| Origen of Alexandria is considered one of the greatest of all Christian theologians.As a philosopher, he is famous for composing the seminal work of Christian Neoplatonism, his treatise On First Principles.In this environment, Gnosticism flourished, and Origen was the first truly philosophical thinker to turn his hand not only to a refutation of Gnosticism, but to offer an alternative Christian system that was more rigorous and philosophically respectable than the mythological speculations of the various Gnostic sects.Origen was also an astute critic of the pagan philosophy of his era, yet he also learned much from it, and adapted its most useful and edifying teachings to a grand elucidation of the Christian faith.Porphyry (the illustrious student of Plotinus), though a tenacious adversary of Christianity, nevertheless grudgingly admitted Origen's mastery of the Greek philosophical tradition.Although Origen did go on to compose numerous biblical commentaries and sermons, his importance for the history of philosophy rests mainly on two works, the systematic treatise On First Principles, and his response to the pagan philosopher Celsus' attack on Christianity, the treatise Against Celsus.Since the purpose of this article is to introduce students and interested laypersons to the philosophy of Origen, it will be necessary to focus mainly on the treatise On First Principles, which is the most systematic and philosophical of Origen's numerous writings.Origen lived during a turbulent period of the Roman Empire, when the barbarian invasions were sweeping across Europe, threatening the stability of the Roman Empire.His was also a time of periodic persecution against Christians, notably during the reigns of the Emperors Severus, Maximin, and Decius, so that Origen's life began and ended with persecution.His family was devoutly Christian, and likely highly educated; for his father, who died a martyr, made sure that Origen was schooled not only in biblical studies, but in Hellenistic education as well.Origen was only seventeen when he took over as Headmaster (didaskalos) of the Christian Catechetical School at Alexandria.He became interested in Greek philosophy quite early in his life, studying for a while under Ammonius Saccas (the teacher of Plotinus) and amassing a large collection of philosophical texts.It is probably around this time that he began composing On First Principles.Origen's debt to Holy Scripture is obvious; he quotes the bible at great length, often drawing together seemingly disparate passages to make a profound theological point.Yet his thought is all the while informed by his Greek philosophical education, specifically that of the Middle Platonic tradition, notably the works of the Jewish Platonist Philo of Alexandria and the Neopythagorean philosopher Numenius of Apamea (fl.God's Being, human existence is free from all necessity.From Numenius, Origen likely adopted the conception of a "second god" proceeding from a first, ineffable being called the One, "First God," or Father.Numenius referred to this "second god" as Demiurge or craftsman, and taught that he created the cosmos by imitating the intellectual content of the "First God."Origen applied this basic notion to his doctrine of Christ, whom he also called Demiurge (Commentary on John 1.Christ as a reflection of the Truth of the Father, stating that compared to human beings Christ is Truth, but compared to the Father He is falsehood (Jerome, Epistle 92, quoting Origen; see also On First Principles 1.Another extremely important part of Origen's intellectual heritage is the concept of apokatastasis or "restoration of all things."This term first appears, as a philosophical concept, in the writings of the Stoics, whose materialistic pantheism led them to identify Zeus with the pure, "craftsmanly" fire pervading and constituting the cosmos.According to the Stoics, this fire expands and contracts according to a fixed cycle.Some Stoics argued that since Zeus is perfect mind, then every reconstitution of the cosmos will resemble identically the one that preceded it.Hellenistic era, notably the Hermetic school, Gnosticism, and astrology, with all of which Origen was, in varying degrees, familiar.In Origen's time, Christianity as a religion had not yet developed a system of theology as a basis of orthodoxy; therefore, in addition to a wide variety of opinions regarding the faith, there were also various sects, each claiming to possess the truth of the Christian faith.Foremost among these sects was the group of schools loosely labelled 'gnostic.In his Commentary on John, Origen refutes the doctrines of a Valentinian Gnostic named Heracleon, who had earlier written a commentary on the same Gospel.Gnostics were successful in gaining adherents.Gnostic Christian theological systems in his day, it was up to Origen to formulate one.Origen was the first systematic theologian and philosopher of the Christian Church.Earlier Christian intellectuals had confined themselves to apologetic and moralizing works; notable among such writers is Clement of Alexandria (d.Origen, found much of value in Hellenic philosophy.Before proceeding with an examination of Origen's system, it must be noted that scholars are divided over the question of whether or not his On First Principles contains a system.Henri Crouzel (1989), for example, has argued that the presence of contradictory statements in certain portions of the treatise, as well as in other texts, is proof against the claim that Origen was presenting a system.Hans Jonas (1974), on the other hand, recognized a clear system in On First Principles and gave a convincing elucidation of such.The reason for this scholarly divide is mostly due to the lack of a precise definition of 'system' and 'systematic'.Kant or a Hegel, one will be disappointed.As John Dillon has pointed out, Origen succeeded in luring away several students of the renowned Platonic teacher Ammonius Saccas to study with him, and, Dillon convincingly observes, this would not have been possible if Origen did not have some system to offer (Dillon, in