The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion EssayWhen considering the impact or work on that an individual has had on any particular ingredient of society, it is necessary to re skyline that individuals accomplishments and contri andions. This paper will provide the memorizeer insight into the life and contributions of unrivalled of the early church service fathers Origen (ca. 186 255). As one of the most controversial church fathers in the evangelistic community, Origen influenced the church, both the early and modern church, done his intellectual and literary contributions which included compiling, translating and interpreting ledger, establishing of the beginning Christian university replete with the starting timeborn systematic theology, and writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations. A mans contributions be only as good as his disposition therefore, we must know a little about Origen of Alex andria.One must not reject the influence of a man based solely upon the opinions of others. The evangelistic community appears to gloss over the true accomplishments and influence of Origen based on his rogue nature and the notwithstandingt that he was condemned as a heretic. One evangelical professor even started his lecture on Origen by introducing him as many peoples least favorite theologian. The purpose of calling this to light is that there must be an acknowledgement that we would not be where we are as an evangelical community without the contributions of Origen. There must be an acknowledgement that Origen has been vilified by many, and therefore, when Origen is discussed it is with prejudice. Origen is described as the boy whose mother hid his clothes so that he could not be martyred1with his father, or the ascetic separatist who castrated himself because he misinterpreted Matthew 1912.2The heretic, Origen, is judged with the light of modern judgement because of his vi ew that even Satan will be saved3or his speculation about the fall of mankind. Judgment is often cast during the introduction of Origen, prior(prenominal) to listing all of the accomplishments that Origen make which still impact Christianity today. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify some of those facts (yes, most appear to be factual) prior to investigating this early church fathers contributions and subsequent influence on Christianity. For just a moment, Origen will be defended and revered for his character and accomplishments so that an objective view can be made on his influence on the church.Origen was a man of extreme self discipline, a rogue, who lived an ascetic lifestyle prior to the establishment of monastic orders.4Origen has some large notations about his life, primarily his castration however, later he regretted the act and wrote that it should not be done. At the very least, it reveals the strength of his desire to overcome the flesh.5Additionally, there are numer ous accounts that Demetrius the bishop over Origen was extremely jealous of Origen and subsequently used his influence to slander and defame Origen. It is true that Origen had speculation about the fall of man and the net demise of Satan however, we must remember that Origen never had the benefit of a canonized New will. In spite of Origens numerous commentaries on books which would later start out canonized into the New Testament, it does not appear that he ever commented on the book of Revelation. This might have been the cause of his speculation which trended toward universalism. Origen was a Biblical personality who revered Scripture and even wrote commentaries on some(prenominal) of the New Testament, many times needing a team of multiple scribes to capture his prolific notes.6It is an absolute fact that Origen was condemned as a heretic for his beliefs. Posthumously, Origen was condemned for his subordinate view of the Trinity. His condemnation as a heretic came 199 years after his death without the benefit of defense. Origen at the mature of 69 had an opportunity to stand for his Christian beliefs where he would earn the name Adamantius meaning made of steel as a result of his persecution for his faith.7Origens muscles, sinews and joints were ripped as he was stretched on a rack in order to seek a confession.8Although Origen did not die during the persecution, he died shortly after from complications arising from this torture. Origen died in AD 255, slightly 112 years sooner the books of the New Testament were listed in Athanasius Easter letter and almost 200 years prior to Origens condemnation as a heretic. It is egest to see that his life had a lasting impact on the church if he was still an active topic of discussion two centuries after his death. With an arrest of the basics of Origen, we have to acknowledge his intellectual and literary contributions which would ultimately have an impact on the church even until today.Origens father, Leoni des, schooled Origen with unusual rigor, giving him a attractive education that prioritized scripture and also grounded him in the Greek liberal arts.9After Leonides was martyred, Origen was labored to provide for his family by becoming a private tutor. Soon, Origen became a instructor in the church in Alexandria where he taught new converts in basic theology. Origens career as a teacher and Christian theologian earned him much fame and recognition and he began to travel throughout the region debating and teaching. His brilliance soon became legendary, and pagan intellectuals from around the Mediterranean came to dispute with him.10With this fame came jealousy and conflict with the Bishop of Alexandria, Demetrius, which ultimately forced Origen to move to Caesarea. It was in Caesarea where Origen began to contribute to Christianity through Scripture translation and formal Theology.In Caeserea, Origen formalized his teaching and training when he open the regions first Christian s chool of Theology.11The nature of the school was for the formation of Christian scholars in an ascetic environment however, some scholars have suggested that Origen developed in Caesarea essentially a missioner school to educate young pagan men out of secular Greek thought and into the true Christian philosophia.12Origen might have established the first center for missionary training. One of Origens pupils, Gregory Thaumaturgus, captured the nature of the institution in his