Patristic Universalism Podcast and Digital Church

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield

Healing the Will: A Patristic Universalist Response to the Free Will Objection

One objection to Patristic Universalism is that if God ultimately restores everyone, He must violate human free will. However, the early Church Fathers who emphasized universal restoration understood salvation not as the destruction of the will, but as its healing.

God does not need to force us to love Him; He can heal what prevents us from loving Him. Sin, ignorance, deception, and spiritual bondage distort our desires and enslave our wills. Through divine judgment, purification, and the healing grace of Christ, God restores humanity to its true freedom. As Gregory of Nyssa and other early Christian thinkers taught, God's purpose is the restoration of His creation, not its everlasting ruin.

True freedom is not the eternal ability to remain enslaved to sin. It is the freedom to know, love, and participate in the goodness of God. Patristic Universalism therefore argues that God's victory does not require the violation of the human will, but its ultimate healing and restoration.

Visit or contact us at www.patristicuniversalism.com

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield

Healing the Will: A Patristic Universalist Response to the Free Will Objection

One objection to Patristic Universalism is that if God ultimately restores everyone, He must violate human free will. However, the early Church Fathers who emphasized universal restoration understood salvation not as the destruction of the will, but as its healing.

God does not need to force us to love Him; He can heal what prevents us from loving Him. Sin, ignorance, deception, and spiritual bondage distort our desires and enslave our wills. Through divine judgment, purification, and the healing grace of Christ, God restores humanity to its true freedom. As Gregory of Nyssa and other early Christian thinkers taught, God's purpose is the restoration of His creation, not its everlasting ruin.

True freedom is not the eternal ability to remain enslaved to sin. It is the freedom to know, love, and participate in the goodness of God. Patristic Universalism therefore argues that God's victory does not require the violation of the human will, but its ultimate healing and restoration.

Visit or contact us at www.patristicuniversalism.com

Robby is the author of Leaving Fear Behind: Putting an End to End Time Fear, a book that invites readers to move beyond fear-driven interpretations of biblical prophecy and rediscover a deeper understanding of God’s character, the teachings of Jesus, and the hope we have in Christ.

In a world where end-times predictions and frightening interpretations of Scripture can leave people anxious about the future, Robby offers a different perspective—one that encourages us to replace fear and speculation with faith, hope, and a greater understanding of God’s love.

Today, we’ll discuss how end-times teaching has shaped the Christian experience, why so many believers struggle with fear about the future, and how a deeper understanding of Scripture can help us leave that fear behind and embrace the peace that comes from trusting in Christ.

Visit Robby Atwood on his website, Facebook, Instagram and Substack. www.robbyatwood.com

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield

Let's begin with the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:1–13.

Many have precieved this verses in a negative light, ignoring the Grace of God is still true in light of being ready and prepared to live in the Kingdom. We will discuss how we can apply Kingdom living, without forsaking scripture in life of God's promises. Visit our website at www.patristicuniversalism.com

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield

Does Patristic Universalism give a license to sin? Many mis-understand Grace and Patristic Universalism. We will review why this objection is unfounded and why Universalism, when understood does not give anyone a license to sin, but raises the bar of living a life based on the principles taught by Christ our Lord. Also visit our website for more information or send questions and comments. If you have made a decision to invite Christ as your Savior let us know by contacting us at the website.

Join us for a peaceful midweek devotional featuring a reading from Habakkuk 2:14, a short message from Scripture, uplifting worship music, and prayer. Take a moment to quiet your mind, relax your body, and refresh your soul in the presence of the Lord. Set aside the worries of the day and rest in God's love, peace, and promises.

Come and spend some quiet time with the Lord as we find comfort in His Word, peace through prayer, and rest for our minds, bodies, and souls. You are warmly invited!

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield, Founder of Patristic Universalism.

Adventures in Missing the Point: Objections to Patristic Universalism

Patristic Universalism is often misunderstood before it is truly examined. In this series, we will explore some of the most common objections and ask: Are we actually understanding what Patristic Universalism teaches?

We will look at Scripture, the early Church Fathers, judgment, punishment, salvation, hell, and the restoration of all things—while addressing the objections that often cause people to miss the heart of the message: God’s ultimate purpose is not the abandonment of humanity, but restoration through Christ.

For questions contact us on www.patristicuniversalism.com

Message by Rev. Wendy Burnfield (Evangelist, Author and Founder of Patristic Universalism).

From a Christian universalist perspective, the “unforgivable sin” is not a sin that God refuses to forgive forever. Jesus’ warning about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit points to a hardened resistance to God’s truth and grace. Even so, universalism understands God’s judgment as ultimately restorative: God continues to heal, correct, and reconcile humanity until all things are restored in Christ. The emphasis is not on a sin greater than God’s mercy, but on God’s ultimate victory over sin and death.

Visit our website at www.patristicuniversalism.com

Macrina the Younger was one of the most influential women in early Christianity. Sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, she was not simply a family member—she was their teacher and theological influence.

Gregory called her “the Teacher” and recorded her profound conversations about the soul, resurrection, suffering, death, and God's ultimate restoration of humanity.

Macrina reminds us that theological leadership was never limited to men. Women were teachers, spiritual leaders, philosophers, and theologians who helped shape early Christian thought.

Her life is a powerful reminder that the voices of women belong in the story of Christian theology.

Macrina's legacy invites us to recover those voices and recognize something the early Church already knew:

God does not limit theological wisdom to men.

Origen often interpreted Scripture on three levels, corresponding to the body, soul, and spirit:

• Body (literal): What the biblical story says on its surface and in its historical context.
• Soul (moral): What the passage teaches about how we should live and grow spiritually.
• Spirit (spiritual/allegorical): The deeper mystery pointing to Christ, God’s work of redemption, and spiritual realities.

For Origen, Scripture could contain multiple layers of meaning, leading the reader from the literal text toward deeper spiritual understanding. Join us. Visit us at www.patristicuniversalism.com