Christian History Home > Issue 51 > Origen: Model or Heretic?
Origen: Model or Heretic?
He created controversy when he tried to explain the gospel in terms his culture could grasp.
Kenneth R. Calvert | posted 7/01/1996 12:00AM
Origen of Alexandria, a third-century Christian scholar, loved Jesus, the Scriptures, and Neo-Platonic philosophy—a combination that Christians since have viewed as either the height of faithful theology or the depth of horrendous error.
Whatever one’s views of his theology, his life was utterly dedicated to Christ. In his boyhood, when a persecution struck Alexandria hard, he wanted to rush to be martyred. Only a ruse by his mother—who hid his clothes—prevented his leaving the house! Later in life, the church historian Eusebius reported, he castrated himself in literal obedience to Matthew 19:12. And in 250, during the violent persecution of Decius, he was imprisoned and tortured so severely that he never recovered.
On the other hand, though praised by many, he was rejected by his bishop. Origen’s most orthodox admirers, like Gregory of Nyssa, often rejected his teachings. Later some thought Origen was a devil. Theologians today still debate the orthodoxy of his views. To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
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