sacred scriptures Origen was instructing us in theology and the devout character.13A training institution is to a slap-uper extent than just the physical structures. It requires vision, tenet and foundation. Origen provided the vision and the pee-pees that became the keystones to Christian Theology. At the cornerstone of the School of Caesarea stood The Hexapla, a six-column Hebrew Greek translation of the Old Testament with Origens annotations. Eusebius writes this about Origens study leading up to the forma tion of The Hexapla,So earnest and assiduous was Origens research into the divine words that he learned the Hebrew language, and procured as his own the original Hebrew Scriptures which were in the hands of the Jews. He investigated also the plant of other translators of the Sacred Scriptures besides the Seventy LXX.14The first consolidated work on the Old Testament, The Hexapla would have a lasting impact on Christianity. The Hexapla was used as a reference by Jerome and Eusebius.15Emperor Constantine would later complaint scribes to copy fifty copies of The Hexapla to be sent to the great churches throughout his empire.16Origen sought to provide the church with a us adequate translation of the Old Testament with The Hexapala in a language that the literate could understand. In addition to this six-column format, Origen also produced a smaller Tetrapla version of the four columns most likely to be used by Christians.17The often overlooked impact of his work is that it translated the Hebrew into Greek and provided a reference for generations of Christian scholars. Expounding on the foundation of the Scriptures through the cornerstone established by The Hexapla, Origen wrote the first systematic theology aptly named On First Principles. On First Principles set forth Christian theology on a scale previously unknown to the church. He Origen argued powerfully for the inspiration and authority of Scripture.18On First Principles appears to have been equally beneficial for the student as fountainhead as for the un worshipper. Origen wrote this handbook on Christianity as a synthesis between philosophy and Christianity which some scholars believe that Origen wished to make available for seekers.19If accurate, this provides a vision of an Origen with an evangelical nature. One notable feature of On First Principles is Origens focus on and apparent love for Jesus Christ. One needs only to read the disruption lines of the preface of On First Principles to derive Orige ns core beliefs and see his lasting impact on Christianity. Origen writes,All who believe and are assured that grace and faithfulness were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, agreeably to His own declaration, I am the truth, derive the knowledge which incites men to a good and blissful life from no other source than from the very words and teaching of Christ.20From this passage, one can easily see parallels to teachings which are still present in the modern day evangelical church. Additionally, Origen addresses three core principles in the preface of his work that have remained through millennia of Christian thoughtFirst, that there is one perfection, who created and pose all things, and who, when nothing existed, called all things into being21Secondly, That Jesus Christ Himself, who came (into the world), was born of the Father before all creatures became a man, and was incarnate although God, and while made a man remained the God which He was22T hen, Thirdly, the apostles related that the Holy Spirit was associated in honour and dignity with the Father and the Son.23These statements alone provide a firm Ante-Nicene view of the Trinity which, of course, has deeply force our orthodoxy in the 21st century. Origen argues that all Christian understanding proceeds from the teaching of Christ. Throughout On First Principles, Origen addressed topics such as Christology, anthropology, eschatology, ecclesiology and hermeneutics.Origens thoughts on hermeneutics and freedom of thought within his allegorical interpretive mode draws some criticism from the Evangelical community today. However, according to Origen, God had purposely invested the Bible with multiple layers of meaning Where any verse can become a rich source of Christological truth.24Origen saw Scripture rendition as a deeply personal venture into seeking God and seeing Christ on every page. More importantly, why would Origens allegorical method of interpretation have an impact on the church? Prior to Origen, who was not a bishop, tradition had restricted scriptural interpretation in the churches to the ordained clergy, the bishop himself, or one of his chosen presbyters.25Origen was breaking the mold of interpretation and taking it from ecclesiastical process to personal revelation. Origens life and literary whole works appeared to be trending toward the individual conscientiousness of the believer to grow in knowledge and depth however, centuries later the papacy did much to decease the believers accessibility to both the Bible and its interpretation. The Catholic Church sought to stifle the believer by withholding the interpretation Scripture at the highest level of the church an apparent contradiction to Origens philosophy of proliferative information on the Bible. It is quite workable that Origens allegorical interpretation of Scripture enabled him to have the freedom to write such a prolific number of literary works. The sheer number of O rigens literary works must have affected the formation of Christianity.Origens literary contributions were so vast that some have numbered his works up to 6000 however, Eusebius, an Orgenian scholar, listed around 2000.26It is important to note that Origens thoughts (conveyed through his literary works), even after being condemned, have permeated Christianity to a degree that they may never be dismissed.All of the greatest thinkers of the patristic age were in his Origens debt, and even after his condemnation he was too deeply inserted into the fabric of Christian theologizing ever to be dismissed or forgotten. He had been the founding couturier of biblical commentary as a mode of organizing Christian reflection, and no one who took the Bible seriously in the first millennium of the church was able to avoid his groundbreaking writing.27Since the understanding that Origens literary works had a ponderous impact on Christianity is