Celsus in His Own Words: A Translation of The True Teaching

by M. David Litwa, Celsus Platonicus

This work is a translation of Celsus' The True Teaching--the very first extensive criticism of Christianity, probably written in the late second century CE. In contrast to the rendition of this work by R. J. Hoffmann, Dr. Litwa offers a literal--though not wooden--translation of Celsus in an attempt to represent its original language and force. Celsus was eloquent, witty, and sharp-witted. There is, accordingly, no need to improve on his language or rhetoric, let alone to add or rearrange material. Litwa simply tries to represent The True Teaching—in all its biting wit and force. The power and clarity of Celsus' arguments still amaze people today, as well as his ability to foreshadow later Christian and anti-Christian developments and themes. In short, Celsus' True Teaching has stood the test of time, and it touches a nerve even today. It contains precious information about early Christian diversity, theology, associations, cult practices, and it offers an extensive comparison with Greco-Roman literature and mythology.

Genres: Religion

95 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2024

Reviews

[Allen Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to rate. Celsus's fragments show him to be an elitist ass whose criticisms of the early Christian community were, on the whole, mean-spirited and unfair. But, they provide an interesting view into early Christian stories, rituals, and beliefs, even if it's difficult to know whether he is reporting these things in good faith or fabricating/exaggerating untoward elements to enhance his anti-apologia.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had heard of Celsus, mostly as a mention of a Roman thinker who debunked Chistianity, known from excerpts of his writings that were quoted in a rufutation by the apologist Origen, and although previous compiliations of Celsus have been made, Author David Litwa is making a new one, "in his own words", not trying particularly to link or smooth together the fragments of Celsus writings that exist.

It is a curious thing. As translated by Litwa, Celsus comes across as cranky---you can almost imagine him saying "I can't believe anybody believes this stuff" (Christianity). He has the feel of a Reddit poster.

He clearly thinks that Christians are another sect of Judaism, and makes his arguments, which I won't detail here, leaving that the reader to discover.

It is a slim volume, coming in at 70 pages including a useful introduction.
So if you're into the subject of early Christianity, this is definitely something to check out.