Origen: An Introduction to His Life and Thought

by Ronald E. Heine

The late second and early third century was a turbulent time in the Roman Empire and in the relationship between the empire and the church. Origen was the son of a Christian martyr and was himself imprisoned and tortured in his late life in a persecution that targeted leaders of the church. Deeply pious and a gifted scholar, Origen stands as one of the most influential Christian teachers in church history, and also one of the most controversial. This introduction to Origen begins by looking at some of the circumstances that were formative influences on his life. It then turns to some key elements in his thought. The approach here differs from that taken by most earlier studies by working from the central position that Scripture had for Origen. Heine argues that Origen's thought, in his later life especially, reflects his continual interaction with the Bible. "Heine's book provides an excellent entree into Origen, the towering scholar and churchman who flourished in the early third century. For those who wish to learn about Origen's life, how he engaged Scripture, or key themes in his thinking, Heine offers a clear, concise, and accessible orientation. I especially recommend it for readers who are beginning their study of the church fathers." --Peter W. Martens, Professor of Early Christianity, Saint Louis University "Origen rightly remains ever fascinating and ever controversial. There is no better guide to the great Alexandrian than Ron Heine, and this book displays on every page the deep erudition and skills of precise observation that we have come to expect. There simply is no better short introduction." --Lewis Ayres, Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology, Durham University "The overflowing biblical treasures of Origen, for so long misunderstood, forgotten, and even suppressed, are slowly being rediscovered. This book offers a master class conducted by one of the world's foremost Origen interpreters, who here condenses a lifetime of closely reading Origen's texts into an attractively accessible introduction. A gift to students and teachers, Ron Heine's Origen is a model of crystalline clarity and evocative insight." --Michael Cameron, Professor of Historical Theology, University of Portland Ronald E. Heine is Professor Emeritus of Bible and Theology at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon. He is the author of several books on early Christian authors and subjects and translator of many of Origen's exegetical and homiletical works, including The Commentary of Origen on the Gospel of St Matthew (2018), Commentary on the Gospel according to John (1989, 1993), and Homilies on Genesis and Exodus (1982).

Genres: Church History

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2020

About the author

Ronald E. Heine (PhD, University of Illinois) is professor of Bible and Christian ministry at Northwest Christian University in Eugene, Oregon. He is the author of Reading the Old Testament with the Ancient Church and several books on Origen.

Reviews

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short introduction to the life and though of Origen. Heine does a solid job of not presuming too much when it comes to the life or Origen and only presents what can be known about his early years. There may be a need for a prior church history background before picking up this short book, and the theological concepts in it may be unfamiliar to some. Therefore, this may not be the best place to start with Origen, for it is seeking to build off of a foundation that is already firm in understanding the patristics.

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accessible and helpful book.

[Chandler Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as I continued to do research for my thesis on Origen’s doctrine of God. I have read so much about Origen through tertiary historical and theological resources, but this book is a fantastic and succinct summary of the key information concerning Origen’s life, hermeneutic, and theology.

[Wyatt Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful guide to Origen. Cites and interprets Origen carefully.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Origen is one of the giants in the patristic world. He has written an unbelievable amount of works and every theologian has an opinion on him. All of this can make it intimidating or hard to know where to begin with him. This book offers an excellent place to start so one can begin to engage Origen with some level of understanding.

Half of the book is an introduction to Origen's life and his context. It was incredibly valuable not just to hear his own story but to have an idea of what helped shape his view of the world. The highlight of the book was the chapter on his Biblical interpretation. If you are reading Origen, it is likely because you want to see how he is interpreting the Bible. This chapter helps demonstrate what exactly his method of interpretation is and it is not as random as it may appear.

The last chapter was meant to be an overview of his theology and the weakest part of the book. It was harder to follow and I was not convinced these were the most important theological ideas Origen has.

Overall, this is a great introduction to Origen. It is short, brief, and a great primer to begin. I have read a few of Origen's books and sermons, but I still found it helpful.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Origen is an important figure in both Eastern Christianity and in hermeneutical thought. The first section of this book was a helpful historical overview of Origen's life that explains how his thinking impacted christian thought. The second section tended to be more technical and lacking a overall flow to the narrative. It was an instructive read and worth the effort.