Origen

Life

Origen was born into a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late second century. His life is known chiefly through Book 6 of the Ecclesiastical History by the fourth-century church historian Eusebius. Around 202 his father, Leonides, was martyred during a persecution, and Origen is said to have taken charge, while still young, of the catechetical school of the Alexandrian church (a school for instructing candidates for baptism).

Around 230 the bishops of Caesarea and Jerusalem ordained him a presbyter (priest). Demetrius, bishop of Alexandria, regarded this as an infringement of his jurisdiction and censured him. Origen then moved to Caesarea, where he founded a school and taught. During the persecution under Emperor Decius around 250, he was imprisoned and tortured, and he is believed to have died a few years later from the effects of that ordeal.

Ministry and Achievements

• Textual scholarship: He compiled the Hexapla, which set side by side in six columns the Hebrew text, a Greek transliteration, and several Greek translations, including the Septuagint. It is regarded as an early example of comparative textual study of the Old Testament.
• Biblical interpretation: He held that Scripture has a literal sense, a moral sense, and a spiritual sense. In particular, he made extensive use of allegorical interpretation, which seeks the symbolic meaning behind the text. He also left many commentaries and homilies on numerous books of the Bible.
• Theological system: On First Principles is considered an early attempt to organize teaching on God, Christ, the soul, and the end of the world into a single system.
• Apologetics: In Against Celsus he responded to the pagan philosopher Celsus's critique of Christianity.

Influence on Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant seminaries, Origen is taught as a major figure in church history and patristics (the study of the thought of early church leaders). In courses on biblical hermeneutics he is frequently presented as the leading representative of allegorical interpretation. In this context he is often contrasted with the literal-historical interpretation emphasized by Martin Luther and John Calvin after the Reformation.

Assessment

Origen is regarded as one of the most prolific writers of the early church. The terminology he used and the questions he raised influenced later discussions of the Trinity and Christology.

Several of his ideas, however, proved controversial: the preexistence of souls (the view that the soul exists before the body), universal restoration (the view that all beings will ultimately return to God), and statements that appear to rank the Son below the Father. Around 400 the so-called Origenist controversy arose over his thought. In 543 Emperor Justinian condemned what was called Origenism, and a further condemnation is reported in connection with the Second Council of Constantinople in 553.

Scholars nevertheless disagree about how closely the later "Origenism" that was condemned corresponds to Origen's own teaching. Assessment is further complicated by the fact that many of his writings have been lost or survive only in Latin translation.