Third-century Christian apologetics work by Origen of Alexandria
Greek text of Origen's apologetic treatise Contra Celsum, which is considered to be the most important work of early Christian apologetics[1][2]
Against Celsus (Greek: Κατὰ Κέλσου, Kata Kelsou; Latin: Contra Celsum), preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetics work by the Church Father Origen of Alexandria, written in around 248 AD, countering the writings of Celsus, a pagan philosopher and controversialist who had written a scathing attack on Christianity in his treatise The TrueWord (Λόγος Ἀληθής, Logos Alēthēs). Among a variety of other charges, Celsus had denounced many Christian doctrines as irrational and criticized Christians themselves as uneducated, deluded, unpatriotic, close-minded towards reason, and too accepting of sinners. He had accused Jesus of performing his miracles using black magic rather than actual divine powers and of plagiarizing his teachings from Plato. Celsus had warned that Christianity itself was drawing people away from traditional religion and claimed that its growth would lead to a collapse of traditional, conservative values.
Origen wrote Contra Celsum at the request of his patron, a wealthy Christian named Ambrose, who insisted that a Christian needed to write a response to Celsus. In the treatise itself, which was aimed at an audience of people who were interested in Christianity but had not yet made the decision to convert, Origen responds to Celsus's arguments point-by-point from the perspective of a Platonic philosopher. After having questioned Celsus's credibility, Origen goes on to respond to Celsus's criticism with regard to the role of faith in Christianity, the identity of Jesus Christ, the allegorical interpretation of the Bible, and the relation between Christianity and traditional Greek religion.
Modern scholars note that Origen and Celsus actually agree on many points of doctrine, with both authors emphatically rejecting conventional notions of anthropomorphic deities, idolatry, and religious literalism. Contra Celsum is considered to be one of the most important works of early Christian apologetics; the church historian Eusebius lauded it as an adequate rebuttal to all criticisms the church would ever face, and it continued to be cited throughout late antiquity.
Against Celsus (Greek: Κατὰ Κέλσου, Kata Kelsou; Latin: ContraCelsum), preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetics work by the Church Father...
became the foundation for later theological writings. He also authored ContraCelsum, the most influential work of early Christian apologetics, in which...
L. Grabbe notes that in two works (Commentary on Matthew 10.17 and ContraCelsum 1.47; see § Early references) Origen had actually complained that Josephus...
Greek: Λόγος Ἀληθής), survives exclusively in quotations from it in ContraCelsum, a refutation written in 248 by Origen of Alexandria. The True Word...
response, the church father Origen published his apologetic treatise ContraCelsum, or Against Celsus, which systematically addressed Celsus's criticisms...
an omen, which is recorded in Roman archives. In his apologetic work ContraCelsum, the third-century Christian scholar Origen offered two natural explanations...
adopted as the son of God to fulfill the Hebrew scriptures. Origen (ContraCelsum 5.61) and Eusebius (Historia Ecclesiastica 3.27.3) recognize some variation...
concerning the work exists only in the extensive quotations from it in the ContraCelsum ("Against Celsus"), written some seventy years later by the Christian...
The last mention of Ambrose in the historical record is in Origen's ContraCelsum, which the latter wrote at the solicitation of Ambrose. Origen often...
Josephus in his work Against Apion. Origen reports in his treatise ContraCelsum that the pagan philosopher Celsus made the same claim against Christians...
is called the priestess"; Origen, ContraCelsum 3.25 and 7.3–7. Matthews, First Converts, p. 91. Origen, ContraCelsum 7.5. 1 Timothy 4:1. Testament of...
who continued to practice circumcision. Origen stated in his work ContraCelsum that circumcision "was discontinued by Jesus, who desired that His disciples...
(Instructor 2:13). Origen (c. 185–254) is led to speak of the Ophites (ContraCelsum 6:28) by an accusation of Celsus that the Christians counted seven heavens...
2023-09-09. "The Book of Enoch, Chapter XX". Sacred-Texts. "Origen, ContraCelsum, Book VI Chapter 30". "Strong's Hebrew Concordance - 7720. saharon"...
Earth after he was found to be corrupt. In his apologetic treatise ContraCelsum, however, Origen interprets both Isaiah 14:12 and Ezekiel 28:12–15 as...
(an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. This dates back to Origen in ContraCelsum: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense,...
Ancient Thought. Clarendon Press. p. 107. ISBN 0-19-926130-X. Origen: ContraCelsum. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Cambridge University Press. 1965. p....
Translated by F.W.Zimmerman,. Oxford: Oxford university press. Origen ContraCelsum II 20 Cicero De Fato 28-9 Susanne Bobzien, Determinism and Freedom in...
at least neither vulgar nor unsuitable to the character of a Jew. (ContraCelsum 4:52) Origen's lukewarm defence of the text, his mention of the vigorous...
than the Leviticus text being reliant upon the Book of Enoch. Origen ("ContraCelsum," vi. 43) identifies Azazel with Satan. Azazel is occasionally mentioned...
456, designated by siglum H, manuscript of Origen's Philocalia and ContraCelsum. The manuscript contains text of Origen's Philocalia. It is very closely...
may have originally been a site of the cult of the god Tammuz. In his ContraCelsum (1.51), Origen, who travelled throughout Palestine beginning in around...
2008-06-05. Adamantius, Origen. "ContraCelsum". Retrieved 2008-06-05., Book I, Chapter LIX. Adamantius, Origen. "ContraCelsum".. Book I, Chapter LX. France...
Mercurii Book 1 (University of California Press, 1986), p. 159. Origen, ContraCelsum 6.25. Hornung 2002, p. 76. Eliade, Mircea (1976). Occultism, Witchcraft...
Drake, Bishops, 113–14; Frend, "Genesis and Legacy", 511. Origen, ContraCelsum 3.9, qtd. and tr. in Frend, "Genesis and Legacy", 512. Scriptores Historiae...
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