Episcopal Rector Randal Gardner Interviewed by the San Diego Reader

Posted by Kendall Harmon

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

RG: Something endures, I believe, whether it endures in a physical form as scripture suggests, or as a contribution of some little intelligence to the universe or whether there’s memory, I’m not really sure. I’m pretty faithful to preach what scripture teaches, but as far as how that is actually going to be manifest for us, I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t really care. Whatever it is, I’m confident that God is good, and if it’s to be nothing, so be it…. One of the best metaphors for articulating what I think is from C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. Hell is a state of continuing refusal toward God, which one can leave at any time. In his telling of the story, the torment is more from the consequence of continuing disconnection from the brightness and reality and graciousness of God. One gets stuck in one’s own narcissism or selfishness or fear or dread or some kind of addictive pattern of refusal, and that is the hell.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • Ministry of the Ordained • * Theology • Eschatology

5 Comments
Posted July 29, 2010 at 7:09 pm [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Larry Morse wrote:

But I don’t really care.”  This is the paradigmatic liberal on gospel matters. Why should he care? He doesn’t? So what?  Larry

July 30, 8:06 am | [comment link]
2. Laura R. wrote:

I’m pretty faithful to preach what scripture teaches, but as far as how that is actually going to be manifest for us, I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t really care. Whatever it is, I’m confident that God is good, and if it’s to be nothing, so be it….

Scripture doesn’t teach that the Christian hope of life after death is nothing.

And I don’t think the Rev. Mr. Gardner understands C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce very well either.

July 30, 3:55 pm | [comment link]
3. driver8 wrote:

If someone could explain how these various affirmations are non-contradictory I would be very grateful.

July 30, 5:00 pm | [comment link]
4. John Wilkins wrote:

I think there is some scriptural evidence that Jesus was more interested in the kingdom being near than anxiety about the afterlife. 

The afterlife is our preoccupation.  Not God’s.  One would hope that God is concerned with our lives, here now, not a puppetmaster eager to punish and reward.  That’s a very anthropomorphic God.

July 31, 11:43 am | [comment link]
5. driver8 wrote:

There’s rather more evidence that Jesus didn’t contrast the now and the not yet of the kingdom at all. The force of such a contrast is however particularly evident amongst many modern western Christians.

August 2, 2:03 pm | [comment link]
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