Origen: An Exortation to Martyrdom, Prayer, and Selected Works

Rating:
Summary: The Father of the Church and Neoplatonism
Review: Origen (c. 185--254) was not only one of the four great Church Fathers (Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian), but also one of the founders of the philosophy Neoplatonism. He was a fellow student of Plotinus, the credited Founding Father of Neoplatonism. They were pupils under the legendary Platonist teacher Ammonius Saccas in Alexandria, Egypt. This outstanding volume begins with "An Exortation To Martyrdom," which describes indepthly Origen's beliefs about martyrdom to his two friends, Ambrose and Protoctetus. Time and again he takes parables from the Bible and mixes them within his own eclectic exegesis and Neoplatonic theories. It's quite outstanding, to say the least. The next work is "On Prayer," in which Origen lays out with mental precision "The Lord's Prayer"--breaking it down into sections and explaining them. At the end he brilliantly says how we ought to pray and what we should pray for. "On First Principles: Book IV" is my favorite. Here it is. "Chapter One: That The Scriptures Are Divinely Inspired"; "Chapter Two: That Many By Not Understanding The Scriptures Spiritually And By Badly Understanding Them Fall Into Heresies"; "Chapter Three: Examples From The Scriptures Of How Scripture Should Be Understood"; and "Chapter Four: A Summary Concerning The Father, The Son, And The Holy Spirit And Other Matters Previously Discussed." In the magnificent "The Prologue To The Commentary On The Song Of Songs," Origen explains Solomon's only surviving psalm and its allegorical meanings. He goes on at length about the three Books of Solomon's: Proverbs (moral or ethical), Ecclesiastes (natural or physics), Song Of Songs (contemplative or enoptics). He describes Solomon's transformation and "Divine" wisdom throughout. Also, why he believes Solomon's other psalms were excluded from the Old Testament as apocryphal writings. In the beginning Origen warns the unlearned not to pick up or read his own work! Finally, there's the exegesis or "Homily XXVII On Numbers." As Origen explains its main theme, "If one examines as carefully as possible, he will find in the Scriptures that there are forty-two stages in the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt; and, further, the coming of our Lord and Savior into this world is traced through forty-two generations. This is what Mathew and the Evangelist points out when he says, 'From Abraham to David the king, fourteen generations. And from David to the Babylonian Exile, fourteen generations. And from the Babylonian Exile to Christ, fourteen generations'" (Mt. 1:17). Origen's exegesis of the Book of Numbers comes to the conclusion that the soul's journey from earth to heaven goes through the same stages on our pilgrimage to God. The stairway to heaven is made of virtues. We ascend one virtuous step at a time "until the soul arrives at its goal, namely the highest summit of virtues, and crosses the river of God and receives the heritage promised it." It's an extremely insightful glimpse into the Book of Numbers. This volume is a must have for any Christian mysticism or Neoplatonic collection. I highly recommend this superlative volume as well as the others in The Classics of Western Spirituality series.