Kannengiesser, Petersen, ed.It must also be pointed out that the text of On First Principles that we possess is not complete.Origen's original Greek is preserved only in fragments, the remainder of the text is extant only in a Latin translation by Rufinus, who was a defender of Origen against posthumous charges of heresy.When reading Origen's treatise, then, one would do well to keep this in mind should one stumble across seemingly contradictory passages, for one has no way of knowing what the original Greek might have said."Father," "Christ," and "Holy Spirit," though he does describe these principles using Platonic language.Since God the Father is, for Origen, "personal and active," it follows that there existed with Him, always, an entity upon which to exercise His intellectual activity.This entity is Christ the Son, the Logos, or Wisdom (Sophia), of God, the first emanation of the Father, corresponding to Numenius' "second god," as we have seen above (section 2).This graded hierarchy reveals an allotment of power to the second and third members of the Trinity: the Father's power is universal, but the Son's corresponds only to rational creatures, while the Spirit's power corresponds strictly to the "saints" or those who have achieved salvation.According to Origen, God's first creation was a collectivity of rational beings which he calls logika."Although Origen speaks of the logika as being created, they were not created in time.Creation with respect to them means that they had a beginning, but not a temporal one" (Tripolitis 1978, p.Further, Origen explains that the number of these rational beings is necessarily limited, since an infinite creation would be incomprehensible, and unworthy of God.They grew weary of this intense contemplation, however, and lapsed, falling away from God and into an existence on their own terms, apart from the divine presence and the wisdom to be found there.The only rational creature who escaped the fall and remained with God is the "soul of Christ" (Origen, On First Principles 2.This individual soul is indicative of the intended function of all souls, i.As Origen explains, the soul of Christ was no different from that of any of the souls that fell away from God, for Christ's soul possessed the same potential for communion with God as that of all other souls.Thus departing from God, they came to be clothed in bodies, at first of "a fine ethereal and invisible nature," but later, as souls fell further away from God, their bodies changed "from a fine, ethereal and invisible body to a body of a coarser and more solid state.Origen states that there are varying degrees of subtleness even among the celestial and spiritual bodies" (Tripolitis 1978, p.When a soul achieves salvation, according to Origen, it ceases being a soul, and returns to a state of pure "mind" or understanding.However, due to the fall, now "no rational spirit can ever exist without a body" (Tripolitis 1978, p.Origen did not believe in the eternal suffering of sinners in hell.Certain critics of Origen have claimed that this teaching undermines his otherwise firm insistence on free will, for, these critics argue, the souls must maintin the freedom to ultimately reject or accept God, or else free will becomes a mere illusion.What escapes these critics is the fact that Origen's conception of free will is not our own; he considered freedom in the Platonic sense of the ability to choose the good.Therefore, he reasoned that a single lifetime is not enough for a soul to achieve salvation, for certain souls require more education or 'healing' than others.This doctrine, of course, implies some form of transmigration of souls or metempsychosis.Yet Origen's version of metempsychosis was not the same as that of the Pythagoreans, for example, who taught that the basest of souls will eventually become incarnated as animals.For Origen, some sort of continuity between the present body, and the body in the age to come, was maintained (Jerome, Epistle to Avitus 7, quoting Origen; see also Commentary on Matthew 11.Origen did not, like many of his contemporaries, degrade the body to the status of an unwanted encrustation imprisoning the soul; for him, the body is a necessary principle of limitation, providing each soul with a unique identity.This is an important point for an understanding of Origen's epistemology, which is based upon the idea that God educates each soul according to its inherent abilities, and that the abilities of each soul will determine the manner of its knowledge.We may say, then, that the uniqueness of the soul's body is an image of its uniqueness of mind.The restoration of all beings (apokatastasis) is the most important concept in Origen's philosophy, and the touchstone by which he judges all other theories.Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (KJV, my emphasis).This scriptural notion of God being "all in all" (panta en pasin) is a strong theological support for his theory of apokatastasis.Origen imagined salvation not in terms of the saved rejoicing in heaven and the damned suffering in hell, but as a reunion of all souls with God.While Origen's lengthy treatise On First Principles contains numerous discussions of a wide variety of issues relevant to the Christianity of his day, as well as to broader philosophical concerns, certain key themes do emerge that are of universal and timeless value for philosophy.These themes are: free will; the educational value of history; and the infinity and eternal motion (becoming) of human beings.Origen's conception of freedom, as discussed above, was not the same as modern conceptions.For Origen recognized freedom only in reason, in rationality, which is precisely the ability to recognize and embrace the good, which is for him God.Irrationality is ignorance, the absence of a conception of the good.Punishment, understood in the punative sense, is of no avail and will even lead to deeper ignorance and sin, as the punished soul grows resentful, not understanding why he is being punished.Origen firmly believed that the knowledge of the good (God) is itself enough to remove