Philokalia (Origen)
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Origen's Philocalia ( grc, Φιλοκαλία) is an anthology of
Origen Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...
's texts, probably compiled by
Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Ca ...
and
Gregory Nazianzen Gregory of Nazianzus ( el, Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, ''Grēgorios ho Nazianzēnos''; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390,), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory N ...
. It was probably compiled during their monastic retreat in
Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...
in the late 350s to early 360s, or in any event early in their careers and before their own theological writings. Many of Origen's work are lost and consequently the extracts in the anthology are valuable today. It should not be confused with the medieval ''
Philokalia The ''Philokalia'' ( grc, φιλοκαλία, lit=love of the beautiful, from ''philia'' "love" and ''kallos'' "beauty") is "a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters" of the mystical hesychast trad ...
''. The work is divided into twenty-seven chapters, with titles given by the compilers. About a fifth of it is taken from ''
Contra Celsum ''Against Celsus'' (Greek: Κατὰ Κέλσου ''Kata Kelsou''; Latin: ''Contra Celsum''), preserved entirely in Greek, is a major apologetics work by the Church Father Origen of Alexandria, written in around 248 AD, countering the writings ...
''. Opinion is divided about who compiled the ''Philocalia''. Basil and Gregory are described as the compilers in the Greek text itself, and this is generally accepted. Eric Junod, the editor of the French edition of chapters 21–27, accepts both as the authors. But M. Harl, editor of chapters 1–20 in the same series, questions this, as do others. Gregory Nazianzen sent a letter to a friend which supports the traditional attribution.Authorship discussion and references from Jennifer Nimmo Smith
A Christian's guide to Greek culture: the Pseudo-Nonnus Commentaries
p.xx, n.17.
A number of medieval manuscripts preserve the work, including Codex Parisinus Graecus 456.


References


Further reading

* J. Armitage Robinson, ''The Philocalia of Origen: The text revised with a critical introduction and indices''. Cambridge University Press/New York:Macmillan (1893), pp. XIII-XVIII


External links


Preface by George Lewis to 1911 translation, plus translation of Greek introduction


by George Lewis (1911)

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