Theophilus of Alexandria and the First Origenist Controversy

Theophilus of Alexandria and the First Origenist Controversy PDF Author: Krastu Banev
Publisher:
ISBN: 0198727542
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
In the age of the Theodosian dynasty and the establishment of Christianity as the only legitimate religion of the Roman Empire, few figures are more pivotal in the power politics of the Christian church than archbishop Theophilus of Alexandria (385-412). This work examines the involvement of archbishop Theophilus in the so-called First Origenist Controversy when the famed third-century Greek theologian Origen received, a century and a half after his death, a formal condemnation for heresy. Modern scholars have been successful in removing the majority of the charges which Theophilus laid on Origen as not giving a fair representation of his thought. Yet no sufficient explanation has been offered as to why what to us appears as an obvious miscarriage of justice came to be accepted, or why it was needed in the first place. Kratsu Banev offers a sustained argument for the value of a rhetorically informed methodology with which to analyse Theophilus' anti-Origenist Festal Letters. He highlights that the wide circulation and overt rhetorical composition of these letters allow for a new reading of these key documents as a form of 'mass-media' unique for its time. The discussion is built on a detailed examination of two key ingredients in the pastoral polemic of the archbishop - masterly use of late-antique rhetorical conventions, and in-depth knowledge of monastic spirituality - both of which were vital for securing the eventual acceptance of Origen's condemnation. Dr Banev's fresh approach reveals that Theophilus' campaign formed part of a consistent policy aimed at harnessing the intellectual energy of the ascetic movement to serve the wider needs of the church.

Theophilus of Alexandria and the First Origenist Controversy

Theophilus of Alexandria and the First Origenist Controversy PDF Author: Krastu Banev
Publisher:
ISBN: 0198727542
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 245

Get Book Here

Book Description
In the age of the Theodosian dynasty and the establishment of Christianity as the only legitimate religion of the Roman Empire, few figures are more pivotal in the power politics of the Christian church than archbishop Theophilus of Alexandria (385-412). This work examines the involvement of archbishop Theophilus in the so-called First Origenist Controversy when the famed third-century Greek theologian Origen received, a century and a half after his death, a formal condemnation for heresy. Modern scholars have been successful in removing the majority of the charges which Theophilus laid on Origen as not giving a fair representation of his thought. Yet no sufficient explanation has been offered as to why what to us appears as an obvious miscarriage of justice came to be accepted, or why it was needed in the first place. Kratsu Banev offers a sustained argument for the value of a rhetorically informed methodology with which to analyse Theophilus' anti-Origenist Festal Letters. He highlights that the wide circulation and overt rhetorical composition of these letters allow for a new reading of these key documents as a form of 'mass-media' unique for its time. The discussion is built on a detailed examination of two key ingredients in the pastoral polemic of the archbishop - masterly use of late-antique rhetorical conventions, and in-depth knowledge of monastic spirituality - both of which were vital for securing the eventual acceptance of Origen's condemnation. Dr Banev's fresh approach reveals that Theophilus' campaign formed part of a consistent policy aimed at harnessing the intellectual energy of the ascetic movement to serve the wider needs of the church.

The Case against Origen and Reincarnation

The Case against Origen and Reincarnation PDF Author: Eric Liberatos
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1483441504
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 116

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Book Description
The Case against Origen and Reincarnation surveys the writings of Origen, a controversial Christian theologian, whose life straddled the third and fourth centuries. By placing his work in the context of his theological predecessors, Eric Liberatos uses this analysis to trace the development of Origen's distinctive doctrines, such as reincarnation. His review of the history of the period concludes that Origen's condemnation by ecumenical councils arose from the virulent polemics and contentious politics of various ecclesiastical leaders of the period. The Case against Origen and Reincarnation will appeal to all who seek to understand the development of Christian thought and the influences of politics and personality on the church's theologies. Award-winning book that earned acclaim from the prestigious Next Generation Indie Book Awards! 2016 Winner in Religious Non-fiction 2016 Finalist in Historical Non fiction.

The Minor Prophets as Christian Scripture in the Commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria

The Minor Prophets as Christian Scripture in the Commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria PDF Author: Hauna Ondrey
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019882453X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
This work compares the Minor Prophets commentaries of Theodore of Mopsuestia and Cyril of Alexandria, isolating the role each interpreter assigns the Twelve Prophets in their ministry to Old Testament Israel and the texts of the Twelve as Christian scripture. Hauna T. Ondrey argues that Theodore does acknowledge christological prophecies, as distinct from both retrospective accommodation and typology. A careful reading of Cyril's Commentary on the Twelve limits the prospective christological revelation he ascribes to the prophets and reveals the positive role he grants the Mosaic law prior to Christ's advent. Exploring secondly the Christian significance Theodore and Cyril assign to Israel's exile and restoration reveals that Theodore's reading of the Twelve Prophets, while not attempting to be christocentric, is nevertheless self-consciously Christian. Cyril, unsurprisingly, offers a robust Christian reading of the Twelve, yet this too must be expanded by his focus on the church and concern to equip the church through the ethical paideusis provided by the plain sense of the prophetic text. Revised descriptions of each interpreter lead to the claim that a recent tendency to distinguish the Old Testament interpretation of Theodore (negatively) and Cyril (positively) on the basis of their "christocentrism" obscures more than it clarifies and polarizes no less than earlier accounts of Antiochene/Alexandrian exegesis. The conclusion argues against replacing old dichotomies with new and advocates rather for an approach that takes seriously Theodore's positive account of the unity and telos of the divine economy and the full range of Cyril's interpretation.

