Today
is the feast day of Macrina (330-379), older sister and theological/spiritual
mentor of Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa, two of the most formative
theologians and leaders of the early Church. Both of these great theologians pointed to their sister as their mentor in the faith. She was the theologian behind the theologians. Another brother, Peter of Sebaste, also became a bishop and saint.
To evaluate the way a person has lived, the judge
would need to examine all these factors: how he endured suffering, dishonor,
disease, old age, maturity, youth, wealth, and poverty; how through each of
these situations he ran the course of the life allotted to him either well or
badly; and whether he became able to receive many good things or many evil
things in a long lifetime or did not reach even the beginning of either good or
evil, ceasing to live when his mind was not yet fully developed. But when God
brings our nature back to the first state of man by the resurrection, it would
be pointless to mention such matters and to suppose that the power of God is
hindered from this goal by such obstructions.
He has one goal: when the whole fullness of our
nature has been perfected in each man, some straightway even in this life
purified from evil, others healed hereafter through fire for the appropriate
length of time, and others ignorant of the experience equally of good and of
evil in the life here, God intends to set before everyone the participation of
the good things in Him, which the Scripture says eye has not seen nor ear
heard, nor thought attained.
This is nothing else, according to my judgment,
but to be in God Himself; for the good which is beyond hearing, sight, and
heart would be that very thing which surpasses everything. But the difference
between a life of virtue and a life of wickedness will appear hereafter chiefly
in allowing us to participate earlier or later in the blessedness which we hope
for. The duration of the healing process will undoubtedly be in proportion to
the measure of evil which has entered each person. This process of healing the
soul would consist of cleansing it from evil. This cannot be accomplished
without pain, as we have discussed previously.
– On the Soul and the Resurrection, pp.
115-116
Note
that Macrina and Gregory are not soft on the reality of death and judgment –
this cannot accomplished without pain. We will be judged.There is reason to bear in mind the “Time
of Scrutiny” (Sirach 18:20). There is still good reason to take our own piety
with utmost seriousness and to invite others to participate now in "the
blessedness which we hope for."
They do seem, however, to understand The Judgment as having more to do with purgation and healing than final eternal punishment and torture. It is unclear whether or not they believed it is possible that some souls might hold out eternally against blessedness. But, they seem convinced that God, in his relentless love, will never give up on anyone - even beyond death and forever.
This
hopeful universalism is quite different from an "all-y, all-y in come
free" complacent universalism. Macrina anad Gregory are not alone in expressing some version of this. One could add Isaac the Syrian (7th century), Maximos the Confessor (7th century), Frederick Denison Maurice (19th century), C. S. Lewis (20th century), Karl Barth (20th century), Hans Urs von Balthasar (20th century), and many others. I find it attractive.
Yes- a resounding yes!
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