In the 2nd century the celebrated Christian writer, teacher and theologian, Origenes Adamantius, known as 'Origen' was a student of Clement of Alexandria. Clement was on the early fathers of the church and taught that from the beginning men/women have always been immortal and children of eternal life.

Origen read and spoke Greek fluently and was a Platonist, though in a work, 'Contra Celsum' (against Celsus) he brilliantly defended Christianity against a fellow Alexandrian and Platonist, Celsus, who was perhaps the first serious critic of Christianity.

Origen is generally regarded as the father of Christian mysticism and it was he who first wrote that the Lord's Prayer was unskilfully translated as give us our "daily" bread instead of give us this day our daily "spiritual" bread. He warned against praying for a corruptible in place of the incorruptible. It would be difficult for a present scholar of classical Greek to argue against a renowned scholar such as Origen. It was Origen who developed the idea of Christ as the Logos, or incarnate Word, who is with the Father from eternity, but he also taught that the Son is subordinate to the Father in power and dignity. Nowadays, many people teach that the Son IS God, which is certainly NOT what Jesus of Nazareth taught.

On one particular occasion when Origen was visiting Palestine in the year 216, he was invited by the Bishops of Jerusalem and Caesarea to lecture in the churches on the Scriptures. The Scriptures as we know them today had not yet been chosen as the only official Scriptures of the church. Some years later the same two bishops ordained him a presbyter without consulting Origen's own bishop, Demetrius. Enraged, Demetrius held two synods in Alexandria, the first forbidding Origen to teach in Alexandria, the second depriving him of his priesthood. Demetrius died shortly after these synods and there was no court of appeal.

Origen settled in Caesarea where he founded a school of theology, philosophy and literature.

In the year 250, during the persecution of the Christians under Emperor Decius, Origen was imprisoned and tortured. He was released a year later and shortly after died of the injuries he had sustained in prison.

Origen is still severely criticised by some theologians, and had it not been for the fact that Saint Gregory of Nazianzus together with his fellow desert dweller, Saint Basil, compiled and anthology of Origen's writings called the 'Philokalia' (Love of the beautiful) it is doubtful that any of Origen's words would have survived the dark ages.

Speaking of the dark ages, it should never be forgotten that up until the 12th century, the Buddha was listed in the Martyrologuem, the Catholic book of pre-Christian saints and martyrs. What happened? Perhaps a 12th century Demetrius thought he knew better.