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Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
This volume provides the first English translation of the nine
extant homilies on Psalms 36[37]–38[39] preached by Origen (d.
253/4) to his congregation at Caesarea as arranged and translated
for Latin readers by his admirer, Rufinus of Aquileia (d. 411).
These homilies are among the earliest extant examples of patristic
preaching on the Psalter. The interpretation offered throughout
these homilies, which is almost wholly moral, reflects Origen's
understanding of the "soul" of the scriptural text. These homilies
provide a glimpse of Origen's account of scriptural meaning,
outlined in De principiis 4, in pastoral practice. In his
preaching, Origen offers a vision of the Christian life as centered
on the soul's continuing conversion, growth, and progress, with
particular reference to and within the context of the Church. The
life of the believer is one of combat and struggle with powers
opposed to Christ. It is Christ, as the divine Physician, who
offers healing to the one who is wounded and ailing from sin, and
it is Christ, as Wisdom and Word of God, who instructs and educates
the believer in the life of the Spirit. These homilies reveal the
substantial coherence of Origen's thought, as expressed in the more
speculative De principiis and as revealed in the more elaborate,
nuptial theology found in his Commentary on the Canticle. This
volume includes a robust introduction and complements the work of
Joseph Trigg, whose translation from the original Greek of the
cache of homilies discovered in Codex Monacensis 314 has recently
appeared in this series.
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not
used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad
quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are
images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to
keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the
original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain
imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made
available for future generations to enjoy.
Origen, son of the martyr Leonides, oldest in a family of seven
children was born probably at Alexandria 184/85 and died probably
in Tyre 253/54 after imprisonment and torture during the Decian
persecution. Surnamed "man of steel" Origen was an outstanding
theologian of the early Greek-speaking Church, a man of the virtue
and a genius with a prodigious capacity for work, an excellent
teacher to whose lectures students flocked "and did not give him
time to breathe for one bath of pupils after another kept
frequenting from morn till night his lecture-room" (Eusebius, H.E.
6, 15). As an author Origen surpasses all the writers of the Early
Church in literary output. A list complied by Eusebius, now
unfortunately lost, credited Origen with some 2000 books. Even a
far shorter list known to St. Jerome and mentioned by him in his
Letter To Paula giving the number of 786 works is still impressive.
Jerome then goes on to add some reflections. "Do you see the Greeks
and Latins outstripped by the work of one man? Who could ever read
all that he wrote? What reward did he receive for this exertion? He
is condemned by bishop Demetrius; except for the bishops of
Palestine, Arabia, Phoenicia and Achaia the world concurs in his
condemnation. Rome itself convokes an assembly against this man not
because of novelty of teachings, not because of heresy as now mad
dogs pretend against him, but because they could not bear the fame
of his eloquence and learning and were considered speechless when
he spoke". (Corpus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum latinorum, vol.54,
pp.253-59) . Origen's chief aim was to be an interpreter of the
Scriptures. To this end he composed scientific commentaries on
various books of the Old and New Testaments, homilies, and short
exegetical notes. The translations presented here belong to the
second category. Though he did not reject the literal sense of
Scripture Origen here is more intent upon the spiritual meanings of
passages selected from Genesis and Exodus.
In 2012 Dr. Marina Marin Pradel, an archivist at the Bayerische
Stattsbibliotek in Munich, discovered that a thick 12th-century
Byzantine manuscript, Codex Monacensis Graecus 314, contained
twenty-nine of Origen's Homilies on the Psalms, hitherto considered
lost. Lorenzo Perrone of the University of Bologna, an
internationally respected scholar of Origen, vouched for the
identification and immediately began work on the scholarly edition
that appeared in 2015 as the thirteenth volume of Origen's works in
the distinguished Griechische Christlichen Schrifsteller series. In
an introductory essay Perrone provided proof that the homilies are
genuine and demonstrated that they are, astonishingly, his last
known work. Live transcripts, these collection homilies constitute
our largest collection of actual Christian preaching from the
pre-Constantinian period. In these homilies, the final expression
of his mature thought, Origen displays, more fully than elsewhere,
his understanding of the church and of deification as the goal of
Christian life. They also give precious insights into his
understanding of the incarnation and of human nature. They are the
earliest example of early Christian interpretation of the Psalms,
works at the heart of Christian spirituality. Historians of
biblical interpretation will find in them the largest body of Old
Testament interpretation surviving in his own words, not filtered
through ancient translations into Latin that often failed to convey
his intense philological acumen. Among other things, they give us
new insights into the life of a third-century Greco-Roman
metropolis, into Christian/Jewish relations, and into Christian
worship. This translation, using the GCS as its basis, seeks to
convey, as faithfully as possible, Origen's own categories of
thought. An introduction and notes relate the homilies to the
theology and principles of interpretation in Origen's larger work
and to that work's intellectual context and legacy.
