This book is not intended as a theological treatise or official position paper. It is a personal narrative—woven with reflections, prayers, and encounters—and should be received as such.
Some themes in this book, especially regarding the hope for the restoration of all things, touch on areas of eschatology that remain mystery in the Orthodox tradition. While certain Church Fathers spoke boldly on these matters, the Orthodox Church has never dogmatized a particular eschatological schema beyond the foundational truths:
Orthodoxy holds space for apophatic reverence—what we do not say. And it trusts in the love of God without needing to map the mechanics of eternity.
For this reason, throughout the history of the Church, there have been saints, elders, and theologians who have held such a hope—not as dogma, but as a deep trust in the victory of Christ and the mercy of God.
Readers are therefore invited to approach this work not as an answer book, but as a testimony of one believer’s journey into the hopeful tension between God’s justice and God’s mercy.
“Keep your mind in hell—and despair not.”
– St. Silouan of Mount Athos
This book is written in that spirit: honest about darkness, unwavering in hope.