Re: election (was: Re: [asa] Neo-Darwinism and God's action)

The phrase apokatastaseos panton in Acts 3:21 is translated "universal restoration" in NRSV. The 1st of the 15th Anathemas against Origen at the 5th Ecumenical Council is (From NFNF 2, XIV):

"If anyone asserts the fabulous pre-existence of souls, and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema.

The 14th is lengthier:

"If anyone shall say that all reasonable beings will one day be united in one, when the hypostases as well as the numbers and the bodies shall have disappeared, and that the knowledge of the world to come will carry with it the ruin of the worlds, and the rejection of bodies as well as also the abolition of [all] names, and that there shall be finally an identity of the gnosis and of the hypostasis; moreover, that in the pretended apocataastasis, spirits only will continue to exist, as it was in the feigned pre-existence: let him be anathema."

We needn't go here into the question of the extent to which these condemned teachings actually correspond to what Origen taught, but it's clear that what was condemned was not "restoration" in general but particular understandings of it, especially those connected with the idea of pre-existence of souls.

Nevertheless, "restoration" can't be the whole picture since by itself it implies the old Urzeit-Endzeit motif in which finally history doesn't matter, a quite unbiblical view.
The phrase used in Eph.1:10 is anakephalaiosasthai ta panta, "to gather up all things." The sense is rather different.

On terminology, & especially "neo-Darwinism," I refer to my earlier post on the matter.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Gregory Arago
  To: George Murphy ; ASA list
  Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 4:37 PM
  Subject: Re: election (was: Re: [asa] Neo-Darwinism and God's action)

  George writes: "in Genesis 1 God is clearly pictured as "electing" humanity for a special role in creation."

  Of course, for the 'theistic Darwinist' (TD - a difficult balance), it is better said that 'nature selects' "humanity for a special role in creation." This is plainly a subtle nuance in the secularized language of agency. Such an approach is required because 'election' is likely too close to 'intervention' for (the) comfort (of TD's).

  If my minimal knowledge of theology serves correct, I believe the term you are referring to is 'apokotastasis' - universal salvation - i.e. one of the things the church father Origen was accused of heresy for.

  Does neo-Darwinism (as -ism) care about this or is death ultimate in such a world-view? What did Darwin think - no bodily resurrection? The idea of a 'neo-Darwinian theist' seems contradictory to me, and is perhaps why no one at ASA in this thread has openly accepted the label of 'neo-Darwinist.' Even if promoting neo-Darwinian evolutionary thought, ASA scientists and scholars don't seem to want to be labelled as 'neo-Darwinists,' as George's (dismissive) 'it matters little' attitude displays.

  Thus, it seems, the fears and careful steps of TE/EC's are somehow (paradoxically) related to the proud, triumphalist pronouncements of the IDists in America. Indeed, such is a nationalist discourse that happens nowhere else and needn't concern others. The Orthodox here (in the country where I reside) certainly are not troubled deeply by IDism and TE/ECism; they have other things like 'apokotastasis' and their own national (Bear) (democratic) 'election' that concern them.

  One thing is absolutely clear and obvious: there can be no such thing as an 'evolution of election' - this would be an absurdity par excellence! Vive le paradoxe! 'Election' is a purely non-evolutionary concept - even George wouldn't dispute this.

  Gregory

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Received on Sat Feb 23 17:42:28 2008