Universal Salvation Eschatology in the Thought of Gregory of Nyssa and Karl Rahner

by Ludlow, Morwenna

• ISBN13: 9780198270225
• ISBN10: 0198270224
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-02-15
• Publisher: Clarendon Press

Summary

In this book Morwenna Ludlow compares and assesses the arguments for universal salvation put forth by theologians Gregory of Nyssa and Karl Rahner. Ludlow looks at the origins and development of the idea of universal salvation and asks whether it is a 'second tradition' within Christian theology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Abbreviations and Conventions	xii
Introduction	1	(20)
Gregory of Nyssa
Gregory of Nyssa's Eschatology in Context	21	(24)
The Life of Gregory of Nyssa (c.335-95)	21	(1)
Philosophy, Mysticism, and Exegesis	22	(8)
Patristic Eschatology	30	(8)
Apokatasasis-a Note on Terminology	38	(7)
Perfection in Resurrection	45	(32)
Return to Paradise?	46	(18)
Creation and the Fall	46	(4)
Creation in the image of God	50	(6)
Apatheia, desire, and love	56	(8)
Resurrection	64	(9)
Visions of Heaven	73	(4)
Universal Perfection	77	(38)
Evidence for Gregory's Universalism	77	(9)
Direct statements	77	(5)
Evidence from the nature of punishment in Gregory's theology	82	(4)
Gregory's Arguments for Universal Salvation	86	(9)
An argument from the nature of evil	86	(3)
Arguments from the unity of humanity	89	(6)
Universal salvation and Human Freedom	95	(20)
Three starting assumptions	97	(2)
Divine pedagogy	99	(5)
Moral perfection: asceticism and purification	104	(11)
Karl Rahner
The Background to Karl Rahner's Eschatology	115	(15)
The Life of Karl Rahner (1904-1984)	115	(3)
Philosophy and Theology	118	(12)
Eschatology for a Modern World	130	(38)
The Requirements for a Doctrine of Eschatology	131	(5)
The Hermeneutics of Eschatological Assertions	136	(15)
Theology and History	151	(17)
Death and the history of an individual	151	(9)
The consummation of a history of freedom	160	(2)
Profane-history and salvation-history	162	(6)
The Consummation of an Individual History of Freedom	168	(40)
Consummation and Individual Decision	169	(10)
Immanent and transcendent consummation of the individual	169	(4)
The possibility of a negative or a rejected consummation	173	(3)
Unthematic acceptance or denial of God: `anonymous Christianity'	176	(3)
Perfect Fulfilment and Utter Loss	179	(10)
Heaven: the beatific vision	179	(1)
Hell	179	(9)
Problems raised by the notion of an individual consummation	188	(1)
The Possibility of Human Development after Death	189	(19)
Doctrinal definitions	190	(1)
Divine punishment: the doctrine of indulgences	191	(4)
A temporal interim state?	195	(2)
Purgatory	197	(11)
The Consummation of the World's History of Freedom	208	(29)
Consummation as a Collective Phenomenon	209	(6)
Divine Consummation and the Christian task	215	(14)
The nature of the Christian task	215	(6)
The limits of the Christian task	221	(3)
The Christian task fulfilled by God	224	(5)
Resurrection and Parousia	229	(8)
Comparison and Assessment	237	(41)
Will All be Saved?	238	(11)
Gregory of Nyssa's arguments for universal salvation	238	(5)
The grounds for Karl Rahner's attitude towards universal salvation	243	(4)
Hope: between prediction and paradox	247	(2)
How will All be Saved?	249	(8)
This life: philosophia and decision	249	(3)
This life: sunergeia; immanent and transcendent consummation	252	(2)
After death and in death: human freedom and life in God	254	(3)
Conclusions	257	(21)
Similarities: is universal salvation a Christian doctrine?	258	(8)
Differences: the nature and causes of change	266	(4)
Looking to the future	270	(8)
Appendix A: Karl Rahner's Seven Theses for an Eschatological Hermeneutics	278	(1)
Appendix B: Karl Rahner: The Content of Eschatological Assertions	279	(3)
Bibliography	282	(15)
a. Works by Gregory of Nyssa	282	(3)
b. Works	285	(2)
Karl Rahner
c. General bibliography	287	(10)
Index	297