Origen
Origen (Greek: Ὠριγένης, ca. 185–ca. 254) was a Christian scholar and theologian, one of the most distinguished of the early Christian Church (though not ultimately considered a Father of the Church, due to lingering questions of orthodoxy in the latter part of his life). He is thought to have been born at Alexandria, and died at Caesarea. His writings are important as one of the first serious intellectual attempts to describe Christianity.
Life
The details of Origen's life are found in his biography as given by Eusebius in his work Church History, written in about 325 C.E. He was educated by his father, Leonides, on scriptural texts that would later become the Bible, and in Greek literature. In 202 Origen's father was martyred in the outbreak of the persecution during the reign of Septimius Severus. Origen wished to follow in martyrdom, but was prevented by his mother. The death of Leonides left the family of eight impoverished.
Since his father's teaching enabled him to give elementary instruction, he opened in 203 a school of rhetoric. His fame and the number of his pupils increased rapidly, so much so that Bishop Demetrius of Alexandria implored him to restrict himself to instruction in Christian doctrine alone. Origen entrusted the teaching of the catechumens to Heraclas, the brother of the martyr Plutarch, his first pupil.
Origen, during his time as an instructor, lived the life of a devoted ascetic, sleeping little and eating meagre meals. Yet his pursuit of knowledge and dedication to the clarification of Christian doctrine never waned. It is recorded that he completed secular philosophical studies under Ammonius Saccas. He delved into learning the Hebrew language, and although he met with some success, he never became fully proficient. He complemented intellectual growth with spiritual growth in the form of encouraging the martyrdom of his students. Perhaps his most consummate (and possibly apochraphal) act was his self-castration, in response to Matthew 19:12.
From about this period (213-220) dates Origen's acquaintance with Ambrose of Alexandria, whom he was instrumental in converting from Valentianism to orthodoxy. Ambrose, a man of wealth, made a formal agreement with Origen to promulgate his writings, and all the subsequent works of Origen (except his sermons, which were not expressly prepared for publication) were dedicated to Ambrose. Origen was granted an impressive crew of sternographers and copyists that used the expensive materials at their command - also provided by the wealth of Ambrose - to record Origen's many works.
In 213 or 214, Origen visited Arabia at the request of the prefect, who wished to have an interview with him; and Origen accordingly spent a brief time in Petra, after which he returned to Alexandria. In the following year, a popular uprising at Alexandria caused Caracalla to let his soldiers plunder the city, shut the schools, and expel all foreigners. The latter measure caused Ambrose to take refuge in Caesarea, where he seems to have made his permanent home; and Origen, who felt that the turmoil hindered his activity as a teacher and imperilled his safety, left Egypt, apparently going with Ambrose to Caesarea, where he spent some time. Here, in conformity with local usage based on Jewish custom, Origen, though not ordained, preached and interpreted the Scriptures at the request of the bishops Alexander of Jerusalem and Theoctistus of Caesarea. When, however, the confusion in Alexandria subsided, Demetrius recalled Origen, probably in 216, in protest to his preaching while unordained. For the next fifteen years Origen began his work on some of his best known and most important literary works, such as his books on the resurrection, commentaries on various books of the Hebrew Bible and what would become the New Testament, and his treatise On First Principles.
In about 231 Origen was sent to Greece on an ecclesiastical mission to preach against heretics, and paid a visit to Caesarea, where he was heartily welcomed and was ordained a priest, so that no further cause for criticism might be given Demetrius. But Demetrius, taking this well-meant act as an infringement of his rights, was furious, for not only was Origen under his jurisdiction, but, if Eastern sources may be believed, Demetrius had been the first to introduce episcopal ordination in Egypt. The metropolitan accordingly convened a synod of bishops and presbyters which banished Origen from Alexandria, while a second synod declared his ordination invalid. The conclusions of these synods were not recognized in neighboring provinces.
In 250 persecutions of the Church broke out under Decius, and this time Origen did not escape. He was imprisoned, tortured, and bound hand and foot to the block for days without yielding. Though eventually released, these tortures seem to have weakened him enough that he succumbed to death in about 254. A later legend, recounted by Jerome (De viris illustribus, chapter 54) and numerous itineraries place his death and burial at the cathedral in Tyre, but to this little value can be attached.
