Yaroslav Turkalo,
“Essays of history of Ecumenical Synods (325-787)”.
Origen and his reincarnation theory
At the beginning of the fifth century Palestinian monks were enthusiastic about the teaching of ancient Christian philosopher Origen who died and was forgotten by everybody, it seemed, a long time ago.
Origen (185 – 245), the most outstanding ancient Christian philosopher who was born in Alexandria, lived and wrote in the times of irresistible increase of Christian faith. He had an extraordinary talent of a writer and a speaker. There’s too little information about his life which is known nowadays. It is only known that Origen had a splendid education as for that time. It was based on the traditions of classical ancient Greek philosophers. His father, a sincere Christian, was killed during the persecutions by the Roman emperors; moreover, Origen’s life was endangered too. He saved himself leaving for Palestine (202). But in Palestine Origen suffered because of persecutions. Several times he was arrested and had to live in exile. He lived alone far from people and died in Palestine, maybe in the town of Sidon (254).
Origen had written a great number of philosophical treatises (about six thousand ones). But only small part of them people could see and read. Some of the treatises were still in manuscripts but most of them were missing. Though some of the Origen’s treatises were seldom quoted during his life, they had a great influence on the other philosophers and ancient Christian theologians (III – V centuries). In the times of numerous conflicts between Aryans, members of the Orthodox Church and others, representatives of the Orthodox almost always followed Origen’s treatises in their polemical works.
One of the main ideas of Origen’s thoughts was about reincarnation and changing of everything visual: at the beginning of the world, - Origen said, - all living beings created by God were kind by nature, equal and free; it was the world of free, pure and ideal by nature spirits. After some time those beings lost their love to God and for that reason God gave them bodies; so from that time all beings became inclined to sin, to contacts with devil and his seductions. To correct it all, it was necessary to clean all those beings morally, change everything into pure and free spirit, as it was at the beginning of existence of universe.
Such course of thoughts inspired many people to monkish life. The St. Sava’s Monastery in Palestine where there were two monks of New Lavra – Leonthy and Nanom was the center of those monks who were particularly enthusiastic about Origen’s teaching at that time. Having been enlighten by Origen’s teaching, these two devotees started to interpret and propagate it among others monks. They affirmed that soul was ahead of body, and the possibility of that a sin is born with the rise of a body couldn’t be eliminated. Applying those thoughts to the personality of Jesus Christ, they affirmed that crucifixion of the Saviour didn’t come to the end with His Resurrection, but would last till the end of the world.
When crafty Pelagius– the adviser of Justinian on ecclesiastical matters- visited Palestine for seeking ways of the common language with monophysites, he met the monks, who lively discussed the Origen’s philosophy. And he tried to apply it himself to clear up the questions of Christian dogmatics. Having returned to Constantinople, Pelagius brought some texts from Origen’s teaching and showed them to the emperor with the aim of their discredit, as if they had heretical teaching in front of them that was detrimental to the life of the obedient to the emperor church, which they had at that moment. Therefore that teaching deserved condemnation.
Justinian, without going into the root of the matter, but as he was always ready for discussing on the theological subject, got inspired by the evil idea of Pelagius and not having put off this affair, wrote the vast message to Archbishop Mena, where he condemned the Origen’s teachings about the reincarnation as heretical (542). In this message despotic Justinian called Origen as the son of devil, the enemy of holy belief and the man, who was propagating the pagan ideas and casting a bone between people. In addition to that, he summoned the Council in Constantinople, where the clerics officially condemned Origen as a heretic (543).
So, the imperial authority recognized Origen’s teaching to be dangerous and unwholesome and compared all its followers to monophysites. Thus, the victimizations of the followers of Origen started.
Right after the Council had finished, emperor Justinian sanctioned by the special manifesto all the decretals of the Council, having promised to persecute everybody who would go against the prescribed belief.
(From “The essays of history of Ecumenical Synods” by Yaroslav Turkalo (325-787)).
The great Synod in Constantinople
(of the year 553)
According to the wish and order of emperor Justinian, the great Council started on the 5th of May, in 553 at the Saint Sophia Church in Constantinople under the headship of Constantinopolitan bishop Eutychian, in the presence of 151 bishops out of 800 acting bishops at that time. There were only eight lateens – African bishops, who were brought to the Council against their will. The others, not having been afraid of the almighty authority of the emperor didn’t appear at the Council (of the wicked).Pope Vigilius hadn’t appeared at that Council and was against the convocation of it. Moreover, Pope Vigilius fought for the purity of the Christ’s belief in every way, he prohibited Archbishop Mena, who supported the emperor in every way and executed his commands, destroying Christ’s teaching. Justinian had been keeping Pope Vigiliy in prison for years, demanding Vigiliy to submit, but he stood for God’s truth and didn’t admit the derogation of Christ’s belief, the emperor longed for. Justinian ordered the soldiers to kill Pope Vigiliy, but people, stood up for him.
The last session was held only with 164 bishops but without Pope Vigiliy again, so the headship took Justinian himself. In addition to the Catholic Epistle, the 14 texts of anathemas – curses were prepared at this session:
… 11. If someone don’t anathematize Arius, Eumonian, Macedonius, Apollinarius, Eutychian and Origen with their impious works, and all the others heretics who were condemned and cursed by Catholic and Apostolic Church – let he be anathematized himself.
P.S.
As thus emperor Justinian performed his councils, sheltering himself behind the name of Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Besides 14 anathemas he turned out to be incapable of doing something good for Holy Christ’s Church. Moreover that Arius, Macedonius and others had been already condemned by the previous councils.
Indeed, Justinian, in order to have Christ’s Church as a an instrument in his hands for control over people, not only shred Holy Writ, throwing out uncomfortable for him places, but also summoned by dictatorship so-called “The fifth Ecumenical Synod”.
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