Origen of Alexandria: The study of the Scriptures as transformation of the readers into images of the God of love

Abstract

For Origen, the purpose of reading the Scriptures is to be transformed more and more into the likeness of God, who is Love, through the Logos embodied in the Scriptures. This article first situated Origen’s approach to the Scriptures in the broad agreement over the centuries that the Scriptures are meant to address the present readers and not merely the original readers. This has led to various approaches to actualise the text up to the present varieties of contextual exegesis. Secondly, the article showed how, for Origen, the aim of actualising the text is the transformation of the readers. It will be necessary, therefore, to briefly present some of the key aspects of Origen’s pre-understanding. The third part focused on Origen’s understanding of the reading process as a movement from the letter to the spirit, a process that involves the transformation of the reader. This process is a struggle to understand what love, which is both the mystery of God and the aim for which every being is created through the Logos, is.

How to cite this article: Decock, P.B., 2011, ‘Origen of Alexandria: The study of the Scriptures as transformation of the readers into images of the God of love’, HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 67(1), Art. #871, 8 pages. DOI: 10.4102/hts.v67i1.871