"The Mystery of Faith: An Introduction to the Teaching and Spirituality of the Orthodox Church" by Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev

"Can there be an answer here to the complex question of whether or not it is possible for nonbelievers to be saved? Although Orthodox tradition has always asserted that there is no salvation outside Christ, Baptism and the Church, not everyone who failed to meet Christ during earthly life is deprived of the possibility of being liberated from hell, for even in hell the message of the Gospel is heard. Having created human beings with free will, God accepted responsibility for the salvation of humanity; and this salvation has been accomplished by Christ. A person who deliberately rejects Christ and the Gospel makes a choice for the devil and becomes guilty of self-condemnation: 'He who does not belive is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Song of God' (John 3:18). However, how can someone who has not heard the Gospel at all be condemned? 'Imagine that the Gospel was not proclaimed to those who died before Christ's coming', says Clement of Alexandria. 'Then both their salvation and their condemnation is a matter of crying injustice.' In the same way, those who have died after Christ's coming without hearing the Gospel message cannot be treated as if they deliberately rejected him. This is why Christ preached in hell in order that every person created by him could make a choice for good or evil." (211)

"The question of the possibility of salvation for non-Christians is particularly important for many of today's Christians whose relatives and friends may have died outside the Christian faith. Modern Orthodox theologians answer it in different ways....Take the words of St Paul about the Gentiles who are instructed by the law written on their heart...Metropolitan Anthony went on to say that among the people of non-Christian religions there are many who came to such a degree of knowledge of God that only the name of Jesus is missing. Can one imagine, the Metropolitan asked, that when such a person upon his death appears before the Lord, he will not say: 'Here is the One whom I sought throughout the whole of my life, here is the answer to all my questions'? The question, therefore, is no longer about salvation outside Christ, but rather about the salvation in Christ of those who, for one reason or another, died outside the Christian faith." (211-212)