daily Catholic Missal for the 2027 Liturgical Year
Daily Missal for Adults and children 8 years old and older (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Pharaohs and Kings: a Biblical Quest, by Archeologist David Rhol
Archeological Evidence that the chronology of Egypt is off by about 200 years, and that when that adjustment is made, there is Archeological evidence of the sojourn in Egypt, the Exodus, the Conquest of Canaan, and the Fall of Jericho (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
The Stones Cry Out, by Dinesh D'Souza
Archeological evidence supporting the Bible (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Bible Commentary--Universal Restorationist View
A commentary on scripture offered by David Burnfield
Andrew Jukes: The Second Death and The Restitution of All Things
Deep Dive Into Scripture and Patristics
A Brief History of Anglican Universalism, by River Devereux
An Anglican reviews the history of the wider hope within his tradition
The Pope's Cabinet: Pius XII's Secret War to Save the Jews
This book reveals Pius XII's secret efforts to save Jews during WWII through newly opened Vatican Archives. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Son of Hamas
How Mosab Hassan Yousef (the son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef) went rom being groomed for Hamas leadership to rejecting violence and embracing Christianity after his personal encounter with Christ. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Maximilian Kolbe: Saint of Auschwitz
The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Cleric who volunteered to take the place of a fellow inmate sentenced to death (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
The Saint of Auschwitz
A YouTube video that tells the story of St. Maximilian Kolby
The Satanic Verses, by Salmon Rushdi
A Novel Based on Fact (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Salmon Rushdi and the Satanic Verses
Discusses the Islamic reaction to the book, and the historical facts they find troubling
The Daughters of Allah: Polytheism in early Islam
Discusses the historical basis of the "The Satanic Verses," by Salman Rushdie
The Satanic Verses (YouTube video)
A good introduction to the subject
Flight 93
A book about true heroes (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
The Anne Bronte Collection: Agnes Grey, The Tennant of Wildfell Hall, and collected Poems
Two novels and a collection of poems from a hopeful universalist, and the daughter of an Anglican parish priest. One of the Bronte sisters. (Amazon affiliate link, Commissions Earned)
Honor Elizabeth Wainio
A passenger on flight 93 (who lived her faith, and lived up to her name.)
Raising Hell
Catholics debate Universalism vs. Eternal Hell
The Salvation of Satan?
An interview with Prof. Thom Talbot from Love Unrelenting
Universalim and Hell
Hope of Salvation
May Catholics Endorse Universalism?
Article by Justin Shaun Coyle (Associate Professor of Theology and Associate Dean at Mount Angel Seminary.)
St. Jude's Tavern
Blog defending the wider hope
Eclectic Orthodoxy
Orthodox Universalist Website
The Orthodox Universalist
Orthodox Wider Hope
Patristic and Biblical Universalism
A discussion group. Topics include Apokatastasis (i.e. Universal Salvation, Universal Restoration, Universalism), and Patristics
Hope for infants who die without baptism
Statement issued by The Church in 2007
Patristic and Biblical Apokatastasis global networks
A global network of believers in the wider hope
Inspirational Music
With original music from Wendy Kay Burnfield and The Etenal Grace Choir
The Role of Reception in Identifying Infallible Decrees
Reception as the only true evidence a Papal or Conciliar Decree is Infallible
Jacques Maritain's Theoritical Eschatology
Speculation
Prayers
Roman Catholic Prayers
Lumen Gentium
Document from The Second Vatican Council
Pope Francis on the meaning of Romans 8:21-22
How the deposit of faith contains hope for all creation
St. Pope Paul VI’s exhortation on Reconciliation in the Church
Since reconciliation means the restoration of peace both between God and man and between men themselves, it is the first fruit of redemption. Like redemption, it is universal in scope and efficacy. It reaches out to the whole of creation “until the time of universal restoration” (Acts 3, 21), when all created things are again unified in Christ, Who is the firstborn of the risen dead (cf. Col 1, 18)
Vision of aborted children growing in afterlife
An abortionists encounter with the children he killed, and a saint he never heard of
Self Defense?
Saint Thomas Aquinas said that Christians were not forbidden the use of violence (under any and all circumstances) in the defense of themselves and others. And as we live in a time of violence, here are some videos that demonstrate practical self-defense techniques (and discuss the ethical considerations incumbent on Christians.) With some remarks about Christian pacifism, personal self-defense, and Catholic Just War Theory by Bishop Baron.
Theology
Assorted YouTube Videos on a veriety of Theological subjects
Judeo/Christian Apologetics and Scientific Topics
Evidence supporting the Judeo/Christian Faith, and Scientific Topics that Could Be Relevant.
Q&A
What does Matthew 24:34 mean?
"...prophesying concerning the temple, He said: 'See ye these buildings? Verily I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another which shall not be taken away; and this generation shall not pass until the destruction begin."
(Clementine Homilies, Homily III, Chapter XV.)
Can we pray for those long dead?
Hans Urs von Balthasar, Dare We Hope That All Men Might Be Saved? 2nd ed. (2014) Ignatius Press. pp.242-244.
Doesn’t the vision of hell given at Fatima prove that it's crowded, and full of suffering souls?
a warning—not a window into an unavoidable future. And as proof he pointed out that in the same Fatima appearance, the Blessed Virgin gave us this prayer “Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven. Especially those most in need of thy mercy.” In Bishop Barron's words "Our Lady would never ask us to pray for something that’s impossible, so there must be at least a basic hope for the possibility that all souls can be led to heaven."