Origenes und Reinkarnation: Schluß

In our days the scientific investigation of the Church-Fathers is also influenced by the anthroposophical ideas of metempsychosis, reincarnation and metensomatosis. This contribution to the debate wants to point out these anthroposophical ideas, in so far as they exist in Origen. The article demonst...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie
Main Author: Lies, Lothar 1940-2008 (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:German
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Published: Echter 1999
In: Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Origenes 185-254 / Transmigration of souls
IxTheo Classification:KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
NBE Anthropology
NBQ Eschatology
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:In our days the scientific investigation of the Church-Fathers is also influenced by the anthroposophical ideas of metempsychosis, reincarnation and metensomatosis. This contribution to the debate wants to point out these anthroposophical ideas, in so far as they exist in Origen. The article demonstrates with the help of "Peri Archon" and other works of the famous Alexandrian Father, that Origen knows and discusses these (gnostic) thoughts, but does not defend them as his own opinion. The main arguments of the article are: 1. Origen teaches the salvation of the whole man (body and soul) in biblical tradition: he does not defend the salvation of the soul without or besides the body. 2. In Origen the distinction between the first creation (noetical) and the second creation (physical) is not essential: the noetic creation is always connected with the „materia“, the second creation is seen more as a consequence of the first. The thought of a „nude soul“, meaning a soul without a kind of body, is impossible for Origen. Therefore Origen denies really the transmigration of souls. 3. Origen discusses also the theory of metensarkosis of the body, but against this he defends the faith of Scripture in anastasis, the resurrection. 4. We don't understand Origen's ideas, if we don't want to distinguish between Origen's doctrine and the doctrine of the Origenists (Evagrius Ponticus, etc.). The remarks by Hieronymus and Justinian etc. about Origen's theology can only show the subjects which were touched by Origen, they can never clearly demonstrate, what Origen really believed and defended. His ideas are always based on holy Scripture.
ISSN:0044-2895
Contains:Enthalten in: Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie