became a disciple of Pantaenus and St. Clement and showed very early on
that he possessed a mind of insatiable curiosity and diligence.
Though only eighteen years of age and a layman, Origen was given control
of the Catechetical School by Bishop Demetrius after the exile of St.
Clement. Between 204 and 230, Origen raised it to its greatest prominence.
While teaching, though, he was still studying and acquired a knowledge of
Neo-Platonist philosophy and Hebrew. He grasped all the Scriptural,
theological and philosophical reasoning of his time.
Origen was the most prodigious writer of all time. He was above all a
Scripture scholar and formulated almost his entire theology in his written
commentaries on the Sacred texts. A wealthy pupil of his, Ambrosius,
placed at Origen’s disposal an abundance of secretaries and copyists. St.
Jerome and Eusebius knew of some two thousand works produced by
Origen. St. Epiphanius gives the figure as six thousand. Such
prodigiousness earned Origen the title of greatest scholar of Christian
antiquity.
The major works of Origen can be briefly listed as follows:
(1) The Hexalpa: This work contained six different Hebrew and Greek
versions of the Old Testament in six parallel columns to compare
and contrast them so to detect at a glance the true meaning of a
passage;
(2)
The Scholia: Briefs notes on the more difficult passages of
Scripture;
(3)
The Homilies: Familiar talks with the faithful on the Scriptures;
(4)
The Commentaries: Written works to explain the texts of the
Scriptures in a scientific way to his readers;
(5)
Against Celsus: An apologetical work against the Platonist Celsus
who had launched a learned and caustic attack against Christianity;
(6)
Fundamental Doctrines: An early Summa Theologica in four
volumes aimed at bringing together the fundamental teachings of
Christianity and treating them in a systematic way.
Due to the persecution of Emperor Caracalla in 215, Origen left Alexandria
and made his way to Caesarea in Palestine. There, Bishops Theoctistus and
Alexander allowed him to preach to the congregation on Scripture, to the
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