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Episode 82·January 22, 2020·roman

I Got Soul, And I'm Super Bad: Basilides of Alexandria

Basilides of Alexandria, one of the first Christian philosophers and scriptural exegetes, is known as one of the great Gnostic heresiarchs of the second century. But what did he actually teach? It's mind-blowing and it's esoteric.

Listen on SHWEP26 sources in collection · 26 translated

Primary Sources

Origen, Homiliae in Psalmos (29 homilies, discovered 2012)

Origen · 1150 · Greek · 756 pages

These homilies represent a rare direct encounter with Origen's preaching voice. He treats the Psalms not as ancient poetry, but as a map for internal warfare and divine union. The text challenges the reader to categorize their own thoughts and desires as either fleeting shadows or eternal seeds. Ori

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Contra Celsum (1481 editio princeps)

Origen · 1481 · Latin · 538 pages

This editio princeps reveals more than a theological argument. It captures the tension between Humanist scholarship and the existential dread caused by the Ottoman advance into Italy. Origen argues that Christianity survives not through the ornate rhetoric of philosophers, but through the lived powe

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Ecclesiastical History

Eusebius Caesariensis · 1544 · Greek · 1306 pages
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Complete Extant Works

Clement of Alexandria · 1551 · Greek · 505 pages

This collection serves as a direct challenge to the foundations of ancient religious life. Clement strips away the veneer of pagan mythology, exposing its deities as merely mortal men and its temples as burial grounds. He argues that Greek philosophy, while incomplete, provides the essential logical

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Extant Works

Clement of Alexandria · 1592 · Greek · 471 pages

Clement does not view the world of Greek philosophy as an enemy to his faith. Instead, he treats it as a classroom where humanity learns to recognize the truth found in Christ. He argues that Greek thinkers were essentially students of Hebrew prophecy who failed to grasp the full picture. This colle

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Ecclesiastical History

Eusebius Caesariensis · 1613 · Latin-Dutch · 739 pages

Eusebius’s 'Ecclesiastical History' stands as the foundational record of the Christian faith, bridging the gap between the Apostolic age and the year 400. This 1613 edition positions history not merely as a record of the past, but as a vital necessity for the preservation of divine truth against the

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Works in Greek and Latin

Clement of Alexandria · 1616 · Greek · 814 pages

Clement treats the entirety of human existence as a classroom for the soul. He claims that Greek philosophy contains fragments of divine truth, though it ultimately fails to reach the goal of salvation. Instead, he proposes the Word of God as the true Instructor who heals the passions and guides hum

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Against Celsus

Origen · 1658 · Latin · 701 pages

This 1658 edition presents the definitive intellectual struggle between early Christian thought and pagan philosophy. Origen systematically dismantles the arguments of Celsus by shifting the debate from mere rhetoric to the moral transformation of the human soul. He argues that the life and death of

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Origen Philocalia (Greek)

Origen / Gulielmus Spencerus (ed.) · 1677 · Greek · 699 pages

In this definitive collection edited by William Spencer, readers encounter the first great synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian theology. Origen does not merely rebut charges of magic and sedition; he builds a comprehensive metaphysical framework that justifies 'simple faith' as a moral medic

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Ecclesiastical History

Eusebius of Caesarea / Rufinus · 1720 · Latin · 917 pages

This work stands as the primary source for understanding how a persecuted sect became the state religion of Rome. It details the struggle between theological orthodoxy and imperial politics during the Arian controversy. Eusebius documents the lives of martyrs, the succession of bishops, and the tran

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Complete Works XVIII: Against Celsus I-IV (Lommatzsch)

Origen · 1846 · Greek · 373 pages

In 'Contra Celsum I-IV,' Origen provides a groundbreaking response to the first major intellectual assault on Christianity. Rather than relying solely on tradition, Origen deconstructs Greek mythology as morally bankrupt while elevating the historical and ethical superiority of the Mosaic law and th

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Complete Works XIX: Against Celsus V-VIII (Lommatzsch)

Origen · 1847 · Greek · 418 pages

This work captures a master of Greek logic turning his focus toward his fiercest opponent. Origen refuses to retreat into silence; he dissects every charge Celsus brings against the Christian faith. He tackles the paradox of the incarnation, the validity of biblical allegory, and the nature of human

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Sancti Irenaei Adversus Haereses

