ORIGIN, PERSONIFICATION AND ANNIHILATION OF EVIL IN PLATO AND IN HOLY THEOLOGICAL THOUGHT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ISSUE OF APOKATASTASIS

The purpose of the paper is a religious-philosophical analysis of various approaches to the origin, activation and annihilation of evil in Plato and in holy theological thought in the context of the issue of apokatastasis. The novelty of the study consists in a new interpretation of the idea of “all-salvation” in St. Gregory of Nyssa, as well as the study of the little-studied issue of personification and annihilation of evil. The subject of this work is primarily the works of St. Gregory of Nyssa, as well as the works of other Holy Fathers, some ancient Greek philosophers and scientific works on this issue. As a result, two ways of annihilating evil in the works of St. Gregory of Nyssa have been identified and analyzed: forced purification and the inaction of evil in hell. The author concludes that since after 385 in the writings of the Shepherd of Nyssa no more thoughts about apokatastasis are found, but only views on the infinity of the torment of sinners remain, he joined the concordant opinion of the Holy Fathers on this question. The thesis about the emergence of evil in the free will of rational beings is proven. Although this issue is well known, but recently there have appeared those who disagree with the holy theological opinion, so their position is examined and criticized. The path of liberation from evil in the soul by one's volitional striving with the help of the grace of God is also shown in general terms.