Published by De Gruyter

Werke mit deutscher Übersetzung

Origenes

Edited by: Alfons Fürst and Christoph Markschies

partly Copubl. Herder: Freiburg, Basel, Wien

Overview
Volumes

Origen (185–254),ancient theologian and philosopher, has had a profound influence on Christian theology and the whole history of European thought with his academic mindset and his original thinking on topics such as liberty, history and justice. This bilingual edition in 25 volumes aims to make his complete writings available and accessible to scholars across a range of disciplines as a rich historical resource for present-day problems in religious culture, theology, philosophy and ethics.

All texts are presented in a modern translation – many of them for the first time in German translation. The source texts are partly taken from modern editions and are partly newly edited. Each volume is provided with an introduction to the works and commentaries on the texts and their translation.

New edition with 25 volumes
Source texts partly taken from modern editions, partly newly edited
All texts presented in a modern translation– many of them for the first time in German translation
Each volume provided with introduction and commentary

Book 2010

Band 1/1 Die Kommentierung des Buches Genesis

Karin Metzler

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Origen’s work is mainly preserved only in fragments, as he was condemned as a heretic after his death. Thus only a fraction of his commentary on Genesis is still in existence, albeit a relatively large portion of the work and one of particular significance, as the story of the Creation is used to treat major themes in cosmology and views of destiny. Fragments of the history of the Patriarchs provide examples of Origen’s idiosyncratic hermeneutics in its allegorical and psychological interpretation.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110215083
ISBN:: 978-3-11-019344-2
ISBN:: 978-3-11-021508-3
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: Pentateuch and Historical Books
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2011

Band 1/2 Die Homilien zum Buch Genesis

Peter Habermehl

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The main focus of Origen’s work was exegesis of the Bible ‑ in large commentaries, but also in sermons, which explore in particular the Old Testament allegorically and typologically. Origen distinguishes between a literal and a figurative, moral-spiritual interpretation of the Holy Scripture. Especially in the case of his sermons on the Book of Genesis it is fascinating to follow how Origen as teacher and pastor attempts to convey to the congregation the many different aspects of holy insights, from cosmology to the allegorical interpretation of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110225990
ISBN:: 978-3-11-020435-3
ISBN:: 978-3-11-022599-0
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2021

Band 3 Die Homilien zum Buch Levitikus

Agnethe Siquans

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In his homilies on Leviticus, Origen interprets this book from a Christian point of view. He searches for a way to understand the ritual commands, frequently viewed as obsolete, on a spiritual level, opening up the texts to his listeners and their religious lives.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110760484
ISBN:: 9783110760484
ISBN:: 9783110760347
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: History of Exegesis, Methodology, Bibliographies
Subject:: Pentateuch and Historical Books
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2020

Band 5 Die Homilien zum Buch Josua

Alfons Fürst, Marietheres Döhler

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In a sequence of 26 homilies, Origen commented on the Book of Joshua (as preserved in Rufin’s Latin translation). He interpreted Joshua’s wars in the conquest of Canaan as an inner struggle of the soul to overcome desire and vices on the path of ascent to God. Origen based this internalization and spiritualization of violence on the similarity of the names Joshua and Jesus in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110671780
ISBN:: 9783110671780
ISBN:: 9783110442564
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: New Testament
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2014

Band 7 Die Homilien zum Ersten Buch Samuel

Alfons Fürst

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Few of Origen’s sermons on the Book of Samuel and the Book of Kings have been preserved. Yet they include some of his most famous teachings, including the impromptu homily on the “witch” of Endor (1 Samuel 28), with its profound meditations on the descent of Christ and the Prophets into hell. Since this sermon has been handed down in Greek, it provides insight for the reader about the preacher Origen’s original voice.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110301854
ISBN:: 978-3-11-030088-8
ISBN:: 978-3-11-030185-4
ISBN:: 9783110367997
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2016

Band 9/1 Der Kommentar zum Hohelied

Alfons Fürst, Holger Strutwolf

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Hieronymus claimed that Origen had even surpassed himself in his Commentary on the Song of Songs. Origen interprets the love between bride and bridegroom as the relationship between the Holy Word and the human soul and between Christ and the Church. His interpretation shaped Christian understanding of the Song of Songs until the end of the Middle Ages. This volume contains the first German translation of the text, including detailed explanations.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110464702
ISBN:: 9783110464702
ISBN:: 9783110442557
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: New Testament
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2016