all taint of sin and ignorance from souls.Origen who, as a Platonist, identified evil with enslavement and goodness with freedom.The soul who has seen the good, he argued, will not fall into ignorance again, for the good is inspiring and worthy of eternal contemplation (see Commentary on Romans 5.Origen may rightfully be called the first philosopher of history, for, like Hegel, he understood history as a process involving the participation of persons in grand events leading to an eventual culmination or 'end of history'.God Himself (see Against Celsus 4.Such a reunion must not be accomplished by force, for God will never, Origen insists, undermine the free will of His creatures; rather, God will, over the course of numerous ages if need be, educate souls little by little, leading them eventually, by virtue of their own growing responsiveness, back to Himself, where they will glory in the uncovering of the infinite mysteries of the eternal godhead (On First Principles 2.Platonism during, before, and after Origen's time is salvific stasis, or the idea that the soul will achieve complete rest and staticity when it finally ascends to a contemplation of the good.Influenced indirectly by Plotinus, and more directly by later Neoplatonists (both Christian and pagan), the Christian theologian St.Origen managed to maintain the transcendentality of God on the one hand, and the dynamic persistence of souls in being on the other.He did this by defining souls not by virtue of their intellectual content (or, in the Plotinian sense, for example, by virtue of their 'prior' or higher, constitutive principle) but rather by their ability to engage in a finite manner with the infinite God.This engagement is constitutive of the soul's existence, and guarantees its uniqueness.Each soul engages uniquely with God in contemplating divine mysteries according to its innate ability, and this engagement persists for all eternity, for the mysteries of the godhead are inexhaustible, as is the enthusiastic application of the souls' intellectual ability.Throughout this article, Origen's importance has largely been linked to his melding of philosophical insights with elucidations of various aspects of the Christian fatih.His trinitarian doctrine, for example, consisted of a gradation of influence beginning with the Father, whose influence was of the most general, universal kind, binding together all things; the influence of the Son extended strictly to sentient beings; the Holy Spirit's influence extended only to the 'elect' or saints who had already achieved salvation (Dillon, in D.This conception found later expression in Proclus' Elements of Theology (Proposition 57), where he elucidates this formulation: "Every cause both operates prior to its consequent and gives rise to a greater number of posterior terms" (tr.Iamblichus reversed this Origenian notion, claiming that the influence of the divine became stronger and more concentrated the further it penetrated into created reality, extending in its pure power even to stones and plants.In this sense, the Holy Spirit, limited as it is (according to Origen) to interaction with the saints alone, gives way to the universal power of the Father, which extends to the furthest reaches of reality.Origen's ideas, most notably those in the treatise On First Principles, gave rise to a movement in the Christian Church known as Origenism.It is to be noted that the spirit of philosophical inquiry exemplified by Origen was largely absent from the movement bearing his name.Origen's concepts and themes was made by Gregory of Nyssa (d.Origen's doctrine of apokatastasis or "restoration of all things."Gregory was also responsible for articulating more clearly than did Origen the notion that redeemed souls will remain in a state of dynamic intellectual activity (see Gregory of Nyssa, Catechetical Oration, esp.After the posthumous condemnation of Origen (and Origenism) in the fifth century, it became increasingly difficult for mainstream theologians to make use of his work.Dionysius the Areopagite (5th or 6th Century A.Origen's footsteps in this use of pagan wisdom, he never mentioned his predecessor by name.In the seventh century, Maximus the Confessor (ca.Christian Neoplatonist, set about revising Origen's doctrines in a manner more acceptable to the theological climate of the early Byzantine Church.Maximus changed the historicism of Origen into a more introspective, personal struggle to attain the divine vision through asceticism and prayer, the result being a total subsumption of the person by the godhead.This was Maximus' vision of salvation: the replacement of the ego by the divine presence (see L.Maximus, Chapters on Knowledge 2.God, and sapped Christianity of the intellectual vigor that it displayed in the period leading up to the establishment of a theocratical Byzantine state.Thankfully, Origen's legacy was not lost.Berdyaev himself admits Origen's influence on his thought (as well as that of Gregory of Nyssa) and insists that the doctrine of hell and the eternal suffering of sinners is not compatible with authentic Christianity.History, according to Berdyaev (and in this he follows Origen) binds all of humanity together.No soul will be saved in isolation; all must be saved together, or not be saved at all.The Beginning and the End(Eng.Truth and Revelation (Eng.He drew upon pagan philosophy in an effort to elucidate the Christian faith in a manner acceptable to intellectuals, and he succeeded in converting many gifted pagan students of philosophy to his faith.Origen did not embrace the dualism of Gnosticism, nor that of the more primitive expressions of the Christian faith still extant in his day.The restoration of all souls to a purely intellectual existence was Origen's faith, and his philosophy was based upon such a faith.Origen, Against Celsus, tr.Michigan: Eerdmans 1979, reprint).Butterworth (New York: Harper and Row 1966).Michigan: Eerdmans 1978, reprint).Michigan: Eerdmans 1978, reprint).Berdyaev, Nicholas, The Beginning and the End, tr.French (New York: Harper and Brothers 1952).French (New York: