Origen

By: Joseph Trigg

Narrated by: John Telfer

Origen (c. 185-c. 253) was the most influential Christian theologian before Augustine, the founder of Biblical study as a serious discipline in the Christian tradition, and a figure with immense influence on the development of Christian spirituality.

This volume presents a comprehensive and accessible insight into Origen's life and writings, written and compiled by Joseph W. Trigg, a leading Origen authority. An introduction analyzes the principal influences that formed him as a Christian and as a thinker, his emergence as a mature theologian at Alexandria, his work in Caesarea and his controversial legacy.

Fresh translations by Joseph Trigg, of a representative selection of Origen's writings, including some never previously available in print, show how Origen provided a lasting framework for Christian theology by finding through study of the Bible a coherent understanding of God's saving plan. Among the Origen's original works presented on this recording are Commentaries on Psalms, Lamentations and Genesis; and Homilies on Jeremiah, Luke and Samuel.

©1998 Joseph W. Trigg (P)2023 W. F. Howes Ltd

Thankful for this book

Origen is my favorite theologian. He offers a view of the Divine that is elegant, carefully thought-out, lush, deeply pious, and full of wonder. So, I was very grateful when I came across this Audible book just in time for Lent. Even if you are not necessarily seeking "new" (ancient) spiritual perspectives, Origen is still worth reading because of the incredible historical and cultural details one encounters in his pages because the man lived and worked during such a pivotal moment for both Christianity and the Roman Empire. Joseph Trigg provides great biographical and historical detail as well as a cogent analysis of Origen's works. Meanwhile, John Telfer's fantastic vocal skills and accent imbue this book with extra dignity.

One caveat, though: Trigg's aim here, he says, was to provide some of Origen's works that were less well-known and not translated into English elsewhere. I am grateful for this because most of what I found here was new to me. That being said, some of this material is definitely "second-semester stuff." Someone new to Origen would probably find ON FIRST PRINCIPLES or the excellent compendium SPIRIT AND FIRE (both available on Amazon in print) an easier, more cohesive way to get to know the heart of Origen's theology. While Trigg's work is full of depth and profound ideas, there are also obscurities, minutia, and times where Origen seemed to be 1) writing for a more specialized audience, or 2) going off on long tangents or - dare I say it - occasionally missing the point. Still, for anyone who has read ON FIRST PRINCIPLES, this is a great next step, or - for the lifetime student of theology - there is a treasure trove here.

Plus, that one can listen to this on Audible instead of just adding it to their bookshelf of good intentions (as I so often do) makes Trigg's work impossible to pass up.

I have no idea what the one star review was about

This book even has good, named chapter headers. A great and rare thorough treatment of Origen with just enough to lead you deeper in other works after finishing. Great title!