Reincarnation

60 2.4 Origen (185-254 A.D.) Origen from Alexandria was one of the most influential theologians of early Christianity. In the doctrine of Origen, pre-existence and the transmigration of the soul were strongly represented. In spite of some hostility, the original Christian doctrine of Origen was held in high respect in the first centuries after the death of CHRIST. In the book “Kirchengeschichte” by Johann Peter Kirsch it states on page 536:  “Until the 4th century, the majority of voters in the Church expressed themselves in favour of the famous Alexandrian“. Pope Siricius (384-399 A.D.) had even then no objections against Origen. Who was Origen? Origen came from a wealthy Egyptian family. His parents - as were many of his ancestors - were Christians. His hometown of Alexandria was at the time the stronghold of Greek education and science; Christians were a minority there.  Origen received his first lessons from his father, who introduced him early to the o r i g i n a l bible. In the year 202 A.D. Leonidas, the father of Origen died the death of a martyr. As now the father’s estate was confiscated, he had to look after his mother and his six siblings. From an early age, he gave lessons in the fields of language and history. But very soon he dedicated himself to give lessons in theology. According to some sources, Origen was headmaster at the School of Catechism 9 , in Alexandria, as early as 202/203 A.D., where the largest library of antiquity was situated. After Origen, no Church scholar would ever again have access to such an enormous amount of material. The library was set alight by the Christian fanatic, patriarch Theophilus in 389 A.D. This unbelievably infamous action destroyed precious cultural value and hindered historical research enormously.  The fire consumed the s c r i p t s o f t h e o r i g i n a l C h r i s t i a n i t y , which gave a precise insight into the beginnings of Christian doctrine and could have proven that reincarnation was a fundamental part of Christianity. In the Alexandrian school, the intimate connection between divine and human nature in CHRIST was taught. Cyrill, who taught there early in the 5th century A.D. talked about “the one nature in a logos incarnated” 10 , chose the following image: “ Divine nature permeates human nature like fire in glowing coal or a burning piece of wood”. - We find a similar image to Cyrill’s already with Origen, in his work “De Principiis”, 6,5-6. This image makes it clear: Origen assumes though, that a sensible human soul was in CHRIST, but that this soul - through a singular, firm decision to do good - did not have the capacity to decide to do evil anymore. “ The divine fire” permeated everything and was therefore decisive in CHRIST. 9 Ka |te |chet [gr. nlat] Religious teacher, specially for the Christian doctrine of the Church outside of school hours. 10 Jedin, Hubert “Kleine Konziliengaschichte”, Herder, Freiburg, 1959, S.23.