In theology,apokatastasis (Greek:ἀποκατάστασις,/æpoʊkəˈtæstəsɪs/, also spelledapocatastasis) is the restoration of creation to a condition of perfection.[1][2] In Christianity, the term refers to a form ofChristian universalism, often associated withOrigen, that includes the ultimate salvation of everyone—including thedamned and theDevil.[3][4][5] TheNew Testament (Acts 3:21) speaks of the "apokatastasis of all things." The dogmatic status of apokatastasis is disputed,[6] and some orthodox fathers such asGregory of Nyssa taught apokatastasis and were never condemned.[7]
Apokatastasis was definitely condemned as aheresy by theSynod of Constantinople of 543.[8]
While apokatastasis is derived from the Greek verbapokathistemi, which means "to restore", it first emerged as a doctrine inZoroastrianism where it is the third time of creation.[9] This period was referred to aswizarishn or the end of history—the time of separation and resolution[10] when evil is destroyed and the world is restored to its original state.[9] The idea of apokatastasis may have been derived from the ancient concept of cosmic cycle, which involves the notion of celestial bodies returning to their original positions after a period of time.[11]
The entry inA Greek–English Lexicon (i.e.Liddell–Scott–Jones, with expansion of definitions and references), gives the following examples of usage:
ἀποκατάστᾰσις, εως, ἡ, restoration, re-establishment;
- "τοῦ ἐνδεοῦς"AristotleMM, 1205a4; into its nature εἰς φύσιν id. 1204b 36, 1205b 11;
- return to a position,Epicurus,Epistolae, 1, p.8 U.;
- especially of military formations, reversal of a movement,Asclepiodotus,Tacticus, 10.1, 10:6, etc.; generally
- of all things "πάντων"Acts of the Apostles, 3.21;
- of souls,Proclus,Institutio Theologica, 199.
- of the body back into its old form "τῆς φύσιος ἐς τὸ ἀρχαῖον"Aretaeus of Cappadocia CD 1.5; recovery from sickness, SA 1.10;
- "τῶν ὁμήρων εἰς τὰς πατρίδας"Polybius 3.99.6; εἰς ἀ. ἐλθεῖν, into the restoration of the affairs of a city, 4.23.1;
Astrological uses:
- ἀ. ἄστρων return of the stars to the same place in the heavens as in the former year,Plutarch 2.937f,Diodorus Siculus 12.36, etc., particularly the restoration of the wanderingEgyptian New Year to theheliacal rising ofSirius at the completion of theSothic cycle;[12]
- periodic return of the cosmic cycle,Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta 2.184,190; that is, completion of the c. 26,000 year cycle of the precession of the equinoxes, the so called "Great Year";
- of a planet, return to a place in the heavens occupied at a former epoch,Antiochus of Athens ap. Cat.Cod.Astr. 7.120,121; but, zodiacal revolution,Paulus Alexandrinus Paul.Al.T.1; opposite:antapocatastasis ἀνταπ. (q. v.),Dorotheus of Sidon Doroth. ap. Cat.Cod.Astr.2.196.9;
- restoration of sun and moon after eclipse,PlatoAxiochus 370b.
The word is reasonably common inpapyri.[13]
According to Edward Moore,apokatastasis was first properly conceptualized in earlyStoic thought, particularly byChrysippus. The return (apokatastasis) of the planets and stars to their propercelestial signs, namely their original positions, would spark a conflagration of the universe (ekpyrosis). The original position was believed to consist of an alignment of celestial bodies withCancer. Thereafter, from fire, rebirth would commence, and this cycle of alternate destruction and recreation was correlated with a divineLogos.Antapokatastasis is a counter-recurrence when the stars and planets align withCapricorn, which would mark destruction by a universal flood.[14]
The Stoics identified Zeus with an alternately expanding and contracting fire constituting the universe. Its expansion was described as Zeus turning his thoughts outwards, resulting in the creation of the materialcosmos, and its contraction, theapokatastasis, as Zeus returning to self-contemplation.[15][16]Leibniz explored both Stoic and his understanding of Origen's philosophy in two essays written shortly before his death,Apokatastasis andApokatastasis panton (1715).[17]
The concept of "restore" or "return" in theHebrew Bible is the common Hebrew verbשוב,[18] as used inMalachi 4:6,[19] the only use of the verb form of apokatastasis in the Septuagint. This is used in the "restoring" of the fortunes of Job, and is also used in the sense of rescue or return of captives, and in the restoration of Jerusalem.