Collier Books 1962).Early Christian Thought and the Classical Tradition: Studies in Justin, Clement, and Origen (New York: Oxford University Press 1966).Origen: The Life and Thought of the First Great Theologian, tr.The Middle Platonists(Ithaca: Cornell University Press 1977).Christology of the Later Fathers (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press 1954)."Origen's Metaphysics of Free Will, Fall, and Salvation: A 'Divine Comedy' of the Universe," in Philosophical Essays: From Ancient Creed to Technological Man (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall 1974).Origen of Alexandria: His World and His Legacy (Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press 1988).Maximus the Confessor (New York: Routledge 1996).Dionysius: The Complete Works (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press 1987).Vladimir's Seminary Press 1975)."Evagrius Ponticus and Origenism," in R.Christianity and Classical Culture: The Metamorphosis of Natural Theology in the Christian Encounter with Hellenism (New Haven: Yale University Press 1993).Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1974).Origen and the Life of the Stars: A History of an Idea (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1991).Theurgy and the Soul: The Neoplatonism of Iamblichus (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press 1995).New Eusebius: Documents Illustrative of the History of the Church to A.Moutafakis (Indianapolis: Hackett 2003).Maximus the Confessor (Crestwood, NY: St.Church (Atlanta: John Knox Press 1983).The Doctrine of the Soul in the Thought of Plotinus and Origen (New York: Libra 1978).Brandon ( Harper and Brothers 1957).Outlines of the History of Greek Philosophy, tr.LIFE AND WORK OF ORIGEN
A.BIOGRAPHY
Origen, most modest of writers, hardly ever alludes to himself in his own works; but Eusebius has devoted to him almost the entire sixth book of "Ecclesiastical History".Eusebius was thoroughly acquainted with the life of his hero; he had collected a hundred of his letters; in collaboration with the martyr Pamphilus he had composed the "Apology for Origen"; he dwelt at Caesarea where Origen's library was preserved, and where his memory still lingered; if at times he may be thought somewhat partial, he is undoubtedly well informed.We find some details also in the "Farewell Address" of St.Jerome and Rufinus, in St.LXIV), and in Photius (Biblioth.Born in 185, Origen was barely seventeen when a bloody persecution of the Church of Alexandrian broke out.His father Leonides, who admired his precocious genius was charmed with his virtuous life, had given him an excellent literary education.When Leonides was cast into prison, Origen would fain have shared his lot, but being unable to carry out his resolution, as his mother had hidden his clothes, he wrote an ardent, enthusiastic letter to his father exhorting him to persevere courageously.This he successfully accomplished by becoming a teacher, selling his manuscripts, and by the generous aid of a certain rich lady, who admired his talents.Jerome, "De viris illust."Origen's school, which was frequented by pagans, soon became a nursery of neophytes, confessors, and martyrs.There is nothing more touching than this picture Eusebius has drawn of Origen's youth, so studious, disinterested, austere and pure, ardent and zealous even to indiscretion (VI, iii and vi).Thrust thus at so early an age into the teacher's chair, he recognized the necessity of completing his education.In this he was but following the example of his predecessors Pantenus and Clement, and of Heracles, who was to succeed him.Shortly afterwards he was invited to Arabia by the governor who was desirous of meeting him (VI, xix).It was probably in 215 or 216 when the persecution of Caracalla was raging in Egypt that he visited Palestine, where Theoctistus of Caesarea and Alexander of Jerusalem, invited him to preach though he was still a layman.Demetrius, although he had given letters of recommendation to Origen, was very much offended by this ordination, which had taken place without his knowledge and, as he thought, in derogation of his rights.If Eusebius (VI, viii) is to be believed, he was envious of the increasing influence of his catechist.So, on his return to Alexandria, Origen soon perceived that his bishop was rather unfriendly towards him.The details of this affair were recorded by Eusebius in the lost second book of the "Apology for Origen"; according to Photius, who had read the work, two councils were held at Alexandria, one of which pronounced a decree of banishment against Origen while the other deposed him from the priesthood (Biblioth.Jerome declares expressly that he was not condemned on a point of doctrine.Origen at Caesarea (232)
Expelled from Alexandria, Origen fixed his abode at Caesarea in Palestine (232), with his protector and friend Theoctistus, founded a new school there, and resumed his "Commentary on St.John" at the point where it had been interrupted.The most distinguished of these, without doubt, was St.Gregory Thaumaturgus who, with his brother Apollodorus, attended Origen's lectures for five years and delivered on leaving him a celebrated "Farewell Address".Origen visited his friend, St.On this occasion he was hospitably entertained by a Christian lady of Caesarea, named Juliana, who had inherited the writing of Symmachus, the translator of the Old Testament (Palladius, "Hist.The years following were devoted almost uninterruptedly to the composition of the "Commentaries".Origen was imprisoned and barbarously tortured, but his courage was unshaken and from his prison he wrote letters breathing the spirit of the martyrs (Eusebius, "Hist.Tyr, was visited by pilgrims.WORKS
Very few authors were as fertile as Origen.This figure, repeated by many ecclesiastical writers, seems greatly exaggerated.Jerome assures us that the list of Origen's writings drawn up by St.Pamphilus did not contain even two thousand titles (Contra Rufin.VI, xxxii) had inserted it in his biography of St.Exegetical Writings
