Origen's view on knowing God: An examination of Origen's arguments on the possibility of knowing God

Abstract

The possibility of knowing God is one of the most important theological questions in different religions. In responding to the question of whether God can be known or not, different statements and arguments have been brought up. In the meantime, Origen of Alexandria, one of the greatest and most popular ante-Nicene fathers and the owner of the first systematic theology in Christianity has cited arguments supporting the possibility of knowing God; which were elicited from among his works, investigated and analysed in this essay. Origen proves the possibility of knowing God by protesting two rational and three scriptural arguments. He presents participating in Christ, the sole Mediator (Logos) and incarnated wisdom, as the only way to know God. However, Origen's belief that knowing God through the incarnation of Christ is the only possible way for the public to know God is inconsistent with the rational arguments he has stated.