Patristic -Universalism

[msmorality]

Some of the greatest Patristic Christian leaders were supporters of ancient universalism. Not the modern form that is taught by many cults. I recommend a new book for those interested in the topic..

Patristic Universalism

 

[Ishraqiyun]

Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and those who followed in that tradition like Didymous the Blind and later Evagrius of Pontus were universalists. Seemed to have been a popular doctrine in Alexandrian proto-orthodox/orthodox thought. Clement of Alexandria thought that the fires of hell had therapeutic value and were a "wise fire that penetrated the soul." Origen taught the doctrine of apocatastasis which implies that the end will be like the beginning - ie without evil and suffering. Even as late the 4th century Church fathers like Gregory of Nyssa were teaching the eventual reconciliation of all people to God. Not long after that it seemed to have gone underground though. The 6th century church council that condemned Origen and the Origenists contributed a lot to that I believe.

 

[Ishraqiyun]

The Antiochian school had a strong universalist streak as well (Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodore of tarsus being influential unversalists there.) Some of the Church of the East / "Nestorian" writers carried on that teaching like Isaac of Syria. Diodore and Theodore were considered major church fathers of the Church of the East.

It's interested to see it in both the Alexandrian and Antiochian schools because they had major differnces betweeen one another in their normal method of biblical exegesis. The Antichions were known for using more literal and typological interpretations and the Alexandrians for using the allegorical method. Both methods still allowed some of their greatest thinkers to come to the conclusion that all would eventually be saved.

 

[msmorality]

The Antiochian school had a strong universalist streak as well (Theodore of Mopsuestia and Diodore of tarsus being influential unversalists there.) Some of the Church of the East / "Nestorian" writers carried on that teaching like Isaac of Syria. Diodore and Theodore were considered major church fathers of the Church of the East.

It's interested to see it in both the Alexandrian and Antiochian schools because they had major differnces betweeen one another in their normal method of biblical exegesis. The Antichions were known for using more literal and typological interpretations and the Alexandrians for using the allegorical method. Both methods still allowed some of their greatest thinkers to come to the conclusion that all would eventually be saved.

Thank you for the great info. you shared.