Origen: Contra Celsum

The English translation not only focuses closely on the text, it also has illuminating notes and discussions on the philosophers.

Origen (Author), Henry Chadwick (Edited and translated by)

9780521295765, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 February 1980

572 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 3.4 cm, 0.885 kg

Few works of the early Church are as interesting to the modern reader or as important to the historian as Origen's reply to the attack on Christianity made by the pagan Celsus. The Contra Celsum is the culmination of the great apologetic movement of the second and third centuries AD, and is for the Greek Church what St Augustine's City of God is for Western Christendom. It is also one of the chief monuments of the coming together of ancient Greek culture and the new faith of the expanding Christian society. Thus Origen's work is of interest not only to the historian and theologian, but also to the hellenist. Professor Chadwick's English translation is preceded by a substantial introduction which includes discussion on Celsus' date, identity and theological outlook, as well as an account of Origen's philosophical background and method. The notes elucidate the many obscure allusions of a difficult text.

Introduction
1. Philosophical background
2. Date of the Contra Celsum
3. Celsus' theology
4. The reconstruction of Celsus' text
5. The identity and date of Celsus
6. Manuscripts, editions and translations
Abbreviations
Bibliography
Appendix
General index
Index of classical authors
Index of biblical passages.

Subject Areas: Christian theology [HRCM], Christianity [HRC]