This appendix offers a small collection of quotations from early Church Fathers—those who lived and taught before the East-West schism of 1054. These voices, while diverse, often hint at a profound hope: that God's mercy and healing will ultimately reach even the farthest soul.
"For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
– 1 Corinthians 15:25–26, often cited by early Fathers in support of ultimate victory
"In the end, even the devil himself will be healed."
– St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335–395), On the Soul and the Resurrection
"God will be all in all, embracing all things visible and invisible, even the lost and the sinner."
– St. Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662)
"The punishments of God are remedial; they are not vindictive, but intended to bring souls to healing."
– St. Isaac the Syrian (7th century)
"The One who descended is the same One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things."
– Ephesians 4:10, echoed by Origen and others in reference to restoration
These testimonies do not claim uniform agreement, but they do point to a rich theological stream—older than division—that views God's justice and mercy not as opposites, but as one.
Restoration, in this light, is not about denying judgment, but about trusting the depths of divine love.