Origen of Alexandria's Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans is
the oldest extant commentary on Romans (ca. 246). This volume
presents the first English translation of the commentary, covering
his exegesis of Rom 1:1 to 6:11. One of his longest and most mature
works, it is the only commentary of Origen available in a coherent
form from beginning to end. The work was originally composed in
Greek in Caesarea, but only fragments of the archetype have
survived. Fortunately, Origen's admirer Rufinus of Aquileia
translated the work into Latin (ca. 406). Origen's exegesis
predates the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius by 170
years; thus it offers a striking perspective on Romans. Opposition
to Gnostic interpretations of Paul is an important characteristic
of the commentary. Above all Origen defends the Church against the
"doctrine of natures"-the belief that all human beings are born
with unalterable natures, either good or evil, and thus bound for
either salvation or damnation, and that their conduct during this
life cannot alter their destiny. Origen successfully refutes this
teaching, showing that freedom of will always abides in rational
beings. Provoked by Marcion's repudiation of the Old Testament,
Origen emphasizes the harmony between Gospel and Law. He highlights
as one of Paul's main themes in Romans the transfer of religion
from Judaism to Christianity, from the letter to the spirit, in
terms both of salvation history and of the transformation of the
individual. Origen claims that the key to unlocking Romans is
understanding Paul's use of homonyms-identical expressions such as
law, Jew, circumcision, death, etc., with divergent meanings. Books
6-10 of the commentary, presenting Origen's interpretation of Rom
6:12 to 16:27, will be the next volume published in the Fathers of
the Church series.
In these firsthand accounts of the early church, the spirit of
Pentecost burns with prophetic force through the fog enveloping the
modern church. A clear and vibrant faith lives on in these
writings, providing a guide for Christians today. Its stark
simplicity and revolutionary fervor will stun those lulled by
conventional Christianity. The Early Christians is a topically
arranged collection of primary sources. It includes extra-biblical
sayings of Jesus and excerpts from Origen, Tertullian, Polycarp,
Clement of Alexandria, Justin, Irenaeus, Hermas, Ignatius, and
others. Equally revealing material from pagan contemporaries -
critics, detractors, and persecutors - is included as well.
'On First Principles' is the most important surviving text written
by Origen, a third century Church father. It is the first attempt
in history to compose a complete Christian theology. Writing in a
time when fundamental doctrines had not yet been fully articulated
by the Church, Origen contributed to the very formation of
Christianity.
Quintus Tertullian (c. 160-c. 220) is distinguished by being the
first major Christian thinker to write in the Latin language.
According to Eusebius, he was raised in Carthage, the son of a
Roman centurion. Following his conversion to the faith, he became
an impassioned defender of the rights of Christians. Origen
Adamantius (c. 185-254) taught in Alexandria, reviving the
catechetical school of Alexandria in which Clement of Alexandria
had taught. His translations, commentaries, and theological works
mark him as one of the finest minds of early Christianity. John
Cassian (c. 360-435), born in Europe, first joined a monastery in
Palestine and then traveled to Egypt to learn from the Desert
Fathers. After his return to Europe, he founded a monastery in
southern France. His writings would eventually influence St.
Benedict, who recommended Cassian's texts to his monks. All three
writers in this collection offer reflections on the Lord's Prayer,
together with practical advice for prayer. This common ground
provides a basis for comparisons, along with a rich picture of
Christian spirituality in the ancient world. At the same time, the
authors address questions about prayer that are still relevant
today.
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