On First Principles

by Origen, John C. Cavadini (Foreword by), Henri de Lubac (Introduction)

Overview

Origen’s On First Principles is a foundational work in the development of Christian thought and doctrine: it is the first attempt in history at a systematic Christian theology. For over a decade it has been out of print with only expensive used copies available; now it is available at an affordable price and in a more accessible format.

On First Principles is the most important surviving text written by third-century Church father, Origen. Origen wrote in a time when fundamental doctrines had not yet been fully articulated by the Church, and contributed to the very formation of Christianity. Readers see Origen grappling with the mysteries of salvation and brainstorming how they can be understood. This edition presents G. W. Butterworth’s trusted translation in a new, more readable format, retains the introduction by Henri de Lubac, and includes a new foreword by John C. Cavadini. As St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Doctor of the Church, wrote: “Origen is the stone on which all of us were sharpened.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870612800
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	12/09/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	576
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Origen (ca. 184–ca. 253) is considered the most important biblical scholar and theologian of the early Greek Church, and some have even called him the finest scholar of the first millennium of Christianity. He fits into a legacy of prominent figures from the Alexandrian Church, which was under persecution during his time. His father was martyred when he was seventeen, and several of the students whom he converted to Christianity also went on to martyrdom. On First Principles was one of Origen’s earliest and most significant writings. Another was his Hexapla, an enormous edition of the Old Testament arranged in six columns of Hebrew and Greek text. It is known as a colossal landmark in the study of Scripture. Many of his homilies were also recorded, and are widely read today. Near the end of his life, Origen was tortured by civil authorities in an effort to make him apostatize. While they did not succeed, Origen died a confessor from related causes a few years later.
John C. Cavadini is the McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. A member of Notre Dame’s department of theology, Cavadini served as chair of the department from 1997 to 2010, during which he led the department to a top-ten ranking in the National Research Council rankings of doctoral programs. He is an expert in patristic and early medieval theology, with a special focus on the theology of St. Augustine. In November 2009 he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to a five-year term on the International Theological Commission.
Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de Lubac, SJ was a French Jesuit priest who became a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, and is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century.

Table of Contents

Introduction i

Bibliography xxxvii

Preface of Rufinus xl

First Principles

Book I

Preface 1

I The Father 7

II Christ 15

III The Holy Spirit 29

IV Loss, or Falling away 40

V Rational Natures 44

VI The End or Consummation 52

VII Things Corporeal and Incorporeal 59

VIII The Angels 66

Book II

I The World and the Creatures in it 76

II The Perpetuity of Bodily Nature 81

III The Beginning of the World and its Causes 83

IV That there is one God of the Law and the Prophets, and that the God of the Old and New Covenants is the same 95

V The Just and the Good 101

VI The Incarnation of the Saviour 108

VII That it was the same Spirit who was in Moses and the rest of the Prophets and in the holy Apostles 116

VIII The Soul 120

IX The World, and the Movements of Rational Creatures both good and evil, and the Causes of these Movements 129

X Resurrection and Punishment 138

XI The Promises 147

Book III

Preface of Rufinus 155

I Free Will 157

II How the Devil and the Opposing Powers are, according to the scriptures, at war with the Human Race 211

III The Threefold Wisdom 223

IV Whether the statement made by some is true, that Each Individual has Two Souls 230

V That the World is originated and subject to Decay, Since it Took its Beginning in Time 237

VI The End 245

Book IV

I The Inspiration of Divine Scripture 256

II How Divine Scripture should be read and Interpreted 269

III The Principle underlying the obscurities in Divine Scripture and its impossible or unreasonable character in places, if taken literally 288

IV Summary of Doctrine concerning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit 313

Index 329