The Origenist Controversy

The Origenist Controversy PDF Author: Elizabeth A. Clark
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400863112
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 300

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Book Description
Around the turn of the fifth century, Christian theologians and churchmen contested each other's orthodoxy and good repute by hurling charges of "Origenism" at their opponents. And although orthodoxy was more narrowly defined by that era than during Origen's lifetime in the third century, his speculative, Platonizing theology was not the only issue at stake in the Origenist controversy: "Origen" became a code word for nontheological complaints as well. Elizabeth Clark explores the theological and extra-theological implications of the dispute, uses social network analysis to explain the personal alliances and enmities of its participants, and suggests how it prefigured modern concerns with the status of representation, the social construction of the body, and praxis vis--vis theory. Shaped by the Trinitarian and ascetic debates, and later to influence clashes between Augustine and the Pelagians, the Origenist controversy intersected with patristic campaigns against pagan "idolatry" and Manichean and astrological determinism. Discussing Evagrius Ponticus, Epiphanius, Theophilus, Jerome, Shenute, and Rufinus in turn, Clark concludes by showing how Augustine's theory of original sin reconstructed the Origenist theory of the soul's pre-existence and "fall" into the body. Originally published in 1992. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Apology for Origen; On the Falsification of the Books of Origen

Apology for Origen; On the Falsification of the Books of Origen PDF Author: Pamphilus
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813201209
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
*A new translation of two ancient works defending Origens writings*

Thought, Culture, and Historiography in Christian Egypt, 284-641 AD

Thought, Culture, and Historiography in Christian Egypt, 284-641 AD PDF Author: Tarek M. Muhammad
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 152756679X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This book contains 15 papers which were presented by specialists from Europe and Egypt at two conferences held at Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 2014 and 2015. Eight of the articles deal with the history of Late Antique Egypt in its manifold aspects, from monasticism and Coptic manuscripts, to the organization of the Arab conquest. The other seven contributions provide new writings from that historical period published here for the first time, or give new readings of texts earlier known as inscriptions, papyri and ostraca, and offer a close-up look at the historical setting outlined in the first part of this book.

A Not-So-Unexciting Life

A Not-So-Unexciting Life PDF Author: Carmel Posa
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 0879070528
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
This volume, written by eighteen monks, nuns, and lay scholars from seven countries and four continents, aims to recognize the contribution that Michael Casey has made to Cistercian and Benedictine life over the past forty years. Acclaimed as one of the most significant writers in the Benedictine and Cistercian tradition, Casey has published over one hundred articles and reviews in various journals, written more than eighteen books, and edited many more books and journals. He is a world-renowned retreat master, lecturer, and formator. Contributors include: Carmel Posa, SGS; David Tomlins, OCSO; Helen Lombard, SGS; Manuela Scheiba, OSB; David Barry, OSB; Mary Collins, OSB; Brendan Thomas, OSB; Elias Dietz, OCSO; Constant J. Mews; Bernardo Bonowitz, OCSO; Terrence Kardong, OSB; Elizabeth Freeman; Austin Cooper, OMI; Katharine Massam; Margaret Malone, SGS; Bernhard A. Eckerstorfer, OSB; Columba Stewart, OSB; Francisco Rafael de Pascual, OCSO; and Bishop Graeme Rutherford

The Greek Historia Monachorum in Aegypto

The Greek Historia Monachorum in Aegypto PDF Author: Andrew Cain
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191075817
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
The Greek Historia Monachorum in Aegypto was one of the most widely read and disseminated Greek hagiographic texts during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. To this day it remains, alongside Athanasius' Life of Antony, one of the core primary sources for fourth-century Egyptian monasticism as well as one of the most fascinating, yet perplexing, pieces of monastic hagiography to survive from the entire patristic period. However, until now it has not received the intensive and sustained scholarly analysis that a monograph affords. In this study, Andrew Cain incorporates insights from source criticism, stylistic and rhetorical analysis, literary criticism, and historical, geographical, and theological studies in an attempt to break new ground and revise current scholarly orthodoxy about a broad range of interpretive issues and problems.

The Church of the First Three Centuries, Or, Notices of the Lives and Opinions of the Early Fathers, with Special Reference to the Doctrine of the Trinity, Illustrating Its Late Origin and Gradual Formation

The Church of the First Three Centuries, Or, Notices of the Lives and Opinions of the Early Fathers, with Special Reference to the Doctrine of the Trinity, Illustrating Its Late Origin and Gradual Formation PDF Author: Alvan Lamson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Church history
Languages : en
Pages : 860

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Book Description


Humankind and the Cosmos: Early Christian Representations

Humankind and the Cosmos: Early Christian Representations PDF Author: Doru Costache
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900446834X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 435

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Book Description
In this volume, Costache endeavours to map the world as it was understood and experienced by the early Christians. Progressing from initial fears, they came to adopt a more positive view of the world through successive shifts of perception. This did not happen overnight. Tracing these shifts, Costache considers the world of the early Christians through an interdisciplinary lens, revealing its meaningful complexity. He demonstrates that the early Christian worldview developed at the nexus of several perspectives. What facilitated this process was above all the experience of contemplating nature. When accompanied by genuine personal transformation, natural contemplation fostered the theological interpretation of the world as it had been known to the ancients.