Apology for Origen: With the Letter of Rufinus on the Falsification of the Books of Origen
Overview
Presented here for the first time in English translation (from Rufinus’s Latin version) is the Apology for Origen, the sole surviving work of St. Pamphilus of Caesarea (d. 310 AD), who was one of the most celebrated priest-martyrs of the ancient Church. Written from prison with the collaboration of Eusebius (later to become the bishop of Caesarea), the Apology attempts to refute accusations made against Origen, defending his views with passages quoted from his own works. Pamphilus aims to show Origen’s fidelity to the apostolic proclamation, citing excerpts that demonstrate Origen’s orthodoxy and his vehement repudiation of heresy. He then takes up a series of specific accusations raised against Origen’s doctrine, quoting passages from Origen’s writings that confute charges raised against his Christology. Some excerpts demonstrate that Origen did not deny the history of the biblical narratives; others clarify Origen’s doctrine of souls and aspects of his eschatology. Pamphilus was beheaded on February 16, 310, under the emperor Maximinus Daia.
In 397 AD, at the urgent invitation of his friend Macarius, Rufinus of Aquileia translated Pamphilus’s Apology into Latin, the first of his extensive translations of Origen’s writings. Rufinus probably did not suspect the incomparable importance of his undertaking, but by translating Origen he saved from impending ruin some of the most precious monuments of Christian antiquity, destined to form Latin minds for many years to come.
Also presented in this volume is a new English translation of Rufinus’s work, On the Falsification of the Books of Origen in which Rufinus sets forth arguments for his theory that Origen’s writings had suffered interpolations by heretics. Rufinus demonstrates that literary frauds and forgeries carried out by heretics were widespread and affected many writers. He may have been misled by his intense respect for Origen’s genius, and he certainly exaggerated when he claimed that all the doctrinal errors to be met with in Origen’s works were due to interpolations.
For The Fathers of the Church series in its entirety, see Fathers of the Church Series (127 vols.).
Key Features
- An interesting glimps of a loyal disciple’s defense of Origen’s unorthodox positions
- Introduction provides background on both the author and the theological questions of his day
- One of 127 published volumes in a well-respected series on the Church Fathers
Top Highlights
“Go into the eternal fire which God has prepared for the devil and his angels.’519 In that passage he shows that the same kind of punishments has been prepared for human sinners and for the devil and his angels, though in that punishment the measure of punishment may be different. For some are tormented more strongly and gravely owing to the magnitude of their sins, but others are punished more lightly, namely, those whose sins were less grave and less severe.” (Page 120)
“If the Church manifestly handed down or proclaimed things that were contrary to Origen’s views, doubtless he would be deservedly censured as one who contradicted and resisted the Church’s decrees.” (Page 111)
“For although these things may contain a spiritual understanding, yet the spiritual meaning ought to be received as well, while the prior truth of the historical narrative abides.” (Page 92)
“but it rests in that hope according to which it was assumed into heaven” (Page 105)
“For how will it not seem absurd that this body that bore scars for Christ’s sake and that equally with its soul endured the cruel tortures of persecutions, that even suffered the penalties of imprisonment, chains, and beatings, that was even tortured by fire and was cut with the sword, beyond that, that even experienced being devoured by cruel beasts and [being exposed to] the gibbet of the cross, along with various other kinds of punishments, should be deprived of the [corresponding] rewards for such great contests?” (Page 98)
- Title: Apology for Origen: With the Letter of Rufinus on the Falsification of the Books of Origen
- Author: Pamphilus the Theologian
- Series: The Fathers of the Church
- Volume: 120
- Publisher: Catholic University of America
- Print Publication Date: 2010
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 164
- Era: era:ante-nicene
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Origen › Early works to 1800
- ISBNs: 9780813201207, 0813201209
- Resource ID: LLS:PLGYRGNFLSFCTNB
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:37:54Z