This is similar to the concept oftikkun olam inHasidic Judaism.[20]
The word,apokatastasis, appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts 3:21.[21] Peter healed a beggar with a disability and then addressed the astonished onlookers. His sermon set Jesus in the Jewish context, the fulfiller of theAbrahamic Covenant, and says:
[19] Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;[20] And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:[21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times ofrestitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
— Acts 3:19–21 KJV
Grammatically, therelative pronoun "ὧν" ("of which",genitive plural), could refer either to "χρόνων" ("of times") or to "πάντων" ("of all" or "of all things"), which means that it is either the times of which God spoke or the all things of which God spoke.[22]
The usual view taken of Peter's use of the "apokatastasis of all the things about which God spoke" is that it refers to the restoration of theKingdom of Israel and/or theGarden of Eden and not "all things that ever existed".[23]
The verbal form ofapokatastasis is found in theSeptuagint:Malachi 3:23 (i.e.Malachi 4:6); a prophecy ofElijahturning back the hearts of the children to their fathers; inMatthew 17:11 ("he willrestore all things"), echoing Malachi, and inHebrews 13:19 ("that I may berestored to you the sooner").
Nineteenth-century German theologianJakob Eckermann interpreted "the 'apokatastasis of all things' to mean the universal emendation of religion by the doctrine of Christ, and the 'times of refreshing' to be the day of renewal, the times of the Messiah."[24]
The significance ofapokatastasis in early Christianity is currently something of a disputed question. In particular, some question whetherOrigen, often listed as the most notable advocate ofuniversal salvation, did in fact teach or believe in such a doctrine.[25][26][27]
| Part ofa series on |
| Origenism |
|---|
 |
Influences and precursors |
 Christianity portal |
Frederick W. Norris argues that the positions that Origen took on the issue of universal salvation have often seemed contradictory.[28] He then writes that Origen never decided to stress exclusive salvation or universal salvation, to the strict exclusion of either case, therefore concludes that Origen probably kept his view of salvation economically 'open' for a greater effectiveness.[29][30][31] On the other hand,Brian E. Daley in his handbook of patristic eschatology argued that Origen strongly believed in the final salvation of all humans and sometimes referred to it asapokatastasis.[32] More recently, leading Patristic scholar Ilaria Ramelli has concluded that not only did Origen embrace the doctrine of apokatastasis, but that it was central to all his theological and philosophical thought. She remarks, "In Origen's thought, the doctrine of apokatastasis is interwoven with his anthropology, eschatology, theology, philosophy of history, theodicy, and exegesis; for anyone who takes Origen's thought seriously and with a deep grasp of it, it is impossible to separate the apokatastasis theory from all the rest, so as to reject it but accept the rest."[33]
TheAlexandrian school, the first Christian educational center,[34] seems to have generally affirmed apokatastasis and adapted some Platonic terminology and ideas to Christianity while explaining and differentiating the new faith from all the others.[35][36]Gregory of Nyssa is also understood to have espoused a universally salvificapokatastasis,[37][38][39][40] though Maspero argues that Gregory spoke solely ofuniversal resurrection and not of universal salvation.[41] Universal salvation in the form of apokatastasis is also seen in theAmbrosiaster, attributed toAmbrose of Milan.Gregory of Nazianzus discussed it without reaching a decision.
