Larry Chapp seems to express a kind of anxiety or apprehension in this video discussion about the obvious problem of the traditional magisterium as he comes “out of the closet” and reveals himself to be, of all things, an eschatological “universalist” wherein, in the end, we can all hope that Scripture and Tradition will be finally overcome, and that everyone, yes everyone, past, present, and future, will be saved.

A “theology of Hope” that Hell is empty is bad theology, if one believes the Scriptures and the Catholic dogmatic tradition.

So a few points here towards the “clarification of thought”:

Despite making many interesting —even profound— points in this interview with Dr. Jordan Wood, I think the limits of both theology and of human knowing come into full view here.

To say more than we can ever know in this life regarding what God has been pleased to reveal clearly involves us in labyrinthine problems.

But why not truly “step back,” I would ask Chapp, from attempting to resolve difficult theological problems (in this instance the eternity and literal reality of Hell),  and pronouncing himself a “universalist” as he does here, which is, despite all protests and specious rationalizations, insurmountably set against the magisterium of the Church? Why not simply say in truth that in this life we must see non-homogeneous eschatological images(1), found in the scriptures, “through a dark glass” as it were, and that we cannot completely know what these “hard to be understood” images convey in full —until we “know even as we are known“? (1 Cor. 13:12).

In the Scriptures this is doubtless true of the images relating to both Heaven and Hell, images which point to and reflect realities revealed by God.

In Sacred Scripture images are often, as in this case, symbolic. Ineffable eschatological symbols found in the Scriptures participate in the blessed or terrible realities to which they point, and we are called to heed dire warnings which some of them convey. After all, more than mere impressive academic accomplishments will be involved when we all stand before the Judgment Seat of God.

Chapp calls his recent book, Confessions of a Catholic Worker. I’m afraid so. Chapp, like so many Catholic Workers and liberals since Dorothy Day passed, seems torn between the clear teachings of Scripture and Tradition and the proverbial scissors and paste theology so fashionable in the theological Jet Set for decades now. That he cogently criticizes Pope Francis for bending Catholic traditions almost to the breaking point, only adds to the seeming eloquent incoherence which lays at the bottom of Chapp’s theological outlook.

I feel bad about saying it, but Larry, this is not the time to take leave of your Catholic senses. It is time to fix this.

__________

(1) (e.g., light / banquet/ darkness / fire, worm, etc.,  taken from the valley of Hinnom’s dump** / destroyed / prison / farthing, etc.).

** Valley of Hinnom: “The word derives from the Hebrew: גי(א)-הינום Gêhinnôm (also Guy ben-Hinnom (גיא בן הינום) meaning the Valley of Hinnom’s son. The valley forms the southwest border of ancient Jerusalem that stretches from the foot of Mt. Zion to the Kidron Valley. It is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. Originally it referred to a garbage dump in a deep narrow valley right outside the walls of Jerusalem where fires were kept burning to consume the refuse and keep down the stench. It is also the location where bodies of executed criminals, or individuals denied a proper burial, would be dumped. In addition, this valley was frequently not controlled by the Jewish authority within the city walls; it is traditionally held that this valley was used as a place of religious child-sacrifice to Moloch by the Canaanites outside the city (comp. Jer. 2: 23).”—[source]

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— John XXIII, Benedict XVI and Francis