The Philocalia of Origen

by Origen

The translation here undertaken is, by kind permission, from the Revised Text (Cambridge, University Press, 1893) of Dr. Armitage Robinson, then Norrisian Professor of Divinity, subsequently Dean of Westminster, now Dean of Wells, who thus describes the “The Philocalia of Origen is a compilation of selected passages from Origen’s works made by SS. Gregory and Basil. The wholesale destruction of his writings which followed upon the warfare waged against his opinions shortly after his death, has caused a special value to attach to the Philocalia as preserving to us in the original much of Origen’s work which would otherwise have been entirely lost, or would have survived only in the translations of Rufinus.

Genres: Christianity, Theology, Religion

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 360

About the author

Origen of Alexandria (c. 184 – c. 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and biblical hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality. He was one of the most influential figures in early Christian theology, apologetics, and asceticism. He has been described as "the greatest genius the early church ever produced".

Reviews

[Erick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've liked Origen for some time. I don't agree with all of his theories, but he was, without question in my mind, the greatest of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. I always get a little perturbed when he is treated with contempt by other Christians--usually by people who have spent very little time actually studying him. His profound influence cannot be denied by anyone who is well acquainted with church history and theology. The man was prolific and inspired.

The Philocalia is a somewhat thematic compendium of Origen's thought. It was compiled by the Cappadocians Gregory Nazianzen and Basil the Great. I am probably going to be seen as biased since my greatest theological influences are primarily Alexandrian and Cappadocian, but this book would serve as a great introduction to Origen.

Some of the issues that Origen addresses here are hermeneutics, fatalistic determinism, the use of biblical allegory, the unity of the Bible, theodicy; also various gnostic and philosophical beliefs regarding the Bible, God and evil.
I have to say that I was quite impressed with Origen's refutation of the Gnostic and Platonist demonizing of matter. I had not read this before and it is very similar to my issues with Plotinus that I raised in my review to the Enneads. I highly recommend reading it. This portion is actually found in Eusebius and attributed to a certain Maximus, but it is claimed to be simply a word for word reiteration of Origen's points found in his work against Marcion.

I also was impressed with his refutation of fatalistic determinism. I have often thought, and said, that there are very few false theologies that are altogether new in the church. The Valentinian Gnostics held a form of Predestinationism that is quite similar to Calvinism. Indeed, they used the same proof texts from the New Testament to support it; and Origen's refutations hold good against Calvinism as well. Origen repeats some of the same criticisms I have had towards Calvinism, e.g. it makes God responsible for evil and compromises His Goodness, makes human beings guiltless, etc.

I have to say that Origen's appeal to allegory does attempt to gloss over the more difficult theological problems of the Old Testament, but overall I agree with his positions.

A good portion of this book comes from Origen's work Against Celsus, but there are enough novel textual sources to make this worth getting, even if someone already owns the Ante-Nicene ten volume set.