Origen, De Principiis, iv. 16 = Philocalia Origenis, p. 24. (Translation, with original text on facing side, in H. M. Gwatkin, Selections from Early Christian Writers, London 1897, pp. 136-139.)
What intelligent person would fancy, for instance, that a first, second, and third day, evening and morning, took place without sun, moon, and stars; and the first, as we call it, without even a heaven? Who would be so childish as to suppose that God after the manner of a human gardener planted a garden in Eden towards the east, and made therein a tree, visible and sensible, so that one could get the power of living by the bodily eating of its fruit with the teeth; or again, could partake of good and evil by feeding on what came from that other tree? If God is said to walk at eventide in the garden, and Adam…
View original post 549 more words
Given the popularity of George Repper’s recent article on the hermeneutics of Origen and St Gregory Nyssen, I thought the brethren might find this short piece of interest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this! Among other things, it provides interesting additional matter for the context of Arend Smilde’s essay examining some observations by C.S. Lewis:
http://lewisiana.nl/jerome/index.htm
The fascinating question as to which of the things Inklings might have read by, or about, Fathers in translation or original languages, they actually did read, got some new matter for me with this Gwatkin reference.
LikeLike