Eventually, Origen started to be condemned throughout the early church in local councils, though not apokatastasis specifically.[42] This changed definitively in the sixth century. A localSynod of Constantinople (543) condemned a form of apokatastasis as beingAnathema, and the Anathema was formally submitted to theFifth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (553). The termapokatastasis is mentioned in the 14th of the 15 anathemas against Origen of 553: "If anyone shall say ... that in this pretended apokatastasis, spirits only will continue to exist, as it was in the feigned pre-existence: let him be anathema."[43]
Konstantinovsky (2009)[44] states that the uses ofapokatastasis in Christian writings prior to theSynod of Constantinople (543) and theanathemas (553) pronounced against "Origenists" andEvagrius Ponticus were neutral and referred primarily to concepts similar to the general "restoration of all things spoken" (restitutio omnium quae locutus est Deus) of Peter in Acts 3:21 and not for example theuniversal reconciliation of all souls which had ever been.
ThegnosticGospel of Philip180–350c contains the term itself but does not teach universal reconciliation:
There is a rebirth and an image of rebirth. It is certainly necessary to be born again through the image. Which one? Resurrection. The image must rise again through the image. The bridal chamber and the image must enter through the image into the truth: this is the restoration (apokatastasis). Not only must those who produce the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, do so, but have produced them for you. If one does not acquire them, the name ("Christian") will also be taken from him.[45]
Clement of Alexandria (c. 150 – c. 215) generally uses the termapokatastasis to refer to the "restoration" of the "gnostic" Christians, rather than that of the universe or of all Christians, but with universal implications.[46] Origen's stance is disputed, with some works saying he taught apokatastasis would involveuniversal salvation,[47] even the absolute equality of all souls and spirits.[48]Gregory of Nyssa's notion ofapokatastasis is also claimed to have involved universal salvation though in other respects it differed from Origen's.[49]
In early Christian theological usage,apokatastasis was couched as God's eschatological victory over evil and believed to entail a purgatorial state.[50] The word was still very flexible at that time, but in the mid-6th century, it became virtually a technical term, as it usually means today, to refer to a specifically Origenistic doctrine of universal salvation.[51]
Maximus the Confessor outlined God's plan for "universal" salvation alongside warnings of final punishment for the wicked.[52]He divided apokatastasis into three restorations: of the virtuous individual, of nature, and of the sinful powers of the soul. While the last of these meant that even sinners will be restored to a clear knowledge of God, Maximus seems to have believed that they will not attain to the same communion with God as the righteous and thus will in a sense be eternally punished.[53]
The Vulgate translation ofapokatastasis,"in tempora restitutionis omnium quae locutus est Deus" ("the restitution of all things of which God has spoken"), was taken up by Luther to mean the day of the restitution of the creation, but in Luther's theology the day of restitution was also the day of resurrection and judgment, not the restitution of the wicked.[54] In Luther's Bible he rendered the Greekapokatastasis with the Germanherwiedergebracht werde; "will be brought back".[55] This sense continued to be used in Lutheran sermons.[56]
Luther explicitly disowned belief that the devils would ultimately reach blessedness.[57][58]
During the 19th and early 20th centuries several histories published byUniversalists, includingHosea Ballou (1829),Thomas Whittemore (1830),John Wesley Hanson (1899) andGeorge T. Knight (1911), argued that belief in universal reconciliation was found inearly Christianity and in theReformation, and ascribed Universalist beliefs to Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and others.
 | This sectionmay containexcessive orirrelevant examples. Please helpimprove the article by adding descriptive text and removingless pertinent examples.(October 2014) |
In recent writing, apokatastasis is generally understood as involving some form ofuniversal reconciliation, without necessarily attributing this understanding to Origen and other Fathers of the Church.
Apocatastasis. The Greek name (ἀποκατάστασις) for the doctrine that ultimately all free moral creatures—angels, men, and devils—will share in the grace of salvation; cf. article "Universalism".
