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Origen On First Principles: Being Koetschau's Text of the De Principiis Translated into English, Together with an Introduction and Notes by G. W. Butterworth

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Of all the great Origen's works, his "On First Principles" was the most monumental. It was the first attempt to formulate a coherent system of Christian philosophy, and it also is the best expression of the theologian's general opinions. The work is divided into four parts: book one essentially deals with God and creation, book two with creation (rational and irrational natures), providence, and redemption, and book four with the interpretation of Holy Scripture. Origen's views are based upon the authority of the Scriptures and Church tradition, and his theology is grounded upon the tenets of Neoplatonism. In "On First Principles" many erudite and sublime maxims are given as to the nature of the Trinity, the person of Christ, and man's free will under the hand of Providence, most of which are considered Orthodox teachings. On the other hand, the principles found in this work, which engendered controversy and were later condemned (Fifth Ecumenical Council 553), are the pre-existence and transmigration of souls, and universal salvation at the consummation of the world. So, it will be safe to say that this Christian, the most original and influential thinker until St Augustine, is always sincere in his faith and strictly orthodox wherever reason and curiosity failed to take him too far. This edition, being Koetschau's English text translated from Rufinus' definitive Latin volume, contains selected fragments of St Jerome's rendition and the meager remains of the original Greek texts in order furnish a more comprehensive view of Origen's writings. Also included are in-depth introductions to Origin's life and works by the scholar G. W. Butterworth and the eminent Henri Cardinal de Lubac, the French Jesuit theologian and Church historian. This work is highly recommended for anyone interested in patristic studies

This is the definitive English traslation of Koetschau's (please, Amazon, note the spelling!) edition of Origen's central work. Because the orginal Greek has been lost, it is necessary to reconstruct the original from fragments from all kinds of sources. This Koetschau does, although his use of these sources is a little too liberal in spots. Nevertheless it is helpful in recovering the original, especially in view of Rufinus' defective translation. As a work, it has few peers in Patristic literature. It represents Origen at the start of his career as a theologian and Christian teacher. Many of his speculations are very daring, so much so that in at least one case (the transmigration of souls) he changes his position in later years. (He may have on others, but most of his work is lost today.) But his insistence on free will as the driving force behind the fall of man was revolutionary in his fatalistic time and, to some extent, still is.

A fascinating and very controversial work.

"The history of Dogmatics does not go back to the time of the Apostles, but only to the beginning of the third century, when Origen wrote his Peri Archon." Louis Berkhoff

Origen's Systematic Theology:

Origen theology, rests mainly on two of his works,'On First Principles,' and 'Contra Celsus', his defense of Christianity, in response to the attacks of the pagan philosopher. On First Principles, is Origen's major systematic and philosophical work where he established his main doctrines, including that of the Holy Trinity, the preexistence and fall of souls, transmigration of souls, and the eventual restoration of them, in proximity to the Godhead, in 'Theosis', a state of gradual faithful metaphormism into perfection. He was pioneer in his insistence on the free will of souls. He is unique, introducing history, within his speculations on metaphysical cosmology, that it became a saying, "No theology without Cosmology."

Berkhoff wrote defining the History of Dogmatics, "Origen was the first to construct something like a system of theology. His work was written about the year 218 AD., in it he attempts to transform the doctrine of the Church into a speculative science, acceptable to the cultural and philosophical classes of his day."

On First Principles:

Origen was probably not more than thirty, when he wrote De principiis (On First Principles), perhaps his greatest work in systematic theology, to express Christian faith in Neoplatonic terms, Saccha's Christianized philosophy of Alexandria. Most of 'De principiis' is expressed in an orthodox Christian universal thought, and there is no evidence that he ever modified in any respect. The first book of De Principiis deals with God and creation; the second and third with Creation and Providence, with Man and Redemption; and the fourth with Holy Scripture.

Written for scholars, Origen affirms one God, creator and ruler of the universe, Jesus Christ begotten before all creation, divine in His incarnation, and the Holy Spirit in the glory of the Father. He expressed that humans depend in their existence on the Father, their rational nature from the Son, and their holiness from the Holy Spirit. In spite of his guiding principle; 'Nothing which is at variance with the tradition of the apostles and of the church is to be accepted as true,' Origen's genius speculative flights lead some early church leaders to question his orthodoxy.

Koetschau's Reconstruction:

Koetschau's work to recover the original, of De Principiis is a great work, of few peers in philosophy or Patristic literature. His edition of Origen's lost Greek original writings, is a reconstruction from fragments from Greek and Latin quotations. Koetschau reconstruction although helpful for text continuity had necessarily to fill lots of gaps, based on his best guess. Butterworth, complex statements trying to be precise may have caused confusion. He comments on a Koetschau's reconstruction as, "a composite passage from Gregory of Nyssa," or, "...Koetschau's arguments for including it in the text of Origen are given in his introduction, pp. 117-118," and so on.

Rowan Greer, in 'Origen: An exhortation to Martyrdom, Prayer, etc.' was more explicit, for more than ten times repeating, "there follows koetschau's conjectural attempt to fill a lacuna of 'x' lines in the manuscript."

Dedicated to my friend Dr. John Uebersax, who supplemented this review on "research done since Koetschau's work and the subsequent downplaying of Rufinus' text in scholarship," P. read Comment