Orthodox Response to Christian Universalism: The Theological Perspective of Pavel Florensky

Authors

  • Alexandru Lazăr BabeÈ™ Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15575/kt.v5i3.21456

Keywords:

Christian Universalism, Divine Judgment, Orthodox Theology, Pavel Florensky, Theological Response

Abstract

This study aims to offer an Orthodox response to the challenges posed by the new understanding of Christian universalism. We argue that contemporary man requires a clear and comprehensive answer to this issue, given that universalism is not merely a theological concept but also must be understood by each individual. This response is imperative as Christianity is obligated to answer everyone at all times, in line with the teachings of Apostle Peter about being prepared to answer questions about our hope (1 Peter 3:15). In this context, the study examines contemporary antinomian views on Christian universalism, with a specific focus on the original theory of theologian Pavel Florensky. Florensky posits that divine judgment will separate the 'holy self' of the damned - which will be preserved without exception and viewed joyously by the righteous, but will only objectively exist for them - from their self-consciousness of enduring torment and illusory subjectivity. Through this lens, hell is perceived as the sole reality in the consciousness of the damned, yet non-existent in the consciousness of God and the righteous. This study provides an important perspective on how Orthodox theology can respond to the challenges of universalism in a contemporary context.

References

Alfeyev, I. (2007). Hristos, biruitorul iadului: Pogorârea la iad din perspectiva ortodoxă. Bucureşti: Sophia.

Balthasar, H. U. von. (1989). The Word made Flesh: Explorations in theology I. San Francisco: Ignatius Press.

Bell, R. (2011). Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. New York: HarperOne.

Berdyaev, N. (1962). The Meaning of the Creative Act (D. A. Lowrie, Trans.). New York: Collier Books.

Cameron, N. M. de S. (1988). Universalism and the Logic of Revelation. Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology, 6(2), 95–111.

Clement, O. (1999). Puterea credinţei: studii de spiritualitate. Targoviste: Pandora-M.

Coates, R. (2019). Deification and Creativity. In Deification in Russian Religious Thought (pp. 110–139). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198836230.003.0004

Eberhart, T. R. (2012). Rooted and Grounded in Love: Joining God’s Feast of Holy Communion in the Global Market Economy. Vanderbilt University.

Evdokimov, P. (2009). Pravoslavlje. Beograd: Službeni glasnik.

Florenski, P. (1999). Stâlpul şi Temelia Adevărului: încercare de teodicee ortodoxă în douăsprezece scrisori. Iaşi: Polirom.

Kwakye, A. S. (2022). Transcendence, as a Theme in Theology and Technology. University of Tartu.

Launonen, L. (2022). Hell and the Cultural Evolution of Christianity. Theology and Science, 20(2), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/14746700.2022.2051251

Lemeni, A. (2007). Sensul eshatologic al creatiei. Bucuresti: Editura ASAB.

Matsoukas, N. A. (2002). Teologie dogmatică şi simbolică Vol. 4. Bucureşti: Editura Bizantină.

McClymond, M. (2018). The Devil’s Redemption: A new history and Interpretation of Christian Universalim. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

McKanan, D. (2013). “Unitarianism, Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism.†Religion Compass, 7(1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec3.12024

Rock, H. (2014). God Needs Salvation: A new vision of God for the Twenty-First Century. Winchester: Christian Alternative.

Downloads

Published

2023-12-30

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2023): Khazanah Theologia

Section

Articles

Citation Check

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).