Hope vs justice XIII: the case of Gregory of Narek

Hope vs justice XIII: the case of Gregory of Narek

Gregory of Narek (fl. 10th-11th centuries) was an Armenian theologian who is venerated in the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church. By chance I came upon this link: https://oxfordpatristics.blogspot.com/2019/02/michael-papazian-universal-salvation-in.html . In the link it is argued that Gregory of Narek anticipated some elements of the position of Hans urs Von Balthasar (see: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/06/quotes-from-hans-von-balthasars-dare-we.html ), and the author apparently called Gregory of Narek’s  ‘penitential universalism’. I didn’t manage to find the referenced paper of Michael Papazian, ‘Universal salvation in the works of Gregory of Narek’. However, his book ‘The Doctor of Mercy: The Sacred Treasures of Gregory of Narek’ can be bought (e.g.: https://www.amazon.it/Doctor-Mercy-Sacred-Treasures-Gregory/dp/0814685013 ). As we shall see the textual evidence is ambiguous. 

In prayer 40 of his ‘Book of Lamentation’, Gregory of Narek provides a terrible vision of eschatological punishments, which are described as endless (the quotes are taken from this link: https://narek.zoraweb.com/  the link also provides the Armenian text):

“And seeing with my mind’s eye in the distance the terrible vision of the life to come, I observe in advance the day of light, the hope of the saints, and the day of darkness, the punishment of the sinful, from which none can escape nor find refuge, neither in the deep abyss nor in the bottomless pits, neither on the heights of the mountains, nor in the caves in the stone, neither on the hardness of boulders, nor in the cavity of a hole, neither in the crevices of a pit, nor the waves of a flood, neither in the labyrinth of the basement, nor the loft of the attic, neither behind the closed doors of my cell, nor in the darkness of the valley, neither in the declines of the valleys, nor on the inclines of the hills, neither in the blowing of the wind, nor in the undulation of the seas, neither in the swirling of a whirlpool, nor in the distant ends of the earth, neither in the sounds of lament, nor in the sighs of weeping, neither in the trembling of fingers, nor in the lifting of hands, neither in the prayers of the lips, nor in the cries of the tongue. Out of this terrible inescapable lot you, Lord Christ, are the exit and respite, the ease and calm of the salvation for my ever sinning soul” (Prayer 40:2, source: https://narek.zoraweb.com/t1_40.htm )

In prayer 64, Gregory of Narek similarly writes:

“I preferred anger to calm, groping in darkness without light, as the Scripture says, I answered your compassionate voice with impudence. Through Isaiah you said, “ Even the worm is immortal, the fire unquenchable,” the condemnation unending, the place eternal, the image terrifying.” (Prayer 64:2, source: https://narek.zoraweb.com/t1_64.htm )

So, it appears that Gregory of Narek saw the the condemnation as both unending and just. And yet, in prayer 84:

“Have mercy, praiseworthy and long- suffering king, upon all souls through these prayers of grieving lamentation, composed on various themes, and have mercy especially on those souls who are cut off from the hope of salvation who have died unprepared, with lamps extinguished for lack of oil.” (Prayer 86:1, source: https://narek.zoraweb.com/t1_86.htm )

Here Narek prays even for those who ‘are cut off from the hope of salvation who died unprepared’. Notice that seems to assume a chance of post-mortem salvation.

Notably, he is explicit that Satan is excluded from the scope of Jesus’ salvific sacrifice on the Cross:

“But since your judgment, Christ God, is much more lenient toward me than toward Satan the forefather of evil, and because of him, “ Christ was revealed that He might destroy the works of the devil,” whereas for me, he came to restore my worn- out image, taking our image in its essence, he united in himself the image of great God in indisputable mixture. He graced Satan with none of this bounty, and upon me he poured forth everything in abundance. He did not suffer on the cross for Satan, but for me he is continuously sacrificed. Satan does not partake in life, but I am eternally favored with salvation. Satan is not protected by the cross, but I am fortified by this sign. He is banished from the light, but I am joined with glory. God did not promise him peace even on earth, but he made me an owner of heaven. God cut off his guarantee of hope, but continued mine forever. God confined him to a herd of pigs, but in me God dwells more firmly God compared him to a scorpion, and he called me the light of the world.” (Prayer 67:1, source: https://narek.zoraweb.com/t1_67.htm )

Compare this position to that attributed to Silouan the Athonite (fl. 20th century), venerated as saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church: https://ancientafterlifebelifs.blogspot.com/2026/03/hope-vs-justice-6-case-of-silouan.html


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