The Social Ethics of Deification in Origen

The concept of deification was a popular subject in early Christian discourse, especially among Greek authors. The classical biblical foundation for the Christian doctrine of deification is Ps 81(82):1, 6. At least, this was the case for Christian writers of the second and early third centuries, such as Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Clement of Alexandria. However, from Origen (ca. 185-254 CE), we have a homily in the recently discovered Homilies on the Psalms in which we find an innovative description of deification in his interpretation of Ps 81. In this paper I will show how Origen provided an innovative interpretation of Ps 81 by treating his audience to an elaborate discussion of vv. 2-5, emphasizing the ethical dimensions of the psalm and the doctrine of deification. In this homily we see not the elite ascetic teaching learned study, contemplation, and defeating the passions as the only pathways to deification, but a preacher emphasizing the role of Christian charity.