A PRESENTATION ON

ORIGEN(A GLIMPSE OF HIS THOUGHTS & WORKS)

CH 2000 EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Course professor: Dr. dieter mitternacht

Presenter: Helen Mun (M.Div. student)

Date: 3rd November 2011.

ORIGEN(222-230)

A glimpse of Theological & Philosophical Thoughts of

ORIGEN

ORIGEN’S BELIEFS OF CHURCH’S CREEDS & RULE OF FAITH

ORIGEN, THE CREATIVE THEOLOGIAN

What is ‘On First Principles’? (Peri Archon)

Complexity of book: Creation & created world.

Purpose of writing? To refute gnostic Christian believers

(Valentinus).

HIS THEOLOGICAL SYSTEM

Origen’s philosophical arguments: Upholds Doctrine of human free will

Origen’s arguments with: Marcion & Valentinus

Heart of Origen’s Theology

A SPIRITUAL VISION {ON FIRST PRINCIPLES}

Defense of church’s tradition Against gnostics & pagan despisers

A spiritual vision & a theological treatise

Figurative interpretation of imagery

What is APOKATASTASIS?The final restoration of all things

including the return of all fallen spirits to God.

Origen’s apocatastasis (1Corinthians 15:23-28, 44).

ORIGEN’S IDEA: APOKATASTASIS

ORIGEN’S PERMANENT LEGACY

Origen’s achievements

His struggles with gnostics

ORIGEN IN THE MODERN WORLD- German church historians:

- Pierre Daniel Huet (1630-1721), Charles Delarue (1685-1739), Adolf Harnack (1851-

1930)

- A Model For Us Today: - Theodicy & role of intellect in religion.

SOURCES OF REFERENCE: EARLY CHRISTIANITY: A Brief History (Joseph H. Lynch, Oxford University Press, 2010).

Chapter 8: Christian Intellectuals.

ORIGEN: The Bible & Philosophy in the Third-century Church

(Joseph Wilson Trigg, John Knox Press, Atlanta, 1983). Chapters V AND X.

ORIGEN: Translated by A.S.Worall (Henri Crouzel, Harper & Row

Publishers, San Francisco, 1989). Part 4: THEOLOGY.

THE EARLY CHURCH (Henry Chadwick, The Penguin Books, London,

England, 1993). Chapter 6.