Origen had devoted three kinds of works to the explanation of the Holy Scripture: commentaries, homilies, and scholia (St.Latin an anonymous translation of the "Commentary on St.Matthew" beginning with chapter xvi, three books and a half of the "Commentary on the Canticle of Canticles" translated by Rufinus, and an abridgment of the "Commentary on the Epistles to the Romans" by the same translator.The list is long and undoubtedly must have been longer if it be true that Origen, as St.The twenty "Tractatus Origenis" recently discovered are not the work of Origen, though use has been made of his writings.Origen has been called the father of the homily; it was he who contributed most to popularize this species of literature in which are to be found so many instructive details on the customs of the primitive Church, its institutions, discipline, liturgy, and sacraments.The scholia (scholia, excerpta, commaticum interpretandi genus) were exegetical, philological, or historical notes, on words or passages of the Bible, like the annotations of the Alexandria grammarians on the profane writers.Other Writings
We now possess only two of Origen's letters: one addressed to St.Gregory Thaumaturgus on the reading of Holy Scripture, the other to Julius Africanus on the Greek additions to the Book of Daniel.Two opuscula have been preserved entire in the original form; an excellent treatise "On Prayer" and an "Exhortation to Martyrdom", sent by Origen to his friend Ambrose, then a prisoner for the Faith.In the eight books of the "Contra Celsum" Origen follows his adversary point by point, refuting in detail each of his false imputations.The "De principiis", composed at Alexandria, and which, it seems, got into the hands of the public before its completion, treated successively in its four books, allowing for numerous digressions, of: (a) God and the Trinity, (b) the world and its relation to God, (c) man and his free will, (d) Scripture, its inspiration and interpretation.Many other works of Origen have been entirely lost: for instance, the treatise in two books "On the Resurrection", a treatise "On Free Will", and ten books of "Miscellaneous Writings" (Stromateis).For Origen's critical work see HEXAPLA.POSTHUMOUS INFLUENCE OF ORIGEN
During his lifetime Origen by his writings, teaching, and intercourse exercised very great influence.Beryllus of Bostra, whom he had won back from heresy, was deeply attached to him (Eusebius, VI, xxxiii; St.The learned Julius Africanus consulted him, Origen's reply being extant (P.Hippolytus highly appreciated his talents (St.Dionysius, his pupil and successor in the catechetical school, when Patriarch of Alexandria, dedicated to him his treatise "On the Persecution" (Eusebius, VI, xlvi), and on learning of his death wrote a letter filled with his praises (Photius, cod.Gregory Thaumaturgus, who had been his pupil for five years at Caesarea, before leaving addressed to him his celebrated "Farewell Address" (P.Origen's name was so highly esteemed that when there was a question of putting an end to a schism or rooting out a heresy, appeal was made to it.After his death his reputation continued to spread.Pamphilus, martyred in 307, composes with Eusebius an "Apology for Origen" in six books the first alone of which has been preserved in a Latin translation by Rufinus (P.Origen had at that time many other apologists whose names are unknown to us (Photius, cod.Theognostus, in his "Hypotyposes", followed him even too closely, according to Photius (cod.Pierius was called by St.Jerome "Origenes junior" (De viris ill.Didymus the Blind composed a work to explain and justify the teaching of the "De principiis" (St.Athanasius does not hesitate to cite him with praise (Epist.Nor was the admiration for the great Alexandrian less outside of Egypt.Gregory of Nazianzus gave significant expression to his opinion (Suidas, "Lexicon", ed.Bernhardy, II, 1274: Origenes he panton hemon achone).In collaboration with St.Basil, he had published, under the title "Philocalia", a volume of selections from the master.Gregory of Nyssa called Origen the prince of Christian learning in the third century (P.At Caesarea in Palestine the admiration of the learned for Origen became a passion.Nor were the Latins less enthusiastic than the Greeks.Jerome, the principal Latin imitators of Origen are St.Eusebius of Verceil, St.Victorinus of Pettau had set them the example (St.Origen's writings were so much drawn upon that the solitary of Bethlehem called it plagiarism, furta Latinarum.However, excepting Rufinus, who is practically only a translator, St.Jerome is perhaps the Latin writer who is most indebted to Origen.Before the Origenist controversies he willingly admitted this, and even afterwards, he did not entirely repudiate it; cf.Origen (Homilies on St.Luke, Jeremias, and Ezechiel, the Canticle of Canticles), and also the prefaces to his own "Commentaries" (on Micheas, the Epistles to the Galatians, and to the Ephesians etc.Amidst these expressions of admiration and praise, a few discordant voices were heard.Methodius, bishop and martyr (311), had written several works against Origen, amongst others a treatise "On the Resurrection", of which St.Epiphanius cites a long extract (Haeres.Eustathius of Antioch, who died in exile about 337, criticized his allegorism (P.ORIGENISM
By this term is understood not so much Origen's theology and the body of his teachings, as a certain number of doctrines, rightly or wrongly attributed to him, and which by their novelty or their danger called forth at an early period a refutation from orthodox writers.Before examining how far Origen is responsible for these theories, a word must be said of the directive principle of his theology.The Church and the Rule of Faith
In the preface to the "De principiis" Origen laid down a rule thus formulated in the translation of Rufinus: "Illa sola credenda est veritas quae in nullo ab ecclesiastica et apostolica discordat traditione".Ecclesiae Dei tradiderunt nobis (In Matt.In accordance with those principles Origen constantly appeals to ecclesiastical preaching, ecclesiastical teaching, and the ecclesiastical rule of faith (kanon).He accepts only four Canonical Gospels because tradition does not receive more; he admits the necessity of baptism of infants because it is in accordance with the practice of the Church founded on Apostolic tradition; he warns the interpreter of the Holy Scripture, not to rely on his own judgment, but "on the rule of the Church instituted by Christ".It is through the principle of authority that Origen is wont to unmask and combat doctrinal errors.Scriptural Allegorism
The principal passages on the inspiration, meaning, and interpretation of the Scriptures are preserved in Greek in the first fifteen chapters of the "Philocalia".According to Origen, Scripture is inspired because it is the word and work of God.The author of the Scriptures being one, the Bible is less a collection of books than one and the same book (Philoc.True there are imperfections in the Bible: antilogies, repetitions, want of continuity; but these imperfections become perfections by leading us to the allegory and the spiritual meaning (Philoc.At one time Origen, starting from the Platonic trichotomy, distinguishes the body, the soul, and the spirit of Holy Scripture; at another, following a more rational terminology, he distinguishes only between the letter and the spirit.Unfortunately this antithesis is not free from equivocation.Origen does not understand by letter (or body) what we mean today by the literal sense, but the grammatical sense, the proper as opposed to the figurative meaning.As examples Origen cites the anthropomorphisms, metaphors, and symbols which ought indeed to be understood figuratively.The two great rules of interpretation laid sown by the Alexandria catechist, taken by themselves and independently of erroneous applications, are proof against criticism.They may be formulated thus: Scripture must be interpreted in a manner worthy of God, the author of Scripture.The corporal sense or the letter of Scripture must not be adopted, when it would entail anything impossible, absurd, or unworthy of God.Origen has recourse too easily to allegorism to explain purely apparent antilogies or antinomies.He considers that certain narratives or ordinances of the Bible would be unworthy of God if they had to be taken according to the letter, or if they were to be taken solely according to the letter.It will thus be seen that though the criticisms directed against his allegorical method by St.Subordination of the Divine Persons
The three Persons of the Trinity are distinguished from all creatures by the three following characteristics: absolute immateriality, omniscience, and substantial sanctity.Though he does not venture to decide categorically, Origen inclines to this view, but, as soon as there is a question of the Divine Persons, he is perfectly sure that they have no body and are not in a body; and this characteristic belongs to the Trinity alone (De princip.How could the Son, who is the Wisdom of the Father, be ignorant of anything ("In Joan."Sin is forgiven only by the simultaneous concurrence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; no one is sanctified at baptism save through their common action; the soul in which the Holy Ghost indwells possesses likewise the Son and the Father.Along with these perfectly orthodox texts there are some which must be interpreted with diligence, remembering as we ought that the language of theology was not yet fixed and that Origen was often the first to face these difficult problems.Persons, inasmuch as in mentioning them He ordinarily has the first place, and of dignity (axioma) because He represents the whole Divinity, of which He is the principle (arche), the origin (aitios), and the source (pege).Athanasius defends Origen's orthodoxy concerning the Trinity and why St.The Origin and Destiny of Rational Beings
Here we encounter an unfortunate amalgam of philosophy and theology.The system that results is not coherent, for Origen, frankly recognizing the contradiction of the incompatible elements that he is trying to unify, recoils from the consequences, protests against the logical conclusions, and oftentimes corrects by orthodox professions of faith the heterodoxy of his speculations.They system may be reduced to a few hypotheses, the error and danger of which were not recognized by Origen.But he believes that God created from eternity, for "it is absurd", he says, "to imagine the nature of God inactive, or His goodness inefficacious, or His dominion without subjects" (De princip.Their present differences arise solely from their different use of the gift of free will.The spirits created good and happy grew tired of their happiness (op.Matter was, therefore, created simultaneously with the spiritual, although the spiritual is logically prior; and matter will never cease to be because the spiritual, however perfect, will always need it.Redemption, and Origen allows himself to be led also by the philosophical principle which he enunciates several times, without ever proving it, that the end is always like the beginning: "We think that the goodness of God, through the mediation of Christ, will bring all creatures to one and the same end" (De princip.The universal restoration (apokatastasis) follows necessarily from these principles.On the least reflection, it will be seen that these hypotheses, starting from contrary points of view, are irreconcilable: for the theory of a final restoration is diametrically opposed to the theory of successive indefinite trials.It would be easy to find in the writings of Origen a mass of texts contradicting these principles and destroying the resulting conclusions.He affirms, for instance, that the charity of the elect in heaven does not fail; in their case "the freedom of the will will be bound so that sin will be impossible" (In Roman.I, viii, 4), for malice has become natural to them, it is as a second nature in them (In Joann.Origen grew angry when accused of teaching the eternal salvation of the devil.What can be said in his defence, if it be not with St.XLVIII, 12), that it is one thing to dogmatize and another to enunciate hypothetical opinions which will be cleared up by discussion?ORIGENIST CONTROVERSIES
