The Salvation of the Unevangelized: The Exclusivist Views of Millard J. Erickson

Seminary Room N235

This paper investigates the exclusivist views of Millard J. Erickson on the salvation of the unevangelized. Erickson is an Evangelical scholar who, for over four decades, has made a significant contribution to the debate about the salvation of the unevangelized. He has published a number of books and journal articles on this subject. In his works he has taken a stance as an exclusivist and has debated from that standpoint while denying the possibility that general revelation can lead people to salvation. However, in recent years he has allowed for such a possibility. What indeed are his exclusivist views on the question of the salvation of the unevangelized? Are his views changing shifting from exclusivism toward inclusivism? The paper makes an attempt to address these questions. This has been done by examining his major published works both books and articles and the works of other scholars who have written about or have debated him on this subject over the years. The research concludes that Erickson’s views on the salvation of the unevangelized have softened over time from being a hardcore exclusivist toward being an agnostic.