Apologetics to the Glory of God

Fudge and Date: On how to view challenges to orthodoxy

Date: “When you originally published your book, how was it received? Did you find that traditionalists were giving maybe some serious consideration to your work, and maybe reconsidering their own view, or did they consider you a threat and try to stamp out any influence you might have?”

Fudge: “Interestingly, I’ve learned over the past 67 years, Chris, that the reactions I get to this subject, and to this book, are not really so much reactions to this book, as much as they are reactions out of the heart of the person who makes the reaction. And the same reaction would be forthcoming no matter what the subject was if it was something they didn’t already agree with. Because people react consistently to new things. For some people, when they hear this explanation, as they would with any subject about which they hear a new explanation, they say ‘well, that’s very interesting, I need to study the Bible about that more carefully and see what I learn for myself.’ There are other people, who when they hear a new explanation for anything, including this subject, say ‘no way, Jose’, we can’t possibly have that,and out of here with you. I’m tempted to mention the twitter thing about Rob Bell, but I won’t do that right now. The reaction depends on the person, and there have been all sorts of reactions.”

For extra credit – compare and contrast with these comments: 1 2

Date: “I am curious, though, including these people that you’ve mentioned, but more broadly speaking, do you find that most traditionalists, even if they do firmly disagree with you, like you mentioned these people do, you think they would generally say that annihilationism, at least as you’ve presented it, ought to be considered orthodox, or at very least not heretical?”

Fudge: “I think that most Christian people, without the prodding of some agitating, crusading type of preacher, or editor, or professor, or debater, whatever, will come to that sort of conclusion that you’re stating. I think most Christian people, because of the influence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, because of their common sense understanding of what’s godly, when they come upon something like this, that’s a little different, unless someone’s pushing them to be extreme, will tend to come out about right when they look at it.”

For extra-credit: Compare these comments with this: Link

(Both quotes above transcribed from here: Theopologetics: Burn it Up, Episode 54)

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