Menu
Pages
Study
Study
Showing local browser study notes until you sign in.
Open
No research state recorded yet.
Sign in to sync researchLanguage
Account
Research Library / Early Church Documents
De Principiis (On First Principles)
One of the earliest large-scale Christian theological systems, addressing God, creation, scripture, freedom, and final restoration.
Origenearly 3rd century3rd century
Text viewer
Translation: In progress · Witness status: Direct witness
Loading text...
Keep studying
Follow the author trail, return to the navigator, or branch into the main themes tied to this document.
Open these themes in the navigator
Related documents
The Stromata
Clement of Alexandrialate 2nd to early 3rd century
A wide-ranging synthesis of philosophy and theology aimed at mature Christian understanding and disciplined wisdom.
Against Celsus
Origenc. AD 248
A detailed response to pagan criticism, combining biblical exegesis, philosophical reasoning, and theological defense.
Exhortation to the Heathen
Clement of Alexandrialate 2nd century
Invites pagans to abandon idolatry and receive Christ the Logos as the true teacher and healer of humanity.
The Instructor
Clement of Alexandrialate 2nd century
Shows how Christian formation reshapes ordinary habits, speech, consumption, and virtue under Christ's guidance.
Treatise Concerning the Trinity
Novatianmid 3rd century
Offers a pre-Nicene defense of the Father, Son, and Spirit in continuity with scriptural monotheism.
Exposition of the Faith
John of Damascus8th century
A synthetic presentation of orthodox doctrine that gathers patristic trinitarian and christological development.
Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies)
Irenaeus of Lyonsc. AD 180-190
Refutes gnostic systems, defends apostolic succession and rule of faith, and develops recapitulation in Christ.
The Refutation of All Heresies
Hippolytus of Romeearly 3rd century
Catalogues and critiques competing philosophical and heretical teachings to defend apostolic doctrine.
Metadata
Overview
- Category
- Ante-Nicene Fathers
- Genre
- Compendium
- Tradition
- Eastern
- Region
- Alexandria and Caesarea
- Original language
- Greek
- Date certainty
- Range
Historical context
Manuscript context
This text is represented here through direct Greek witness material associated with Origen and its circulation in Alexandria and Caesarea.
Themes
Controversies
- Origenist controversies
Source links
Primary translation
www.newadvent.org · Source quality: Primary · Last checked: 2026-03-01
Archive mirror
web.archive.org · Source quality: Archive · Last checked: 2026-03-01
Original language witnesses
Witness status: Direct witness
Extracted OCR witness from Patrologia Graeca volume 11 (public-domain scan), bounded to the De Principiis section.
Open normalized witness textPatrologia Graeca vol. 11 (De Principiis section)
License: Public Domain Mark 1.0
Patrologia Graeca OCR corpus (Origen, De principiis)
License: No license declared (source text is historical/public-domain material)