Rating:
Summary: The Father of the Church and Neoplatonism
Review: Origen was one of the most carefully observant and meticulous interpreters of biblical scripture ever to have lived. This book provides profound, fascinating, and deep insights into the inner subtleties of religious scripture. Origen pays attention to the most minute details in scripture, and reminds us of the importance of these precise interpretations into the exact wording of the scripture. The existence of a writer like Origen all but disproves some sceptic's theories that the bible was actually written much later than previously supposed. If, for instance, it is true that the bible was not written until the 1400's or 1500's, the writings of Origen would also have to have been fabricated, and would therefore be some kind of fraud. Origen, along with writers such as St. Thomas, St. Augustine, and Clement of Alexandria, are important because they give us valuble insights into the minds of the earliest Christian mystics, as well as shed light on the dynamics of the initial spread of Christianity. But these early Christians are also important because they help us put our religion into proper historical perspective, and give us clear evidence as to when the bible was written and by whom. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Christianity, and especially those interested in the early mystical Christian neo-prophets. However, people with little or no familiarity with the New Testament might not like this, because Origen has a somewhat narrow focus devoted almost entirely to the interpretation of the precise wording of scripture. But every serious Christian thinker should eventually take a look at this book.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: Origen was one of the most carefully observant and meticulous interpreters of biblical scripture ever to have lived. This book provides profound, fascinating, and deep insights into the inner subtleties of religious scripture. Origen pays attention to the most minute details in scripture, and reminds us of the importance of these precise interpretations into the exact wording of the scripture. The existence of a writer like Origen all but disproves some sceptic's theories that the bible was actually written much later than previously supposed. If, for instance, it is true that the bible was not written until the 1400's or 1500's, the writings of Origen would also have to have been fabricated, and would therefore be some kind of fraud. Origen, along with writers such as St. Thomas, St. Augustine, and Clement of Alexandria, are important because they give us valuble insights into the minds of the earliest Christian mystics, as well as shed light on the dynamics of the initial spread of Christianity. But these early Christians are also important because they help us put our religion into proper historical perspective, and give us clear evidence as to when the bible was written and by whom. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Christianity, and especially those interested in the early mystical Christian neo-prophets. However, people with little or no familiarity with the New Testament might not like this, because Origen has a somewhat narrow focus devoted almost entirely to the interpretation of the precise wording of scripture. But every serious Christian thinker should eventually take a look at this book.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectual reverence and the spiritual sense.
Review: These selected works from the writings of Origen (c. 185-254) will give the reader much to contemplate and are complex enough to perhaps frustrate the reader without some foundation in the material. Do not read Origen without first reading the preface (Hans Urs von Balthasar) and the foreword and introduction (Rowan Greer). These are valuable insights into the second and third centuries and the early history of Christian thought. The writings of Origen generated several centuries of controversy in the early church. His ardent admirers included Eusebius, Gregory of Nissa and the Cappadocian Fathers, and Jerome. His ardent detractors included Epiphanius, Theophilus, Jerome (persuaded to change his mind), and the Emperor Justinian. One of the so-called "Four Fathers" of the Christian church, "Origen was as towering a figure as Augustine and Aquinas. . . his overt and hidden influence has proved no less far-reaching than theirs," says Hans Urs von Balthasar as he begins his preface. "Whoever seeks access from merely dogmatic faith into that inward realm where we see with the inner eye of faith enters a world of mystery demanding not only intellectual reverence but personal holiness as well. . . Perhaps it can be said that [Origen's] simultaneous viewing of prayer and exegesis . . . of exact philology . . . and the search for the spiritual sense, is the most important aspect of Origenistic spirituality for our present situation. . . . the underlying attitude remains exemplary for us, perhaps more than ever before."
Jesus said "wisdom is proved right by her actions," and "by their fruit you will recognize them," and "the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him." These thoughts commend to us the influences of Origen.
Apart from the Introduction to these selections, I particularly recommend "On First Principles: Book IV" and "Commentary on the Song of Songs". Some of the ideas presented in "Homily XXVII on Numbers" were fuel for his detractors (the 42 steps), along with an oversimplification and misunderstanding of his neo-Platonic deliberating. As Greer says, "these difficulties should not be allowed to obscure the main lines of his thought." Origen's spiritually rich approach to exegesis is typified in this passage:
"Now all these truths, as we have said, are . . . buried in the narratives of holy Scripture, because 'the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field' (Mt. 13:44). Consider very carefully whether this passage does not point to the fact that the soil and surface, so to speak, of Scripture, that is, the meaning according to the letter, is the 'field' filled and flowering with plants of all kinds, while the deeper and more profound spiritual meaning is 'the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' (Col. 2:3), which the Holy Spirit through Isaiah calls 'obscure, invisible, and hidden treasures' (cf. Is. 45:2-3). To be able to find them we need the help of God, who alone can 'break in pieces the doors of bronze' by which they are shut up and hidden."
It is said that Origen was the first great post New Testament theologian, exegete, and apologist. The doctrinal/ exegetical and theological issues with which he wrestled had not yet been 'resolved' by the church councils of later years (it would be naïve to think that some have ever been universally resolved). We might expect that there be difficulty with certain of his understandings. Of course the 'big' problem in his writings, as we still have them, is his idea of the transmigration of souls (an unusual idea in Western thought, whether Judeo-Christian or Greco-Roman). This is the idea that most stirred his opponents. In honest fairness to Origen, we must admit that we don't finally know his ultimate view in this area and perhaps his detractors didn't either. He is known to have changed his thinking on certain issues as he continued to study and pray, and much of his extensive writings disappeared long ago. At the end of his extremely productive life, he was arrested and tortured, and died after being released (this happening when the early persecution of Christians was waning). As he did not die in the custody of his tormentors, there was, in his death, more room for controversy -- as to whether or not he should be counted a martyr.
The mysticism of Eastern Christianity traces largely to Origen and his deeply spiritual approach to scripture, always looking to philological accuracy, subtleties, and deeper and more theologically and spiritually consistent meanings. Much of his exegesis and theology is present in the writings of Augustine and Christian thinkers down to our day. An honest knowledge of Origen's thought will benefit anyone with an interest in philosophy, theology, exegetics, and/or church history. Although Origen is inherently difficult, this volume provides a needed window of access to the work of this learned and gifted theologian.

Rating:
Summary: Origen-Clasics of Western Spirituality
Review: This volume contains a good overview of the works of Origen, including "An Exortation to Martyrdom," "On Prayer," and selections from "On First Principles," "The Homily on Numbers," and more. The Translation is in clear, contemporary English. The introductory material is well writen and thorough, with plentiful notes. The text is annotated with cross references and biblical citations. This volume is exelently produced, as is the entire series.