Early Life (Prior to age 18): Origen shows remarkable talents and demonstrates exceptional character.
Age 18 (c. 203/204 AD): Origen begins earning a living as a teacher.
Early Christian Era (Pre-Origen): Justin, Tatian, Athenagoras, Pantaenus, and Clement labor to find intellectual expression and philosophic basis for Christianity, laying a foundation for Origen’s work.
Origen’s Lifespan (c. 185/186 – c. 254 AD):Origen is known for his unmatched literary productivity, potentially authoring 6000 works.
He applies the scientific method to scripture study, exemplified by his work on the Hexapla.
He writes a 32-book commentary on the Gospel of John, considered the pinnacle of his work.
He writes 10 books of the Stromata.
He faces controversy regarding his teachings, leading him to leave Alexandria.
He dictates his writings, requiring seven stenographs to keep up.
He preaches homilies spontaneously without written preparation.
He writes First Principles (Peri Archon).
He writes Commentary on the Gospel of John.
He writes Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans.
He writes a letter to Gregory, suggesting a basis for understanding scriptures.
He writes a letter to Africanus, recounting missing references in Hebrew texts.
c. 254 AD: Origen dies, probably at age 70, after suffering persecution and imprisonment.
Third Century BC: Jewish priests rewrite Old Testament texts, altering original spiritual meanings.
Post-Origen, Pre-Justinian (Time of Rufinus): Rufinus translates some of Origen’s works into Latin, admitting to changing texts to “fill in what is missing and abbreviate what is too long,” suggesting the tampering of Origen’s original writings.
543 AD: Emperor Justinian issues an “Anathematism against Origen,” condemning certain teachings attributed to him.
553 AD: The Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople ratifies Justinian’s anathemas, officially condemning teachings attributed to Origen. This act is stated to have destroyed Origen’s core spiritual teachings, particularly those opposing the eternal damnation dogma, and led to the loss of most of his Commentary on the Gospel of John and all 10 books of the Stromata.
Modern Era: Professor John Nash develops his Nobel Prize-winning work on competitive environments, which is presented as supporting Origen’s view of inherent goodness in natural laws and the principle of loving one’s neighbor.
Cast of Characters
Origen (185/186 AD – c. 254 AD): An extraordinary early Christian theologian and scholar. He was a prolific writer, known for his application of the scientific method to scripture and his allegorical interpretations. He aimed to extract deeper spiritual meanings from scripture, drawing on Greek philosophy. His teachings sparked significant controversy in his time and posthumously, with some labeling him a heretic and others a prophet. He endured persecution and imprisonment.
Emperor Justinian (d. 565 AD, referenced in 543 AD): A Byzantine Emperor who issued the “Anathematism against Origen” in 543 AD and is credited with re-writing and simplifying Roman law. The source presents him as seeking to destroy Origen’s spiritual beliefs to maintain worldly power over the Roman Empire, specifically targeting teachings that threatened the dogma of eternal damnation.
Rufinus (referenced post-Origen): A translator tasked with rendering some of Origen’s works into Latin. He stated he often had to change Origen’s texts, either by filling in missing parts or abridging them, which the source suggests implies a misunderstanding of Origen’s original intent or evidence of tampering with Origen’s works.
Philo (referenced as influence on Origen): A Jewish theologian whose concept of “sober drunkenness” influenced Origen’s understanding of prophetic ecstasy, though Origen diverged from Philo on the concept of unconsciousness during prophecy.
Clement (referenced as influence on Origen): An early church father who, along with others, laid the intellectual and philosophical groundwork for Christianity upon which Origen built.
Jean Daniélou (modern scholar): A writer who praises Origen as a grand figure in multiple guises (active Christian, exegete, philosopher, spiritual master), but fails to grasp the entirety of Origen’s teaching, asking readers to discard “speculative” and “heretical” elements.
Henry Crouzel (modern scholar): An author who describes the difficulty in accepting allegorical interpretations, exemplifying the conflict surrounding Origen’s methodology. He also argues that Jerome misunderstood Origen’s teaching on a “double sacrifice.”
J. Trigg (modern scholar): An author who explains Origen’s concept of the preexistence of souls, noting Origen’s use of this idea to explain apparent injustices based on souls’ behavior prior to incarnation.
M. C. Steenberg (modern scholar): An author who summarizes the Church’s traditional position on souls after death and defends the view of God’s unlimited power. He also critically assesses Origen’s doctrine of Universal Salvation, arguing it removes a real sense of justice from judgment and ultimately negates free will.
Benedikt Baue (modern scholar): An author who investigates the claim that Origen’s First Principlesis the basis for the Trinity dogma, suggesting Origen’s true theology differentiated between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirits with a clear subordination.
Zwingli (modern scholar): A scholar who notes that in John 1:1, “the Word is a divine being and not God,” aligning with a Pro-Origen interpretation of the Logos.
Edward Moore (modern scholar): An author who defends Origen’s restoration theory, describing its beauty in gradually revealing truth as intelligible and existential.
Professor John Nash (modern Nobel Prize winner): A mathematician and economist whose Nobel Prize-winning work on competitive environments is cited as providing scientific support for Origen’s “humanistic” theology, particularly the idea that “love thy neighbor as thyself” is inherent in natural laws.
Jerome (referenced post-Origen): An early church father who is believed by Crouzel to have misunderstood Origen’s teaching on the cosmic effect of Christ’s sacrifice, leading to the misinterpretation that Origen advocated for a second crucifixion for demons.
David G. Hunter (modern scholar): An author who confirms that Origen’s homilies were preached spontaneously, without written preparation.
Gregory (recipient of Origen’s letter): A person to whom Origen wrote, advising him to incorporate Greek philosophy, geometry, and astronomy into his studies for a better understanding of Holy Scriptures.
Heraclius (recipient of Rufinus’s preface): The brother to whom Rufinus addresses the preface of his translation of Origen’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, indicating Heraclius compelled him to undertake the translation and abridgement.