Origen ― Cosmology and Ontology of Time

Vigiliae Christianae, Supplements

by P. Tzamalikos

Origen's Cosmology and Ontology of Time constitute a major catalyst and a massive transformation in the development of Christian doctrine. The author challenges the widespread impression about this theology being bowled head over heels by its encounter with Platonism, Gnosticism, or Neoplatonism, and casts new light on Origen's grasp of the relation between Hellenism, Hebrew thought and Christianity. Against all ancient and modern accounts, the ingrained claim that Origen sustained the theory of a beginningless world is disconfirmed. He is argued to be the anticipator and forerunner of critical notions, with his innovations never having been superseded. While some of the accounts afforded by subsequent Christian writers were more extended, they were not fuller. Of them, Augustine just fell short of even accurately echoing this Theory of Time, since he introduced affinity with Platonism at points where Origen had instituted a radical dissimilarity. With his background fruitfully brought into the study of these questions, Origen's propositions are genuine innovations, not mere advances, however massive.

432 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tzamalikos remains a profound researcher when it comes to Origen and his thought. This work on times provides helpful categories for how Origen saw the cosmos and the timelessness of God. Some of the beauty of this piece is how intertwines previous Greek thought on the matter and how Origen’s thoughts were novel and often counter to the stoic and Greek philosophical ways of viewing time and history. A great read on the Alexandrian Christian understanding of time.

[Joshua Rodning McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal work of scholarship. Tzamalikos profits from a knowledge of Origen's entire corpus (in Greek an Latin translation) and of the Greek and Latin philosophers. It is refreshing to see a scholar focus on the works themselves rather that a few key secondary sources.

He states that Origen espouses a new bold theory of time and that, in doing so, he distinguishes his thought from Platonism, Neoplatonism, and Stoicism. He argues for this based upon Origen's vocabulary, which he derives from both Neoplatonic and Stoic terminology. Another conclusion is that St. Augustine derives his theory of time from Origen. Aside from some editorial and misspellings, this work is a most worthy work and deserves to read carefully.

[Sarah]

Read first three chapters for seminar.