The discussions concerning Origen and his teaching are of a very singular and very complex character.They break out unexpectedly, at long intervals, and assume an immense importance quite unforeseen in their humble beginnings.Finally they abate so suddenly that one is forced to conclude that the controversy was superficial and that Origen's orthodoxy was not the sole point in dispute.FIRST ORIGENIST CRISIS
It broke out in the deserts of Egypt, raged in Palestine, and ended at Constantinople with the condemnation of St.During the second half of the fourth century the monks of Nitria professed an exaggerated enthusiasm for Origen, whilst the neighbouring brethren of Sceta, as a result of an unwarranted reaction and an excessive fear of allegorism, fell into Anthropomorphism.Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, who, convinced of the dangers of Origenism, had combatted it in his works and was determined to prevent its spread and to extirpate it completely.Having gone to Jerusalem in 394, he preached vehemently against Origen's errors, in presence of the bishop of that city, John, who was deemed an Origenist.John in turn spoke against Anthropomorphism, directing his discourse so clearly against Epiphanius that no on could be mistaken.Epiphanius had raised Paulinian, brother of St.Two new combatants were now ready to enter the lists.Both admired, imitated, and translated Origen, and were on most amicable terms with their bishop, when in 392 Aterbius, a monk of Sceta, came to Jerusalem and accused them of both of Origenism.Epiphanius, whose reply to John of Jerusalem he translated into Latin.In 397 Rufinus, then at Rome, had translated Origen's "De principiis" into Latin, and in his preface followed the example of St.Jerome, whose dithyrambic eulogy addressed to the Alexandrian catechist he remembered.Origenist cause, and began a discussion with Rufinus, marked with great bitterness on both sides.Until 400 Theophilus of Alexandria was an acknowledged Origenist.His confident was Isidore, a former monk of Nitria, and his friends, "the Tall Brothers", the accredited leaders of the Origenist party.He had supported John of Jerusalem against St.Epiphanius, whose Anthropomorphism he denounced to Pope Siricius.Suddenly he changed his views, exactly why was never known.It is said that the monks of Sceta, displeased with his paschal letter of 399, forcibly invaded his episcopal residence and threatened him with death if he did not chant the palinody.What is certain is that he had quarreled with St.As Isidore and "the Tall Brothers" had retired to Constantinople, where Chrysostom extended his hospitality to them and interceded for them, without, however, admitting them to communion till the censures pronounced against them had been raised, the irascible Patriarch of Alexandria determined on this plan: to suppress Origenism everywhere, and under this pretext ruin Chrysostom, whom he hated and envied.Origenist crusade, issued paschal letters in 401, 402, and 404 against Origen's doctrine, and sent a missive to Pope Anastasius asking for the condemnation of Origenism.Anastasius, while declaring that Origen was entirely unknown to him, condemned the propositions extracted from his books.Jerome undertook to translate into Latin the various elucubrations of the patriarch, even his virulent diatribe against Chrysostom.Epiphanius, preceding Theophilus to Constantinople, treated St.Instead of being the accused, he became the accuser, and summoned Chrysostom to appear before the conciliabule of the Oak (ad Quercum), at which Chrysostom was condemned.As soon as the vengeance of Theophilus was satiated nothing more was heard of Origenism.The Patriarch of Alexandria began to read Origen, pretending that he could cull the roses from among the thorns.Hardly had the personal quarrels abated when the spectre of Origenism vanished.SECOND ORIGENISTIC CRISIS
In 514 certain heterodox doctrines of a very singular character had already spread among the monks of Jerusalem and its environs.Sudaili, a troublesome monk expelled from Edessa, who joined to an Origenism of his own brand certain clearly pantheistic views.Plotting and intriguing continued for about thirty years, the monks suspected of Origenism being in turn expelled from their monasteries, then readmitted, only to be driven out anew.In these circumstances a report against Origenism was addressed to Justinian, by whom and on what occasion it is not known, for the two accounts that have come down to us are at variance (Cyrillus of Scythopolis, "Vita Sabae"; and Liberatus, "Breviarium", xxiii)."De principiis", and lastly ten propositions to be anathematized.This was the local synod (synodos endemousa) of 543.Pope Vigilius, and all gave their adhesion to it.In the case of Vigilius especially we have the testimony of Liberatus (Breviar.It had been expected that Domitian and Theodore Askidas, by their refusal to condemn Origenism, would fall into disfavour at Court; but they signed whatever they were asked to sign and remained more powerful than ever.Askidas even took revenge by persuading the emperor to have Theodore of Mopsuestia, who was deemed the sworn enemy of Origen, condemned (Liberatus, "Breviar."Justinian's new edict, which is not extant, resulted in the assembling of the fifth ecumenical council, in which Theodore of Mopsuestia, Ibas, and Theodoretus were condemned (553).Were Origen and Origenism anathematized?Relying on the most recent studies on the question it may be held that: It is certain that the fifth general council was convoked exclusively to deal with the affair of the Three Chapters, and that neither Origen nor Origenism were the cause of it.It is certain that the council opened on 5 May, 553, in spite of the protestations of Pope Vigilius, who though at Constantinople refused to attend it, and that in the eight conciliary sessions (from 5 May to 2 June), the Acts of which we possess, only the question of the Three Chapters is treated.Three Chapters, make no mention of Origenism, and speak as if they did not know of its condemnation.It must be admitted that before the opening of the council, which had been delayed by the resistance of the pope, the bishops already assembled at Constantinople had to consider, by order of the emperor, a form of Origenism that had practically nothing in common with Origen, but which was held, we know, by one of the Origenist parties in Palestine.The arguments in corroboration of this hypothesis may be found in Dickamp (op.The bishops certainly subscribed to the fifteen anathemas proposed by the emperor (ibid.Origenist, Theodore of Scythopolis, was forced to retract (ibid.Publication information Written by F.Aeterna non caduca The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI.New York: Robert Appleton Company.Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Hosted by Trinity Consulting.Clark Ltd 2000)