healthful established, it is beneficial to note the types of literary works and their several(prenominal) influence.Origen wrote a number of commentaries and sermons on both the Old Testament and on the (yet to be canonized) New Testament. Origens Scriptural commentaries were a uniquegenre of literature, of which he Origen is the first major exponent, he shows himself to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the text. He is able to cross-register word appearances from all over the scriptural record, an impressive feat in the days before concordances and reference tools were available.28Origen wrote extensive commentaries on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Isaiah, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. Origens commentary seeks to bring Jesus Christ to life in the life of the reader, because by means of divine allegory, every word on every page of scripture could be made to speak with overflowing richness about Jesus Christ, the Christian life, and the Christians eternal hope.29Origens Christ-centric writings read more like a modern day sermon than a c ommentary. Origen also wrote on much of the New Testament books with a particular semblance to Johnnine and Pauline Scripture, and he wrote a major on the gospel singing of John titled the same. It is in Origens Gospel of John that we see that Origen fights for the Scripture however, he holds the evangel in particularly high esteem. Additionally, Origen defines that we must say that the good things the Apostles announce in this Gospel are barely Jesus.30Origen identifies that the whole of the Gospel message is simply in Jesus Christ. We cannot help but note that Origens views are similar to our evangelical views separated by almost 1800 years. Also concerning the commentary on the Gospel of John, you see that Origen also portrays a keen understanding of the source of power in evangelism. Origen states,King David says of the Apostles, perhaps also of the evangelists The Lord shall give the word to those that preach with great power the King of the powers of the beloved teaching at the same time that it is not skillfully composed discourse, nor the mode of delivery, nor well practised eloquence that produces conviction, but the communication of divine power.31Origens commentary of Matthew takes on the approach of a guide for liturgical preaching. Origen is providing the church with pastoral teaching through his commentaries. The Matthean commentary was composed in twenty-five volumes (only eight remain today), and Origens main ideas of his commentary made their way into more or less all other commentators of the Christian tradition.32His effect on the preaching through the generations has continued through the pastoral teaching in his commentaries. In one of his most famous commentaries, Origen addresses the Song of Song using his method of allegorical interpretation. In Canticle of Canticles, Origen outlines the mystical union between the Christian church and its Bridegroom. Although most modern thought disregard this interpretation, Christians should at l east acknowledge its profound impact on the concept of Christian mysticism.33In addition to his commentaries, Origen wrote a number of letters, apologies and dialogues explaining his Christian faith and doctrine. Origens apologetic works, the most famous of which is Against Celsus, defend vehemently the Christian faith. Origens Against Celsus, a response to a pagan treatise attacking Christianity, stands as a monument of Christian apologetic.34Many of Origens dialogues and letters also stand in defense and explanation of the Christian faith. In his letter Reply to Julius Africanus, Origen discusses the matter of principles of establishing the canon of Christian Scriptures.35The sheer number of commentaries on New Testament books would change integrity Origens concern with the canonization of the New Testament, yet he defends the necessity of affirming the works of the apostles in his dialogue. We have benefitted from Origens faithfulness to the New Testament letters through his inf luence in the canonization process of the New Testament.Origens life might have been ascetic, but his commentaries were opulent and filled with a genuine love for the words of God and the Word of God. At least in some part, Origen has survived through this same passion in the evangelical community. Origen through his intellectual contributions started the solidification of Christian doctrine through the formation of the first Christian university, founded on the first written systematic theology. The foundation that Origen paved established a doctrinal basis which served as a starting point for the early church especially with regard to the Trinity and Christology. Origens passion for seeing Christ in every page of Scripture led him to pursue an allegorical method of interpretation which can still be useful when coupled with current Hermeneutical practices nevertheless, Origens genius opened up the apricot of the Scriptures and allows Christians to see Christ in difficult texts lik e Leviticus. Origens prolific commentaries provided a genre of literary works which have continued to this day and have impacted Christians by providing a guide for liturgical preaching. Origens apologies have stood as the template for defense of the faith. Today we still refer to Origens Against Celsus as an apologetic worthy of emulation. in concert with Athanasius Easter Letter, Origens selection of books with which to write commentaries on was instrumental in the canonization of the New Testament as we know it today. Even though the majority of Origens works were destroyed in 543 as a result of being condemned as a heretic, Origens remaining work is still relevant to the evangelical community even for purposes of debate and dispute. Most would find the majority of his work uplifting and possibly even edifying. The character of Origen is a sad reality of the humanity of fallen man. Origen, in spite of his best efforts, was still a man however, one might challenge whether or not his heart and passion (seemingly even for evangelism) as well as his intellectual works are not still present in the modern day church. Origen one of the most controversial church fathers, influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and by writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations.