On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians (Paperback)

~ Celsus (Author), R. Joseph Hoffman (Translator) "It is not difficult to reconstruct the main lines in the development of early anti-Christian polemic from the writings preserved to us in the New..." (more)
Key Phrases: Against Celsus, Clement of Alexandria, New Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[An] important contribution to the wealth of patristic texts scholars are making available to English readers....Published and arranged in such a way that readers can get a fairly clear and coherent picture of Celsus' argument."--Review and Expositor

"An excellent synopsis of the intellectual attack on Christianity by Roman paganism....Should spark lively discussion."--Edward M. Anson, University of Arkansas, Little Rock

"A fresh attempt to solve an old scholarly problem: to present the 'True Celsus,' in this case in a contemporary English version with up-to-date introduction and notes....The resultant text is readable."--Anglican Theological Review

"A lucid translation of one of the most fascinating pieces of literature left to us from the second century."--Frank Thielman, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"The first complete translation of Christianity's most ardent second-century critic....Highly readable."--Free Inquiry

"A great contribution to scholarship in the study of early Christianity. The general introduction is worth the price of the book, and to have this new translation of the ancient work of Celsus is most useful and valuable."--J. William Angell, Wake Forest University

"Every serious student of early Christianity should give attention to Celsus....A first-rate publication with excellent, comprehensive introduction and notes."--Sterling M. McMurrin, University of Utah

"I am very pleased with the convenience of this edition and [with] Professor Hoffmann's valuable general introduction, which so effectively summarizes and reviews key historical issues."--Harry Rosenberg, Colorado State University

"Not only a very useful and readable text but also a clear and informative introduction. This book is a first priority for theological libraries and for all working in this area of patristic studies."--Southwestern Journal of Theology

"Fills the gap of a long-needed and -desired English translation.... Establish[es] a solid base for the understanding of Celsus' polemic....Even the most experienced will find ample food for thought in this work."--Favonius

Product Description

The works of many early critics of the Christian church were burned by ruling emperors or otherwise destroyed in the second and third centuries, but the writings of the Greek pagan philosopher, Celsus, have survived indirectly through his eloquent opponent Origen of Alexandria. In his apologetical treatise, Contra Celsum, Origen argues against the ideas set forth by Celsus and quotes from Celsus' The True Doctrine at length. Through this treatise, Celsus has come to represent the detached pagan voice of the ages. In this translation, Professor Hoffmann has, for the first time, painstakingly reconstructed the main order of the philosopher's argument. Celsus' discourse shows him to be an eclectic philosopher--a dabbler in various schools of thought, including Platonism and Stoicism, and a student of the history and religious customs of many nations. Hoffman supplements this definitive translation with an informative introduction, summarizing Celsus' premises and placing the identity of Celsus in its historical context.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 19, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195041518
• ISBN-13: 978-0195041514
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,611 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Students of Early Christianity........., February 28, 2002

By	Margaret "fugirl" (NYC) - See all my reviews

.................all of Celsus' work was destroyed by Christian emperors, but "On the True Doctrine" is "preserved" only because it was contained, in pieces, within polemic against the work that was written by Origen of Alexandria. This book is a reconstruction and translation of Celsus' writing found within the 13th century work, Contra Celsum. There is also a forty page or so introduction to Celsus' work, that sets the stage for better understanding the world in which Celsus wrote "On the True Doctrine".

My impression when reading this book was "Wow, the same arguments are still being made against Christianity (particularly Fundamentalism) today!", i.e., that Jesus was a charlatan that mislead the gullible and uneducated, that Christianity is, overall, not very original in its beliefs, that Jesus could not really have risen from the dead, that the beliefs about the Christian god don't make him seem very god-like, among others.

The book reads relatively easily and quickly. We can never know, of course, if we are really reading words that are close to the original "On the True Doctrine" as was written by Celsus some eighteen hundreds years ago. The manuscripts were destroyed so we must rely on Origen to have given us an accurate representation of Celsus' ideas. Additionally, we are relying on a reconstruction, which has its own added challenges. Luckily, it is easy to believe that Celsus' work is similar to what we read in Hoffman's translation and reconstruction. Why wouldn't a thinking man such as Celsus challenge the new religion of Christianity just as we are lead to believe he did? As I have said, many of the same challenges exist today.

In short, I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about early Christianity.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Artefact of Ancient Comparative Religion, September 19, 2006

By	Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Celsus' On the True Doctrine is one of the few surviving anti-Christian tracts to have escaped the pyre [see also, *Julian's Against the Galileans and *Porphyry's Against the Christians]. This is owing to Origen, who preserved this discourse in its entirety while offering his sagacious and long-drawn rebuttal in his polemic the Contra Celsum. The tract is unique as an artefact of ancient comparative religion, and it will be useful for anyone who wishes to gain a greater perspective on the Hellenistic-Christian debate. And with the outstanding introductory essay and the extensive footnotes this volume will greatly accommodate readers in the classroom and at home.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting read..., December 30, 2000

By	Angela B. Wade "rueyn" (Chattanooga, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While I had read numerous books with references to Celsus in them, I have just gotten around to reading a translation of his book "On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians."

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to read (due largely in part to the translator, R. Joseph Hoffmann). The text flows well from section to section, though it seems to be in no particular order.

Thankfully, the translator has included both a detailed introduction and 'notes' section. Both were extremely helpful in understanding certain passages contained within the main text, and the introduction (specifically) would be of interest to anyone who wants a better understanding of Celsus and/or the anti-Christian sentiment that existed during his time.

All in all, a good read, but not recommended for anyone who is staunchly Christian (i.e. cannot "willingly suspend disbelief) or does not have at least a general understanding of Christianity (obviously, there are numerous references both to Judaism and Christianity).