Christian Soteriology and Christian Platonism: Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, and the Biblical and Philosophical Basis of the Doctrine of Apokatastasis

Paul's statement that God will be all in all and other NT and OT passages are taken by Origen and by Gregory of Nyssa as the scriptural basis of their eschatological doctrine of apokatastasis and eventual universal salvation. At the same time, their doctrine rests (1) on philosophical arguments...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vigiliae christianae 2007-01, Vol.61 (3), p.313-356
Main Author: Ramelli, Ilaria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ALLEGORY
Bible
Christian philosophy
Christianity
Doctrine and exegesis
DOCTRINE OF EVIL
Early christianity (1st-6th century)
ESCHATOLOGY
General subjects
History and sciences of religions
Human nature
Humans
Platonism
PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY AND CHRISTIANITY
RESURRECTION
Sacred texts
Soul
Stoicism
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Summary:Paul's statement that God will be all in all and other NT and OT passages are taken by Origen and by Gregory of Nyssa as the scriptural basis of their eschatological doctrine of apokatastasis and eventual universal salvation. At the same time, their doctrine rests (1) on philosophical arguments mainly deriving from Platonism (Gregory's "De anima et resurrectione" is deeply influenced by Platonism both in form and in content, and so is Origen, although both are Christians first and Platonists second), and (2) on the allegorical exegesis of Scripture, another heritage of Hellenistic culture: Origen was very well acquainted with the Stoic and Platonic allegorical interpretations of Greek myths.
ISSN:0042-6032
1570-0720
0042-6032
DOI:10.1163/157007207X186051