Origen the Sophist:

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

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" Origen the Sophist: "
Matthias Becker

Document Type	:	AL
Record Number	:	1085506
Doc. No	:	LA129135
Call No	:	‭10.1163/15700720-12341395‬
Language of Document	:	English
Main Entry	:	Matthias Becker
Title & Author	:	Origen the Sophist: [Article] : Anti-Sophistic Polemic in Porphyry’s Contra Christianos\ Matthias Becker
Publication Statement	:	Leiden: Brill
Title of Periodical	:	Vigiliae Christianae
Date	:	2019
Volume/ Issue Number	:	73/2
Page No	:	159–173
Abstract	:	Making use of Beatrice Wyss’ “pattern of the disparagement of sophists” for heuristic purposes, this paper argues that the depictions of Christian exegetes and scholars in a fragment of Porphyry’s lost work Contra Christianos (fr. 39 Harnack/fr. 6F. Becker) contain literary elements of ad hominem attacks which were used in Greek anti-sophistic polemic. Porphyry’s allusive language allows for the conclusion that he aimed specifically at casting Origen in the role of a sophist. This hitherto unnoticed component of Porphyry’s polemic against the Christians sheds light on how Platonists in the third century viewed Christian intellectuals through a Platonic lens in order to secure their identity against a stereotypical opponent which had ultimately been created by Plato himself. Thus, in Porphyry’s view, Christians are, as it were, new foes with old familiar faces. Making use of Beatrice Wyss’ “pattern of the disparagement of sophists” for heuristic purposes, this paper argues that the depictions of Christian exegetes and scholars in a fragment of Porphyry’s lost work Contra Christianos (fr. 39 Harnack/fr. 6F. Becker) contain literary elements of ad hominem attacks which were used in Greek anti-sophistic polemic. Porphyry’s allusive language allows for the conclusion that he aimed specifically at casting Origen in the role of a sophist. This hitherto unnoticed component of Porphyry’s polemic against the Christians sheds light on how Platonists in the third century viewed Christian intellectuals through a Platonic lens in order to secure their identity against a stereotypical opponent which had ultimately been created by Plato himself. Thus, in Porphyry’s view, Christians are, as it were, new foes with old familiar faces.
Descriptor	:	anti-sophistic polemic
Descriptor	:	Contra Christianos
Descriptor	:	Origen
Descriptor	:	Porphyry
Location & Call number	:	‭10.1163/15700720-12341395‬