Band 9/2 Die Homilien und Fragmente zum Hohelied

Alfons Fürst, Holger Strutwolf

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Hieronymus claimed that Origen had even surpassed himself in his Commentary on the Song of Songs. With these words of praise, Hieronymus spread the good word about the Christian genius from Alexandria and, for this purpose, translated two of Origen’s homilies on the Biblical song of love into Latin. Besides Rufinus’s Latin translation, only a number of small fragments of this presentation of the Song of Songs have survived.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110464405
ISBN:: 9783110464405
ISBN:: 9783110461619
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: New Testament
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2009

Band 10 Die Homilien zum Buch Jesaja

Alfons Fürst, Christian Hengstermann

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In this work Origen's homilies on Isaiah are translated into German for the first time. These homilies, which have previously attracted little attention, are provided with annotations and an extensive introduction. In the nine preserved Latin sermons, the Alexandrian theologian explores such difficult Biblical motives as Israel's obduracy and Isaiah's famous vision of God and the Seraphs. Thus, with recourse to the Platonic thought of his time and consciously confronting the context of a rich biblical and non-biblical tradition with his interpretation, Origen provided a distinctly complex account of the theology of the Book of Isaiah; one which is equally interesting and fruitful for both the historical interpretation of this key biblical text and for our understanding of Origenian theology. Besides questions dealing with the varied history of Origen's Isaiah interpretation and its reception, the introduction sheds light on its extremely complex background. This work is rounded off with an appendix containing a collection of testimonies to Origen's Isaiah commentary (the commentary itself is not included). It also contains a treatise by Theophilus of Alexandria condemning the Origenist interpretation, originating from the First Origenist Crisis, with a translation.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110215090
ISBN:: 978-3-11-020436-0
ISBN:: 978-3-11-021509-0
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Early Christianity
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2018

Band 11 Die Homilien zum Buch Jeremia

Alfons Fürst

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With the exception of one other homily, Origen’s Homilies on the Book of Jeremiah are his only sermons that have been handed down to us in the original Greek, and they impart an impression of the original style of the preacher Origen. Moreover, the Book of Jeremiah was an infrequent subject of commentary for the ancient Church. Origen identified his own experiences as a preacher with the fate of the Prophet Jeremiah, who was rejected by his audience, and, in this way, Origen made a highly personal connection to this biblical text.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110286144
ISBN:: 9783110286144
ISBN:: 9783110286052
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Greek
Subject:: Greek Authors
Subject:: Early Christianity
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Old Testament / Ancient Near East
Subject:: History of Reception
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2014

Band 21 Über das Gebet

Maria-Barbara von Stritzky

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In his text “On Prayer” Origen challenges the Gnostic tendencies that regarded prayer as useless and reprehensible. Starting from the philosophical perspective of his listeners, Origen links philosophical claims to truth with divine revelation to develop a Christian theory of prayer. Finally, he interprets the “Our Father” prayer as the most condensed version of Jesus’s teachings.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110376456
ISBN:: 978-3-11-037512-1
ISBN:: 978-3-11-037645-6
ISBN:: 9783110392852
Subject:: Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Subject:: Classical Studies
Subject:: Early Christianity
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book 2010

Band 22 Aufforderung zum Martyrium

Maria-Barbara von Stritzky

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During the persecution of the Christians under Emperor Maximinus Thrax in 235, Origen directed an urgent call to his friends Ambrosius and Protoctetus to hold fast to the Christian faith.

The work provides an example of the literary genre of appeals directed to a wider audience beyond the direct addressees; in the text, Origen takes statements from the Old and New Testaments relating to martyrdom as authorities for his call to remain true to the Christian faith and beware of relapsing into heathenism.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110226027
ISBN:: 978-3-11-020505-3
ISBN:: 978-3-11-022602-7
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter

Book Ahead of Publication 2023

Band 25 Briefe

Alfons Fürst, Maren Niehoff

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Of the total of over 100 letters of Origen (185–254), only two were preserved in the original Greek: one to Julius Africanus, the other to Gregory the Wonder Worker, along with a longer Latin fragment and several small fragments and reports by diverse late-Classical authors. These sparse remnants of the correspondence are collected, translated into German, annotated, and prefaced by a detailed introduction.

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.0000/9783110615715
ISBN:: 9783110615715
ISBN:: 9783110614275
ISBN:: 9783110614381
Subject:: Theology and Religion
Subject:: Patristics
Subject:: Patristic Authors
Publisher:: De Gruyter