Origen (Adamantius)

Various writings (works). Notable for studying together with the future bishop of Jerusalem Alexander in the great Catechetical School of Alexandria.

According to Eastern Orthodoxy, Origen is a controversial and influential early Christian theologian whose work is a source of both reverence and condemnation. While he is celebrated as a foundational scholar who laid the groundwork for systematic theology and biblical criticism, some of his speculative views, particularly those concerning the pre-existence of souls and the ultimate salvation of all beings (including the devil), were later deemed heretical. His teachings were formally condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 AD, although the authenticity of the specific anathemas against him is debated.

Revered contributions:

• Systematic theology: Origen is considered the "Father of Systematic Theology" for his work On First Principles, which systematically covered major Christian doctrines.

• Biblical criticism: He is also called the "Father of Biblical Criticism" for his critical edition of the Old Testament and extensive commentaries on the Bible.

• Allegorical interpretation: His method of interpreting scripture through multiple layers (literal, moral, and spiritual/allegorical) became a dominant approach in the Eastern Church.

Condemned ideas:

• Pre-existence of the soul: Origen believed souls pre-existed their union with the body, a view that was later seen as denying the unity of body and soul and the resurrection of the body.

• Apollyonism (universal salvation): He speculated that all beings, including the devil, might eventually be restored to God, which was a direct challenge to the Orthodox understanding of eternal damnation.

• Subordinationism: His subordinationist view of the Trinity, which placed the Father as superior to the Son and the Son superior to the Holy Spirit, contributed to the later charges of heresy.

• Spherical resurrection bodies: Some condemnations focus on his speculative ideas about the shape of resurrected bodies, though scholars debate whether he actually held some of the views attributed to him.

• Origen's legacy is complex; while his innovations in biblical studies were highly influential, his more speculative theological ideas were eventually rejected by the Church.

• Eastern Orthodox Christians recognize Origen's importance but distinguish between his foundational work and his later, rejected doctrines, which are seen as a product of an era with a less-developed and less-stabilized doctrinal consensus.

• He remains a pivotal figure in the history of Eastern Orthodox thought, with some scholars arguing for a more nuanced understanding of his legacy, including the possibility that the anathemas against him were the result of an oversimplification of his complex writings.

• https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/1747/why-isn-t-origen-a-saint