Fr Tadros Yacoub Malaty addresses the issue of Universal Restoration (Apocatastasis) - the doctrine that all humans, and even the devil and his demons will eventually be saved, in his book on Origen: The School of Alexandria, Book 2.

My reading of his analysis is that like so much to do with Origen, it is very difficult to pin him down specifically. He appears to have held to this doctrine in his early writings, yet in later writings he vehemently denies that he believes the devil will be saved. And yet, it seems that this doctrine is necessary if he is to be consistent in his whole framework of beliefs.

I agree with you that in the end, we can only ever speculate about these things. Certainly, the general direction of the Tradition of the Orthodox Church has been against universal salvation and purgatory, despite the few exceptions to have popped up through history. We shall know the clear truth, I suppose, when we get there, and until then, we should not allow speculations to distract us from our true work in this life: loving God and humans.

Fr Ant

I had no luck on the Internet, too. I looked in the bibliography of the book, and there is like 50 books listed for “general history”, and most of them have titles general enough that I have no clue which one would contain it…

The author seems to be authoritative. He is Dr Otto F.A. Meinardus from the ‘American University in Cairo’, a prolific writer, who has written I think soberly about our Christian Church throughout the ages, and still does not amount to criticism of the spirit of the Church. I think I bought it once in pilgrimage/tourism in a Monastery in Egypt few years ago. It is a good read. Highly recommend it. This sounds like a book review, so I will just include a rating: 8.5 our of 10.

Anyway, I think it was Origin who had this idea that purgatory is for everyone? Apocatastasis? And perhaps his doctrine sort of lingered for awhile in Egypt (my speculation, as someone who has not a clue). http://orthodoxwiki.org/Apocatastasis .

Oh well. I think it doesn’t change anything, even if true. We should aim to put on Christ, and make no provisions for the flesh.

Wow - good research!

Regarding CS Lewis and Purgatory, the only useful reference I could find in his own words was chapter XX (20) of “Prayer: Letters to Malcolm”, published first in 1964. Some quotes:

“Of course I pray for the dead … ‘but you are bringing in something like Purgatory.’ Well, I suppose I am … I believe in Purgatory. Mind you, the Reformers had good reasons for throwing doubt on ‘the Romish doctrine of Purgatory’ as that Romish doctrine had then become.”

My reading of the letter in its entirity (you see how easy it would be to misquote some phrases out of context) is that he believed in praying for the dead very strongly (as we do) and believed that our prayers could in some way share in the ever increasing joy of those in Heaven (as St Augustine wrote).

But his definition of Purgatory is very different to that of the Roman Catholic Church. It does not involve periods of time (the last part of the letter is devoted to this question), and it has nothing whatsoever to do with ‘merit’. There is no question of one ‘earning’ their place in Heaven through Purgatory, no possibility of the excess ‘merits of Christ, the Holy Virgin and the saints being deposited into your account to shorten your time in Purgatory, nor of our prayers being able to shorten this time.

Instead, for him, the emphasis of his Purgatory is on purificiation rather than punishment. One does not ‘work off one’s debts’, but rather is washed of any remaining stain of sin in order to be worthy of entering Heaven in a spotless state. He assumes this may involve suffering on the grounds that on earth, spiritual purification often involves suffering.

I have found CS Lewis’ forays into theology to often be quite speculative. He was never a professional theologian, but rather an extremely eloquent ‘amateur’ with a very keen mind and wonderful imagination. He reminds me of a sort of modern-day Origen: fearless in defending his faith against non-believers; spotlessly sincere in living out his Christianity; willing to explore new areas and see things in new ways. Perhaps, like Origen, we can take from him what is good with gratitude but politely reject his less likely suggestions.

In this case, I would put his theory about being purified before we can enter heaven into the “don’t know” basket. Our Church prays for the forgiveness of any remaining unconfessed and unabsolved sins at the funeral, thus removing any ‘guilt’ that might prevent the departed person from entering Paradise. But does God still perform some type of ‘purification of the person’s very nature, something that makes them incapable of sinning again? I don’t know of anything in the Orthodox literature or the Bible either for or against that possibility. It’s one of those things we will have to wait to find out.

Regarding Pope John III and Purgatory, I couldn’t find anything further about the subject. The “History of the Patriarchs of Alexandria” does not seem to mention the questions (http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/severus_hermopolis_hist_alex_patr_03_part3.htm#JOHN_III), and I couldn’t find a text anywhere. Let me know if you have any luck.

PPFM

Fr Ant

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/december/9.28.html

In the chapter, “Counting the Cost”, he says:

“Here is another way of putting the two sides of the truth. On the one hand we must never imagine that our own unaided efforts can be relied on to carry us even through the next twenty-four hours as ‘decent’ people. If He does not support us, not one of us is safe from some gross sin. On the other hand, no possible degree of holiness or heroism which has ever been recorded of the greatest saints is beyond what He is determined to produce in every one of us in the end. The job will not be completed in this life; but He means to get us far as possible before death.”

I think I may be reading too much into it?

According to “Two thousand years of Coptic Christianity” by Otto F.A. Meinardus, in the seventh century, during the generation after the Arab conquest, there is a recording of an event where a priest, Theodore, addressed 23 questions to Patriarch John III. The Patriarch when asked about the fate of the sinners in the Hereafter, answered with description of Purgatory. “While eternal damnation is reserved for the unbaptized, the soul of the Christian who has sinned will be purified in the purgatorial fire of Hades according to the measure of it sins.” And he continues to describe it as “prevalence in the seventh century…long abandoned by the Coptic Church.”

Of course, the Pope can be fallible and teach heresy, and that does not mean we espouse it.

And Abouna, I just want to thank you for your “Purity” page. You have given me hope, again.

Tony

I’m not aware that our Church has ever accepted the concept of purgatory. It was only officially adopted by the Catholics around the 11th century, although traces of the idea can be traced back as far as St Augustine in the 5th century.

My understanding of the Orthodox faith is that our opportunity for change in the sense of repentance ends with our last breath on earth. As for CS Lewis, I never got any impression that he accepted purgatory from any of his writings. In fact, Tolkien tried to encourage him to join the Catholic Church when he lost his atheism, but he chose instead to joion the Church of England where purgatory is certainly a no-no. Can you quote any specific passage of his on the subject?

PPFM

Fr Ant