The destiny of the cosmos at the parousia according to the Church Fathers

This article by Jean and Hélène Bastaire examines the question of the eschatological destiny of the cosmos at the Parousia through a patristic study covering the second to fifth centuries. Proceeding by means of a comparative analysis of sources, the authors investigate the way in which the Church Fathers conceived of universal resurrection, beyond humanity alone. The central idea is that the patristic tradition is traversed by an unresolved tension between two inheritances: on one side, a biblical and Judeo-Christian vision affirming the concrete resurrection of the whole of creation — illustrated in particular by Irenaeus of Lyon and Ephrem of Nisibis —, on the other, a Neoplatonic dualism that leads authors such as Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, or Augustine to restrict the eschatological promise to humanity alone. The contribution of the article is to show that this restriction constitutes a theological incoherence with regard to the very principle of divine creative goodness and the solidarity between the human body and the cosmic body.