Spirit and Fire: A Thematic Anthology of His Writings

by Origen, Robert J. Daly (Translator)

Originally published in German in 1938, this highly acclaimed volume presents more than one thousand selections from the various extant writings of Origen, the great Alexandrian theologian. Robert J. Daly has retranslated the majority of these texts from the original Greek and Latin, added the scriptural references in the translated texts and an index, and included updated bibliographical information. Hans Ur von Balthasar said of this anthology that it gave him the greatest joy of all his many books: "In Origen I discovered that brilliant sense of what is Catholic, which I myself would like to attain."

Genres: Theology, Religion, Church History, Christianity, Spirituality, Catholic, Philosophy

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Origen of Alexandria (c. 184 – c. 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and biblical hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality. He was one of the most influential figures in early Christian theology, apologetics, and asceticism. He has been described as "the greatest genius the early church ever produced".

Reviews

[Freddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There has been mention, for example, of the Platonism of the Fathers. And to the extent that one can find in Plato the model of the fall and the rising again as well as the thoroughgoing separation of idea and appearance, some Platonic elements actually do get into the Fathers. But in thinking so, one forgets that in the third and fourth centuries the great schools were already irrevocably mixed. [...] But Clement and Origen have already become gathering basins for the whole philosophical culture. 'Platonism' thus does not describe the true situation." (7-8, from Balthasar's Introduction).

[Amy Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans Urs Von Balthasar knows how to write an introduction. It's quite possibly one of the most cogent and beautiful consideration of Origen's theology that I have ever read. The anthology is quite helpful, while a bit dated with the editions. I worked through the section on WORD.

[Joel Zartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For orienting oneself to Origen, indispensable.

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

praesertim hoc dolendum censeo quod quasi vi sunt dilaniata opera quo melius varias in provincias partiri possint. nam consilium esset nempe probatissimum, forte si filum cujusdam "sacrae lectionis" quae dicitur sequi velim, tamen ut res se habent, me non necessario intimam liturgiam appetente quoddammodo liber defuit. neque tamen praeterire quod Balthasar ille sibi ipsi praeposuerat consequi omnino valet, tamen non fui proh dolor illiusmodi lector qui fructurus essem.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lot of material to read here and like with many of the Patristic writers you have to read a lot to get to their gems - their insights into the Scriptures. But you do learn from this book how one of the best of the earliest Christian biblical interpreters read Scriptures. All his insights are about the issues and problems he faced in his day, not clouded by later Protestant vs Catholic polemics. For Origen as for many early Patristic writers, each word or phrase of Scripture is packed with meaning, and text can be completely taken out of context if they can be used to bolster an argument. Sometimes this comes across as completely capricious or arbitrary or even whimsical. Sometimes it is amazinging insightful. He does not ignore any text because it is obscure or puzzling.

[Ruth Lee]

Origen strikes me as a man who is wildly in love but still able to think what he feels. We need more men like him!

From a merely abstract “in something,” faith comes along to a concrete, self-giving believing “in someone”. (See Von Balthasar’s introduction)

In Origen’s own words: “There is a difference between believing in him and believing in his name…Jesus did not trust himself to those who only believed in his name(John2.33-35). We must, therefore, have belief more in him than in his name so that we will not have to hear what was said to those who worked miracles in his name(cf. Mathew 7.22).”