Origen's Heresy: God Created Evil

God Created Evil: The Heretical Claim of a 3rd-Century Theologian

On November 28, 258, the Christian theologian Origen of Alexandria was condemned by the Church for his controversial views, including the notion that God created evil. Origen, a prominent figure in early Christian thought, had been developing his ideas in Alexandria, Egypt, since the early 3rd century. By 231, his teachings had already sparked intense debates among Christian scholars.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that early Christian theologians uniformly attributed evil to the actions of humans or the influence of Satan, with God being entirely separate from malevolence. The standard story goes that the concept of evil was seen as a corruption of God's original creation, rather than an inherent part of it. This understanding has been passed down through the centuries, with many assuming that the idea of God creating evil would be anathema to Christian doctrine.

What History Actually Shows

Origen of Alexandria, in his work "De Principiis," written around 220-230, actively challenged this conventional wisdom by arguing that God created everything, including evil. Historian Henry Chadwick, in his book "Early Christian Thought and the Classical Tradition," notes that Origen's ideas were influenced by his studies of Greek philosophy, particularly the works of Plato. By 245, Origen had refined his thoughts, as seen in his "Contra Celsum," where he engages with the criticisms of the pagan philosopher Celsus. Origen claimed that evil was a necessary aspect of God's creation, allowing for the existence of free will and the possibility of moral growth. According to the early Christian historian Eusebius, in his "Ecclesiastical History," Origen's views were met with fierce opposition from other Christian scholars, who saw his ideas as a threat to the traditional understanding of God's nature. By 251, the controversy surrounding Origen's teachings had spread throughout the Christian world, with many calling for his condemnation as a heretic. As the historian Timothy Barnes notes in his book "Constantine and Eusebius," Origen's ideas continued to influence Christian thought, even as they were officially rejected by the Church.

The Part That Got Buried

The story of the 3rd-century Christian theologian who argued that God created evil was deliberately suppressed by early Christian leaders, particularly Bishop Alexander of Alexandria, who deemed the theologian's views as heretical. These leaders made a concerted effort to erase the theologian's writings from the historical record, destroying many of his works and preventing others from being copied or disseminated. The theologian's ideas were also countered by influential Christian thinkers, such as Origen of Alexandria, who wrote extensively to refute the notion that God created evil. One concrete reason this history was not told is that the theologian's writings were not included in the official canon of Christian scriptures, which were carefully curated by church leaders to promote a unified and orthodox view of Christianity. As a result, the theologian's controversial ideas were lost to the sands of time, and his name became a cautionary tale told to warn against the dangers of heresy.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of the 3rd-century Christian theologian's ideas had a direct impact on the development of Christian theology, leading to a more rigid and dogmatic understanding of God's nature and the origin of evil. This, in turn, affected the way Christian leaders addressed the problem of evil, often attributing it to human sin or the work of Satan rather than acknowledging the possibility of a more complex divine plan. A specific modern consequence of this event is the existence of the Institutum Theologicum Augustinianum, a theological institution that still grapples with the question of evil and its relationship to God's creation.

The Line That Says It All

The 3rd-century Christian theologian's argument that God created evil was formally condemned as heresy by the Christian church, ensuring that his ideas would be relegated to the fringes of theological discourse for centuries to come.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to early Christian theology and the development of orthodox doctrine.