Rowania Greer, Origen : An Exortation to Martyrdom, Etc.Origen wrote in the first half of the third century.Nicene writers of the Eastern Church, the greatest by far was Origen,
both as a theologian and as a prolific Biblical scholar.According to Eusebius,
Origen was born of Christian parents in Egypt,
probably about 185, and spent most of his life in
Alexandria as a teacher,
but he also visited Antioch,
Athens, Arabia, Ephesus, and Rome,
and lived for a rather long period at Caesarea in Palestine.Catholic Encyclopedia article is online at
Origen and Origenism.In the year 203 Origen was appointed by Demetrius, the bishop, to succeed
Clement as head of the catechetical school in Alexandria.For a dozen years he carried on that work with marked success and with
increasing numbers of pupils at the school.In 215, however, as a result of the Emperor Caracalla's furious attack
upon the Alexandrians, Origen's work at the school was interrupted and
he was driven from the city.Origen took refuge at Caesarea in Palestine,
where he preached in churches at the request of the bishops of Jerusalem and Caesarea
As he was only a layman, this was regarded by his bishop, Demetrius,
as a breach of ecclesiastical discipline,
in consequence of which he was recalled to Alexandria,
where he resumed his scholarly work at the school.In 230 Origen traveled to Greece on some church business and,
stopping at Caesarea on his way, was ordained as a presbyter by
the same friendly bishops who had invited him to preach on his previous visit.When Demetrius learned of this, he felt that his authority had been flouted,
and, on Origen's return, deposed him from his teaching office and
excommunicated him from the Alexandrian church on the grounds of
irregularity of ordination.Origen now moved back to Caesarea, where he opened a new Biblical
and theological school which soon outshone that of Alexandria,
and where he continued his extensive literary work, as well as
preaching and giving Biblical expositions almost every day.In 250, during the Decian persecution, Origen was imprisoned,
cruelly tortured, and condemned to the stake.After his death, opposition steadily mounted.None of these charges is altogether groundless.Only a small part of Origen's writings has come down to us,
but this fills volumes.From these the doctrines concerning the person of our Lord and Savior are to be derived.Origen also wrote commentaries on the Gospels according to Matthew and John.Now and then Origen does quote or refer to (sometimes with approval) the
Gospel of Peter and the
Gospel of the Hebrews.Origen's testimony concerning the Book of Acts is pervasive in his writings.As would be expected, he attributes Acts to Luke,
the author of the Third Gospel; see p.Origen makes frequent citations from the Pauline Epistles,
including even the brief letter of Philemon (Jer.Throughout Origen's writings he quotes from the Epistle to the Hebrews
more than 200 times, and in the vast majority of his references
he is content to attribute it to Paul as its author.But near the close of his life (after 245 CE),
where Origen is speaking as a scholar,
he admits that the tradition of its authorship is wholly uncertain.That the character of the diction of the Epistles entitled 'To the Hebrews'
has not the apostle's rudeness in speech,
who acknowledged himself to be rude in speech (2 Cor.Epistle is better Greek in the framing of its diction,
will be admitted by everyone who is able to discern differences of style.Clement,
bishop of Rome, wrote the Epistle, and others, that it was Luke,
the one who wrote the Gospel and the Acts.Although the Epistle of James is quoted several times by Origen,
in his Commentary on John (19.One also notes that in Origen's Commentary on Matthew (2.Throughout Origen's writings that have come down to us in Greek,
he does quote from I Peter, but never from II Peter.Throughout Origen's writings that have come down to us in Greek,
he does quote from I John, but never from II or III John.Why need I speak of him who leaned back on Jesus' breast (John 13:25),
John, who has left behind one Gospel,
though he confessed that he could write so many that even
the world itself could not contain them (John 21:25).And he wrote also the Apocalypse, being ordered to keep silence and
not to write the voices of the seven thunders (Rev.In Origen's Commentary on Matthew (10.And Jude, who wrote an Epistle of but a few lines,
yet filled with the healthful words of heavenly grace,
said in the salutation: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.Origen refers to the Gospel of Peter in connection with identifying
the brothers of Jesus as sons of Joseph by a former wife
(Comm.More than once Origen refers to the Gospel of the Hebrews,
sometimes without further comment (Comm.Origen refers to the Preaching of Peter twice.Origen refers to the Acts of Paul twice.Origen quotes from I Clement 4 times, see p.Origen Financial Recognized as National Lender of the Year.Origen Financial Appoints New Board Member Robert S.Origen Financial Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2006 Results and Dividend Declaration.Whatever Your Financing Needs There Is An Origen Option.The Future Of Online Lending Is Here. |