Works
The works of Origen fall into four classes: text criticism; exegesis; systematic, practical, and apologetic theology; and letters. Most of his works exist now only in Latin translation. A great deal of Origen's writings, including many commentaries and his books on the resurrection, are completely lost, known only by references made to them by later theologians.
Exegetical Writings
By far the most important work of Origen on textual criticism was the Hexapla, a comparison study of various translations of the Old Testament. The full text of the Hexapla is no longer extant. The work was arranged in six columns: one written in the original Heberw, and one transliterated from Hebrew with Greek characters; the rest were popular Greek translations of the text, specifically the Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and the Septuagint. Certain books of the Hebrew Bible were known to have up to three additonal sources. Some portions were discovered in Milan indicating that at least some individual parts existed much longer than was previously thought. The Hexapla has been referred to by later manuscripts and authors, and thus it is known to later scholars. An abbreviated version known as the Tetrapla, in which Origen placed only the translations in Greek in parallels.
Origen's work in exegesis can be divided into three categories. He wrote scholia which were summaries of passages from the Hebrew Bible or Christian works meant to elucidate their obscure meanings. His homilies were regarded as elegant and were prepared on nearly the entire Bible, and many were recorded by his sternographers. Finally, he produced a series of "scientific" commentaries on various books of the Bible.
Dogmatic, Practical, and Apologetic writings
Among the systematic, practical, and apologetic writings of Origen, mention should first be made of his work On First Principles, perhaps written for his more advanced pupils at Alexandria and probably composed between 212 and 215. It is extant only in the free translation of Rufinus, except for fragments of the third and fourth books preserved in the Philokalia, and smaller citations in Justinian's letter to Mennas.
In the first book the author considers God, the Logos, the Holy Ghost, reason, and the angels; in the second the world and man (including the incarnation of the Logos, the soul, free will, and eschatology); in the third, the doctrine of sin and redemption; and in the fourth, the Scriptures; the whole being concluded with a resume of the entire system. The work is noteworthy as the first endeavor to present Christianity as a complete theory of the universe, and was designed to remove the difficulties felt by many Christians concerning the essential bases of their faith.
Earlier in date than this treatise were the two books on the resurrection (now lost, a fate which has also befallen two dialogues on the same theme) dedicated to Ambrose. After his removal to Caesarea, Origen wrote the works, still extant, On Prayer, On Martyrdom, and Against Celsus. The first of these was written shortly before 235 (or possibly before 230), and, after an introduction on the object, necessity, and advantage of prayer, ends with an exegesis of the Lord's Prayer, concluding with remarks on the position, place, and attitude to be assumed during prayer, as well as on the classes of prayer.
The persecution of Maximinus the Thracian was the occasion of the composition of the On Martyrdom, which is preserved in the Exhortation to Martyrdom. In it, Origen warns against any trifling with idolatry and emphasizes the duty of suffering martyrdom bravely; while in the second part he explains the meaning of martyrdom. The eight books against Celsus, properly called Contra Celsum were written in 248 in reply to the polemic of that Middle Platonist pagan philosopher against Christianity.
Views
Origen, trained in the school of Clement and by his father, was essentially a Platonist with occasional traces of Stoic philosophy. He was thus a pronounced idealist, regarding all things temporal and material as insignificant and indifferent, the only real and eternal things being comprised in the idea. He therefore regards as the purely ideal center of this spiritual and eternal world, God, the pure reason, whose creative powers call into being the world with matter as the necessary substratum.
He was also, however, a rigid adherent of the Bible, making no statement without adducing some Scriptural basis. To him the Bible was divinely inspired, as was proved both by the fulfilment of prophecy and by the immediate impression which the Scriptures made on those who read them. Since the divine Logos spoke in the Scriptures, they were an organic whole and on every occasion he combatted the Gnostic tenet of the inferiority of the Old Testament.
Origen stressed the three means of understanding scripture; literal, moral, and mystical. In this we see three ways that Origen impacted Christian thought. He was proficient in his exegetical studies, and thus was quite adept in making reference to the literal implications of the Bible. His homilies and commentaries were celebrated, and thus his views on morality were promulgated. Origen's grasp of scripture and knowledge of Platonist philosophy also granted him the ability to elucidate complicated passages in a mystical sense.
