The Philocalia of Origen: A Reader’s Edition

The Philocalia of Origen is a collection of texts excerpted from the third century church father Origen’s numerous works. It was created sometime in the fourth century, perhaps by Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nazianzus. It is of special interest to scholars of Origen because it contains several excerpts from works that are no longer extant, or from works that are no longer extant in the Greek language in which he wrote them but only in Latin translations done in the fourth century or later. The Philocalia should also be of interest to beginners in the study of Origen because it consists of rather short excerpts from a wide range of his writings-homilies, commentaries, a theological treatise, apologetics-- which cover some of the most important subjects he discussed. Many of the annotations in the work have been made especially for those unacquainted with Origen’s writings.

This Reader’s Edition, based on the Greek text of J.A. Robinson, is the first new English translation of The Philocalia of Origen in a century.

Ronald E. Heine was educated at Lincoln Christian Seminary and the University of Illinois. His areas of research and teaching include Patristics, early Christian history and theology, the use and study of the Bible in the early church, and New Testament. He has taught at Christian colleges and seminaries in the U.S. and England, and was Director of the Institut zur Erforschung des Urchristentums in Tübingen, Germany for eleven years. He has specialized in the study of the third century church father, Origen.