Hosea Ballou

Hosea Ballou (born April 30, 1771, Richmond, New Hampshire [U.S.]—died June 7, 1852, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.) was an American theologian who for more than 50 years was an influential leader in the Universalist church. Converted in 1789 to a belief in universal salvation, he began preaching that doctrine on a Calvinist basis, substituting for John Calvin’s concept of salvation of the “elect” a concept of salvation that included all of humanity. Ballou reexamined Calvinist tenets...