The Life of Jesus in the Writings of Origen of Alexandria

This study demonstrates that Origen of Alexandria believed the Gospel writers themselves were figurative readers of the life of Jesus. Origen thus found no contradiction between discerning the truth of the Christian Gospels and facing the critical challenges of their literary form and formation.

List of contents

Part I. First Principles: What is a Gospel, According to Origen?: 1. What is a Gospel? Reintroducing Origen; 2. Literary form: impediments and impossibilities; 3. Literary formation: seeing in the spirit; Part II. A Sign for This Generation: Reading the Gospels with Origen: Part II. Introduction: Spirit and Power: 4. Between the rivers Jordan and Chebar: Jesus's baptism; 5. Seeing the Word: the Lukan infancy narrative; 6. Difference and discord: ascending to Jerusalem; 7. The sign of his presence: the coming of the son of man; Conclusion: the eternal Gospel; Bibliography; Scripture Index; General Index.

About the author

Samuel B. Johnson is Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary & School of Theology.

Product details

• Authors: Samuel B. Johnson
• Publisher: Cambridge Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 31.05.2025
• EAN: 9781009465601
• ISBN: 978-1-009-46560-1
• Illustrations: Worked examples or Exercises
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; Egypt, Christianity, Sacred texts, Christianity: sacred texts and revered writings, BCE to c 500 CE, RELIGION / Biblical Studies / New Testament / General, c 1 to c 500 CE