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CHAPTER IV: The Ancient Church and Hell

The transmission of faith and its defense against Marcion Marcion
had opposed the "evil God" the Old Testament, which threatens us with its punishment, the "good God" in the NT. Against this alternative incorrect moved especially Irenaeus and Tertullian. Irenaeus emphasizes: the NT is on the show is worth it more, because we find the comparison with the Son of God who refuses salvation in Jesus, secure the eternal condemnation (Adv. Haer. IV ,28,1-2) , responsible for the condemnation is not God but the sinner by his own free choice, separate from God / from light to darkness leads to loss of property God (Adv. Haer. V, 27.2).

dell'apocatastasi at Origen's thesis and its rejection by the Church
"apocatastasis" means, in general, the restoration of a previous state (as in Acts 3.21: "Jesus Christ" dev ' be welcomed in heaven until the times of restitution of all things ..."). But here, in a narrow sense, this is the theory that all rational beings who are separated from God by sin will find forgiveness (including the devil).
The most typical representative of the theory is dell'apocatastasi Origen (1):
- is there a connection of his theory with his "system" whole (seniority; cyclic conception, assuming future worlds with new incarnations, though not an consequential, because the last phase of his thought indicates a final order; devaluation of the body according to the theory of pre-existence, death is not the end of the state of pilgrimage) (2).
- the Lord's words about hell would be threats to the primitive people (Contra Celsum 5.15 etc..) (Would be a bit 'as the tale of the werewolf that some parents use to discipline young children).
- "aionios" ("eternal") would mean a "aion" which is only a long time, but limited.
- any penalty would have only a pedagogical value (of education, not of atonement), "hell" is so scary about a "purgatory" (Contra Celsum 5.15 etc.)..
- the focus is taken only as a metaphor (which haunts the conscience of sins that are slowly "eaten" Peri Archon II ,10,4-5, there is a 'self-punishment ").
students of Origen are primarily about all'apocatastasi Evagrius Pontus, Didymus and Gregory of Nyssa (3).
The reaction of the Church, Origen was expelled by the bishop of Alexandria, followed more Later a condemnation by the Roman Church in the s. IV (Pope Anastasius), especially regarding all'apocatastasi (4). While this decision is communicated to us directly in writing, we have the original text of the Synod of Constantinople in 543. The anathemas against Origen were formally approved by the pope. Important for our topic is the following anathemas:
"If anyone says that the punishment of demons and evil men is temporary or that it will end after a certain time, that there will be a restoration (apocatastasis) demons or men impious, let him be accursed "(DH 411). Here is defended by the synod life eternal hell.
Beyond the sentence dell'apocatastasi parrecchie emphases are on the Teaching of the pains of hell to eternity: the symbol "Quicumque" (DH 76), the symbol of Pope Pelagius I (DH 443), the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 (DH 801), the Apostolic Constitution "Benedictus Deus "(DH 1000-02), etc.. to the CCC (Nos. 1033-37).

Augustine's conception
See especially "City of God" XXI. Meet me there in the systematic context of original sin, which is why Augustine posits a "mildest punishment" for children who die without baptism. Defense is the eternity of punishment against the "misericordes" (compared to a magical effect of baptism; inconsistency about salvation the devil if you accept a salvation for all men). According to Augustine, there are a lot more harm than saved, the "fire" is not just a metaphor, but the place of the damned unknown to us (CD XX, 16), the fire is linked to the body like the link between body and soul.
The presentation of Augustine is part question 1) regarding the fate of children (5), 2) regarding the limitation of the saving will of God: "all" of 1 Tim 2.4 (which God wants to save) would only all elect (6). Predestination for salvation happens without condition, although Augustine did not know any positive predestination to damnation (as Calvin says later).


1) See p. es. Daley (1986) 131-134; Crouzel, H., eschatology of Origen, Paris 1995.
2) See Hauk, Heilsverlust 297ss.330ss in Adam.
3) For Nyssa cf. Hauk, in Adam Heilsverlust 621-623.
4) H. Crouzel, "Origen": Fathers and the Dictionary of Christian Antiquities II, Casale Monferrato 1983, 2535, cf. Augustine, The City of God, XXI, 17.
5) See chap. following the "limbo", 2.
6) E 'can be interpreted, however, the apparent limitations of God's will only as "conditioned" by scum. Augustine, at least, never retracted the explicit interpretation of the saving will God's universal * A. TRAP interprets it thus: "God wants all safe and works with all action 'persuasive', but gives grace to all persuasive; makes it possible that some of abusing their freedom to believe and ricusino be lost: they carry on his righteousness "(General Introduction: New Library Augustinian, vol. XX, 1987, CLXIX).