[T]heories of the apocatastasis usually involve the expectation that in the end all, including the devil, will be saved.
[Apocatastasis is] the idea that all things will be ultimately reconciled to God through Christ—including the damned in hell and even Satan and his demons.
1Friedrich Preisigke,Sammelbuch griechischer Urkunden aus Aegypten;
7 P.Oxy., TheOxyrhynchus Papyri;
7Polybius, Histories;
2Josephus,Antiquities of the Jews;
2Diodorus Siculus, Library;
3 Stud.Pal.,Studien zur Palaeographie und Papyruskunde;
1 Acts 3:21New Testament;
1 PSI,Papiri greci e latini;
1Diogenes Laërtius,Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers;
2 P.Cair.Masp.,Papyrus grecs d'époque byzantine, Catalogue général des antiquités égyptiennes du Musée du Caire;
3 P.Ryl,Rylands Papyri;
1 P.Col., Columbia Papyri;
2 P.Flor., Papiri greco-egizii,Papiri Fiorentini;
3Aretaeus of Cappadocia, The Extant Works of Aretaeus, The Cappadocian;
1 UPZ,Urkunden der Ptolemäerzeit (ältere Funde);
1 P.Ross.Georg., Papyri russischer und georgischer Sammlungen;
1 P.Cair.Isid., TheArchive of Aurelius Isidorus in theEgyptian Museum, Cairo, and the University of Michigan;
1 P.Abinn., TheAbinnaeus Archive: Papers of a Roman Officer in the Reign of Constantius II;
1 Pap.Choix, Choix de papyrus grecs: Essai de traitement automatique;
1 P.Athen.Xyla, P.Sta.Xyla: The Byzantine Papyri of the Greek Papyrological Society,;
1 O.Joach., Die Prinz-Joachim-Ostraka
Having initially accepted the idea of apocatastasis in the pre-Origen and primarily Stoic sense that this world and everything in it was bound to return again and again in endless cycles of repetition, Leibniz came to embrace Origen's wholly…
The relative pronoun ὧν (hon, of which) could refer back to "the seasons" of which God spoke (Bauernfeind 1980: 69) or to "all things" of which God spoke (so Conzelmann 1987: 29; Barrett 1994: 206, nearest referent).
Methodius, who wrote A.D. 300; Pamphilus and Eusebius, A.D. 310; Eustathius, A.D. 380; Epiphanius, A.D. 376 and 394; Theophilus, A.D. 400–404, and Jerome, A.D. 400; all give lists of Origen's errors, but none name his Universalism among them (Ibid., p. 78).
Clement uses the termapokatastasis and its cognates generally to refer to the gnostic elect rather than to an eschatological restoration of the universe, or to a restoration of the faithful as a whole. Where he does mention or imply a restoration of the whole it is through the medium of the restoration of the gnostic. …Hence, while some uses ofapokatastasis appear to refer simply to the gnostic elect, by extension, they have universal implications.
Si autem Pater est futurus perpetuo, ergo semper manet pater, semper generat filios usque ad diem illum restitutionis omnium…
welcher mus den Himel einnemen bis auff die zeit da er wider bracht werde alles was Gott geredt hat durch den mund aller seiner heiligen Propheten von der Welt anmodernized as: "welcher muss den Himmel einnehmen bis auf die Zeit, da herwiedergebracht werde alles, was Gott geredet hat durch den Mund aller seiner heiligen Propheten von der Welt an".
Der Herr Matthesius hat drei Stunden vor seinem seligen Abschiede eine ganze Predigt von diesem Wort gethan. Gottlob, der jüngste Tag ist dies restitutionis omnium. Da wird uns der Herr Jesus Alles wieder an die Seite setzen,…
Denn ichs (=ich es) nicht halte mit denen, so da lehren, daß die Teufel auch werden endlich zur Seligkeit kommen
[Luther in a letter to Rechenberg] held out the hope of universal salvation.
