As the centenary of the birth of Iris Murdoch approaches, re-appraisals of her literary work, which continues to divide critical opinion, seem due. This article posits that re-reading her novels in rapprochement with the writings of the group of fourth-century theologians known as the 'Cappadocian Fathers' reveals a 'passion for passionlessness' within the Murdochian corpus which has hitherto been little explored, and affords the possibility of a soteriological 'embrace' between these very discrete conversation partners.