Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis: A Critical Assessment from the New Testament to Eriugena

by Ilaria Ramelli

Apokatastasis (restoration) is a major patristic doctrine stemming from Greek philosophy and Jewish-Christian Scriptures. Ramelli argues for its presence and Christological and Biblical foundation in many Fathers, analysing its meaning and development from the birth of Christianity to Eriugena.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christianity, Philosophy

910 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

A historian, scholarly author, and university professor, a specialist in ancient, late antique, and early mediaeval philosophy, especially the Platonic and Stoic traditions; ancient Christian philosophy, theology, and history (in Greek and Latin sources, partially also Syriac, Coptic and Armenian—with a predilection for Origen of Alexandria and the Origenian tradition down to the Cappadocian Fathers, Evagrius Ponticus, Dionysius the Areopagite, Maximus the Confessor, and John Scotus Eriugena, and including Augustine of Hippo whom she incorporates within the Origenian tradition); Hellenistic Judaism and Jewish-Christian relations; ancient religions and their philosophical interpretations; classics; and imperial and late antiquity. She is deeply interested in the relationship between Theology and Philosophy in ancient "pagan," Jewish, and Christian thought and endeavors to bridge the gap between these disciplines and promote an integrative (but also in-depth and specialistic) study of antiquity and late antiquity, against a tendency to compartmentalize research. She is also very much interested in contemporary philosophy, theology, and social and ethical issues, as her scholarly and popular publications attest.

Reviews

[Chad Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think many of us in the Christian community are beginning to recognize what the nonbelieving world has recognized for quite some time – there can be no good news in any religion where the vast majority of God’s creation ends up in hell to be tortured forever and ever. Thankfully, instead of giving up on the Faith, or living with the tension between God being Goodness itself and yet the horrors of what he is planning to inflict on others, we can go back to the original view in Christianity, Apokatastasis.

Apokatastasis is the belief that God always gets what he wants—and God, being Goodness itself, wants all of his creation redeemed. Everything, including the demonic world and even Satan himself. The view is able presented by Illaria Ramelli, as she traces Apokatastasis throughout the Bible and church history.

It is definitely not for the faint of heart. Book is roughly 900 pages, and many sections are in Latin and Greek. Thankfully, there are many online apps that will allow you to translate these sections to follow along. What you will come away with the understanding that our modern conception of hell as lasting forever was not the earliest view, and is based more on politics and ego, as well as an inability to understand the complexities of Greek words, than with any actual theological substance. Instead of this bad news, you will find a Theodicy that speaks both to Providence and yet also the importance and reality of human freewill, the seriousness of sin, and yet the love of the Great Physician who comes to heal All.

You will see the disconnect in the way we see the impact of Christ on the human race. We try to argue that Anastasis (physical resurrection) will be offered to All, but Apokatastasis (restoration of the will and intellect) will only be granted to few. An even clearer disconnect, when one realizes that the original punishment, Death, exactly meant an eventual END to punishment, and was therefore itself a mercy.

So, read and enjoy, and discover the original Good News that Christianity was always meant to proclaim.

[Christian Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well researched and put together volume of the though on “Apokatastasis” as it appeared in the first 600 or so years of the church. Ramelli makes it evident that the view of “Apokatastasis” was not as uncommon amongst the Patristics as propagated today by many historians. In this book she walks through the Pauline and Greek philosophical arguments that form this doctrine and how Origen used the two teach others of this view. Upon establishing Origen’s convictions she evaluates the views of his pupils and how they taught the following generations. The section on Augustine and the doctrine was most enlightening, and it I would have loved to see more on how his views morphed throughout his time as a theologian. I would have also, liked to have seen how Augustine and other opponents to Origen’s doctrine actually argued against this doctrine. The fact that this may not be included may the books greatest weakness.
Overall, a fantastic book that is helpful for the Christian church today and generations to come as they seek to better understand the shoulders in which we stand on. I will say that this book is academic and rigorous. Ramelli quite frequently uses the Greek and Latin translations of the primary sources with no translation offered, so one should be prepared to have a lexicon present or know the two prior to reading.

[Paul H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of a reference work than anything else, but I can tell from reading a few chapters that it's essentially perfect in terms of rigor/scholarship -- I plan to finish reading it this year but I strongly doubt that my rating will change.

I don't quite agree with her conclusions -- she's too eager to agree with the "intellectual ethicism" school of Orthodox/Eastern theology, mainly Gregory of Nyssa, where we cannot rationally choose evil, but this presumes a Platonist metaphysics (Hart apparently borrowed this stance from Ramelli) -- but this book is an absurdly impressive feat of scholarship.

[Fred Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I intended to read this in tandem with The Devil's Redemption: A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism and decided to read this book first. The right decision I thin. McClymond refers to Ramelli's work periodically. It was good to know what she wrote, since McClymond misrepresents her on at least one occasion. As for this work, it is much more scholarly than McClymond's, whose credentials seem less impressive to me than Ramelli's.

As for the book, Ramelli claims to be neither a defender nor an attacker of the doctrine of apokatastasis, but it is clear from the start that she is an enthusiastic defender of universalism. Thus, the book consists of a parade of quotes she can find supporting apokatastasis, even in authors who were probably not universalists or whose positions were unclear. I wish she had paid more attention to early Christians who opposed apokatastasis, especially Augustine. McClymond's book strikes a nice balance in this regard.

[Joe Haward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This outstanding book will be used as the go to for any work and teaching on the doctrine of Apokatastasis. With the most detailed and thorough examination of the beliefs of the Church Fathers, in relation to the doctrine, Ramelli leaves no stone unturned. It is a remarkable book that historically reveals how prevalent belief in total universal redemption was in the early Church. Not only that, but this book helps those of us convinced by the Scriptural, theological, and philosophical robustness of the doctrine: it is not a fringe nor heretical position, but fully and justifiably Christ-centered.

[Ken Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I study Christianity, the more I notice that many people start with the starting point of their tradition when approaching theology. Going back to the original texts and examining the use of words without theological or apologetic motives is refreshing. I believe this approach has always been present in the Church, but if you only look after the Reformation or through the lens of Justinian's and Imperial influences on the faith, you miss the deeper layers. You may not see the text stripped of that perspective because it was never questioned. I came to the faith without tradition, and it was the text itself that led me here

[Cyril Hovorun · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a huge work with a lot of patristic materials. However, the author is too passionate and even biased to prove her main point, that the doctrine of apokatastasis is an intrinsic but overlooked part of the Tradition.

[Sam C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramelli’s defense of apokatastasis is thorough. She leaves no stone unturned and no argument unmade. Any interested in exploring this controverted but compelling doctrine will not go wrong with this volume. Not light reading, but necessary reading.

[Jack Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massively important and we'll done.