Origen and the Fifth Ecumenical Council.

[baron]

I was reading that Origen was the greatest theologian of the early Greek Church. At the end of the article it says in 553 he was declared a heretic. This was from Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology page 803. It does not state why though. So I looked it up and came to the Fifth Ecumenical Council and to me it is confusing. It is like reading a law contract to me.

In section XI it does anathematized Origen.

It also says; IF anyone asserts the fabulous pre-existence of souls, and shall assert the monstrous restoration which follows from it: let him be anathema.

This is the link I was using.

Internet History Sourcebooks

My questions are:
1) Do reformed theologians use or refer to this council?
2) Was Origen a heretic?
3) What are they talking about?

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Origen was brilliant, doubtless, the best linguist of the ancient church, Jerome being his closest competition. But theologically, he was an oddity: he made some significant contributions to the doctrines of God and Christ and was a holy ascetic personally; however, he did teach apocatastasis, of which the pre-existence of the soul and metempsychosis (that you cite above in #1), is a part. Apocatastasis involves cycles of redemption until all is redeemed, including the devil. More could be said about notions in him that view creation as eternal and God as finite. He was adored by many of his day and after, particularly the monks. This is just a taste. One thing's for sure: Origen cannot easily be described. Some think, for instance, that the Reformed side with the Antiochenes and dismiss Origen's hermeneutics altogether. But it's not that simple. There is something to be learned from his interpretative approach, misguided as it may be in some respects. If there is anyone about whom one can say--"it's not so simple--Origen is that man.

Yes, the council's condemnation of what it called Origenism is sound. Most of his voluminous work has been destroyed--as was done with heretical writings--so the question remains as to whether all that is called Origenism rightly reflects him.

Peace,
Alan

 

[baron]

apocatastasis

Thank you sir. I learned something new today. Maybe I should just stay away from the church fathers.

 

[J. Dean]

apocatastasis

Thank you sir. I learned something new today. Maybe I should just stay away from the church fathers.

I wouldn't go that far. There's some good things to be gleaned from them. Yes, some made serious errors, but as Francis Schaeffer said, nobody's theology is perfect, and you'll find that in even the best minister/theologian today (excluding gross and damning heresy of course).

 

[baron]

I wouldn't go that far. There's some good things to be gleaned from them. Yes, some made serious errors, but as Francis Schaeffer said, nobody's theology is perfect, and you'll find that in even the best minister/theologian today (excluding gross and damning heresy of course). J. Dean, author

Well I will not give up on the church fathers. I pulled out a couple of book's by Alister E. McGrath The Christian Theology Reader which has little articles on diffrent theologians and subjects. Also An Introduction to Christian Theology.