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Tag Archives: universal salvation
The Secret of the Greater Hope
“Thou movest us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast formed us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee”—perhaps the most famous sentence from one of the most famous prayers in the catholic … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology
Tagged damnation, desire for God, eric reitan, hell, hope, Kallistos Ware, Tom Talbott, universal salvation, universalism
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The Caponian Vision of (Almost) Apokatastasis
Having completed my series on the parables of Jesus as interpreted by Robert Farrar Capon, I’d like to bring into the discussion his soteriological reflections as presented in his books The Mystery of Christ, published in 1993, and Between Noon … Continue reading
Hula Hoops, Fads, and the Consensus Patrum
Who remembers the hula hoop? Released in 1958 by Wham-O, it swept the country. I was six years old and I had to have one, just like all the other kids in my neighborhood. And not just little kids. Even … Continue reading
Seeking Theodicy: Sergius Bulgakov and the Apoktastasis
We seek theodicy. We seek justification for the suffering, privation, violence, futility, and death of this world. We desire assurance that this world is good and our Creator is good. We need hope that Christ will triumph over every evil … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology, Sergius Bulgakov
Tagged apocatastasis, David Hart, deification, eternal damnation, hell, Sergius Bulgakov, theodicy, universal salvation
108 Comments
The Demonic Void and the Apokatastasis of Satan
St Paisios the Athonite once fasted and prayed for two weeks for the eternal salvation of the devil. While praying he saw a dog’s head sticking his tongue out and mocking him. Paisios concluded from this incident that “God is … Continue reading
The Triumph of the Kingdom Over Gehenna
“Those who are punished in Gehenna are scourged by the scourge of love”—these famous words of St Isaac the Syrian have profoundly influenced the Orthodox understanding of hell and damnation. Readers of St Isaac’s writings have for centuries assumed that … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology, Isaac the Syrian
Tagged apocatastasis, eternal damnation, hell, Isaac of Nineveh, universal salvation
10 Comments
St Augustine of Hippo and the Misericordes
Over the past decade I have noticed—and perhaps you have too—that most Christians who have thought about matters eschatological believe that Origen of Alexandria concocted out of the blue the doctrine of universal salvation. But in truth the greater hope … Continue reading
Posted in Eschatology
Tagged apocatastasis, Augustine, eternal damnation, hell, misericordes, Origen, universal salvation
36 Comments
The Nothing of Grace and the Apokatastasis of Justification by Faith
My adult Christian life, both pre- and post-seminary, has been marked by theological passions. Holy Trinity, Incarnation, Eucharist, feminist language for divinity, ecclesial authority—at any given point in time these topics have captured and monopolized my intellect. I would buy … Continue reading
Eclectic Orthodoxy 