The Fire of Love and the Salvation of All: Syriac Visions of Eternal Hope
The Fire of Love and the Salvation of All: Syriac Visions of Eternal Hope

Summary/Abstract: This study investigates the theme of universal salvation in the Syriac tradition by analyzing the theological and literary writings of three representative authors: Bardaisan of Edessa, Ephrem the Syrian and Isaac the Syrian. Although coming from different historical and doctrinal contexts, these thinkers develop, in distinct ways, a vision of the relationship between divine love and the final destiny of humanity that is distinct from the condemnatory emphases of other patristic Christian traditions. The study highlights how Bardaisan articulates a cosmological model of the restoration of universal order, how Ephrem uses poetic symbolism to express the hope of integral reconciliation, and how Isaac explicitly affirms the idea of a salvation of all, underpinned by a theology of absolute compassion. Through a comparative approach, it is shown that at the heart of Syriac thought is a conception of divine fire not as punishment but as purifying love. The study thus contributes to the revalorization of a marginalized theological tradition that is essential for understanding the diversity of eschatological visions in early and medieval Christianity.

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