It is a detriment to Origen's work that throughout the centuries he was best known (and condemned) for his more unorthodox ideas. In discussing these it fair to consider that Origen wrote and thought in a time that predated the great controversies of the Church. The orthodox understandings of the Trinity and christology had not yet been formulated by intervening councils, and thus Origen's discussion of the matters was not guided by what would become accepted as church dogma.
Origen was a speculative theologian. In formulating theological ideas he did not always insist on their truth; rather, he stressed that he was merely suggesting possibilities. One idea that he did promote was the idea of the pre-existance of souls. In his own time it was not deemed heretical to promote this idea, and indeed it was useful in refuting those who were branded heretics (Marcionites, for instance). The idea concluded that human souls exist prior to their connection to earthly forms, and this existence is in the divine realm in the presence of God. Later theologians would dismiss this idea. Origen also speculated on the life of the stars, and wondered whether heavenly bodies possessed souls.
Perhaps the most widely known - and subsequently widely denounced - idea proposed by Origen is that of apokatastasis, or universal restoration. Origen, for many years an educator by profession, likened the Creator to a divine teacher. Being divine this teacher was unable to fail in instructing its students, and thus Origen concluded that in time all students (that is, all creation) would be restored to their former status, perfect and in the midst of God. This restoration included all souls - not just humanity but demons and Satan, though Origen did not suggest that this restoration would occur in the near future. This idea was eventually condemned alongside other heretical teachings.
Impact
In Origen the Christian Church had its first theologian in the highest sense of the term. To the multitude to whom his instruction was beyond grasp, he left mediating images and symbols, and contributed to the growing language of Christian mysticism. When he died, however, he left no pupil who could succeed him, nor was the church of his period able to become his heir, and thus, his knowledge was buried. Three centuries later his very name was stricken from the books of the Church; yet in the monasteries of the Greeks his influence still lived on, and the spiritual father of Greek monasticism was that same Origen at whose name the monks had shuddered.
For quite some time, Origen was counted as one of the most important church fathers and his works were widely used in the Church. His exegetical method was standard of the School of Alexandria and the Origenists were an important party in the 4th century debates on Arianism. He contributed to the thought of Christian luminaries like Athanasius, Ambrose, Jerome, and the Cappadocian Fathers.
Origen's subsequent trouble (following his death) with the church were some extreme views adopted by those describing themselves his followers, the Origenists; their views were then retroactively attributed to Origen. He was condemned by several important theologians, including Jerome, a former admirer. In the ensuing investigation of Origen's orthodoxy certain speculations made by Origen were condemned as heresy, as these were not accepted by the general church consensus: among these were the preexistence of souls, apokatastasis and a hierarchical concept of the Trinity. These teachings and some of the Origenists were declared anathema by a local council in Constantinople 545 and then, in an aside, by the Second Council of Constantinople in 553.
At the council of 553, the anathema against him in his person, declaring him, among others, a heretic, reads as follows:
- If anyone does not anathematize Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, Apollinaris, Nestorius, Eutyches and Origen, as well as their impious writings, as also all other heretics already condemned and anathematized by the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and by the aforesaid four Holy Synods and [if anyone does not equally anathematize] all those who have held and hold or who in their impiety persist in holding to the end the same opinion as those heretics just mentioned: let him be anathema.[1]
As a result of this condemnation, the Roman Catholic Church does not regard Origen as a Church Father, while some in the Orthodox Church do though with reservations and qualifications. In any event, the Orthodox do not draw up official lists of Church Fathers, and neither church regards Origen as a saint. In centuries much later his work has been revisited by more sympathetic eyes, and his thought has been recognized as formative for the development of Christian theology.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
Initial text of this article was taken from the public domain Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge
- Crouzel, Henri. "Origen" in The Encyclopedia of Religion, pg. 108, edited by Mircea Eliade. MacMillan, 1987. ISBN 0028971353
- Greer, Rowan A., translator. "Origen: An Exhortation to Martyrdom, Prayer and Selected Works". Paulist Press, 1979. ISBN 0809102838
- Kannengiesser, Charles, et al. Ed. "Origen of Alexandria: His World and His Legacy". University of Notre Dame Press, 1988. ISBN 0268015015
External links
- Religious Texts Index: Origen
- Coptic Church on Origen
- Catholic Encyclopedia: Origen and Origenism
- The Anathemas Against Origen
- Origen Entry in Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- EarlyChurch.org.uk Extensive bibliography and on-line articles.
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