Irenaeus of Lyon / W. Wigan Harvey (ed.) · 1857 · Latin · 620 pages

This edition by W. Wigan Harvey reconstructs the intellectual battlefield of the early centuries, where orthodox tradition clashed with complex Gnostic speculation. It argues that Gnosticism was not a primitive Christian development but a syncretic invention built upon distorted Greek and Egyptian p

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Greek Patrology, Vol. 8: Clement of Alexandria I

Clement of Alexandria · 1857 · Greek · 709 pages
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Patrologia Graeca vol. 12: Origenes II

Origen · 1857 · Greek · 861 pages

This text presents the early church's most intense battle over how to read the Bible. Origen argues that the literal meaning often collapses into absurdity, forcing the reader to search for a deeper, allegorical truth. He connects the soul's journey to the events of Genesis and Exodus, claiming the

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Works, Vol. I (Dindorf, Oxford)

Clement of Alexandria · 1869 · Greek · 522 pages

Clement of Alexandria presents a bold vision where Greek philosophy serves as a mere prelude to the ultimate truth of the Logos. He argues that while poets like Orpheus and Sophocles caught sparks of divinity, only the Christian Way offers a complete transformation of human nature. This text is not

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Ecclesiastical History

Eusebius of Caesarea · 1877 · Armenian · 941 pages

This work stands as the primary record of how a small, persecuted movement transformed the Roman world. Eusebius argues that Christianity is not a recent innovation, but the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and divine purpose. He documents the struggle between apostolic tradition and rising heresies.

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Origenes: Contra Celsum (Greek Critical Edition)

Origen / Paul Koetschau (ed.) · 1899 · Greek · 901 pages
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Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica)

Eusebius of Caesarea · 1903 · Greek · 498 pages

Eusebius of Caesarea’s 'Church History' is far more than a simple chronicle; it is a monumental work of historiography that provides the primary scaffolding for our understanding of early Christianity. In this definitive GCS edition, readers encounter a sophisticated blend of textual criticism, regn

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Clement of Alexandria I: Protrepticus and Paedagogus

Clement of Alexandria · 1905 · Greek · 448 pages
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Clement of Alexandria II: Stromata I-VI

Clement of Alexandria · 1906 · Greek · 560 pages

Clement argues that all wisdom originates from a singular divine source. He asserts that Greek philosophy serves as a vital tool for the believer, provided it is treated as a preparation rather than the final destination. The text demands intellectual rigor and warns against the vanity of mere debat

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The Miscellanies, Books I-VI

Clement of Alexandria (ed. Otto Stählin) · 1906 · German · 548 pages

This text operates as a masterclass in synthesis, bridging the gap between pagan philosophy and the rigorous demands of the Christian faith. Clement claims that the Greeks borrowed their greatest insights from Hebrew prophets, framing philosophy as a necessary preparation for a deeper understanding

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Clement of Alexandria III: Stromata VII-VIII, Excerpts, and Who is the Rich Man that Shall be Saved?

Clement of Alexandria · 1909 · Greek · 916 pages

This volume functions as the ultimate key to the library of a brilliant mind. Clement of Alexandria does not merely cite pagan authors; he reframes their concepts of virtue, cosmology, and ethics to construct a Christian framework. He demands that his readers move beyond simple faith toward a rigoro

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Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5 (Hippolytus, Cyprian, Novatian)

Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson (eds.) · 1919 · English · 720 pages

This collection presents primary evidence for the intellectual battles of the early Church. Hippolytus argues that Gnosticism is not a new revelation but a patchwork of stolen pagan ideas and astrological tricks. Cyprian shifts the focus to the practical struggle for unity, proving that the early Ro

87% translated

Refutation of All Heresies, Vol. 1

Hippolytus of Rome · 1921 · English · 212 pages

This text provides an aggressive polemic against the Gnostic sects that threatened to fracture the early Christian Church. Hippolytus dismantles their claims to divine revelation by tracing their doctrines back to the pagan classrooms of Pythagoras, Plato, and the Stoics. He asserts that these movem

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Refutation of All Heresies, Vol. 2

Hippolytus of Rome · 1921 · English · 220 pages

This volume is an aggressive polemic against the Gnostic thinkers who threatened the foundations of the early Church. Hippolytus dismantles systems like those of Valentinus and Basilides by tracing their roots directly back to Pythagoras and Aristotle. He identifies these doctrines not as divine rev

Fully translated

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