J. José Alviar: Origen vs. Origen: His Spiritual and Literal Interpretations of Biblical Journeys

This communication considers a set of texts by Origen in which he propounds a spiritual meaning to biblical narratives of journeys -- of Abraham, of Rebecca, of Enoch, of the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt. The texts for consideration provide a tantalizing contrast with other, more Platonically-flavored passages of the Alexandrian wherein he seems to prefer detachment in the more physical sense from the world and common earthly activities, and thus raise the suspicion of a tension -possibly unresolved- present in Origen's own thinking.This brief survey could also shed some light on the modern discussion about Origen's influence on the Desert Fathers and Mothers, who embodied a peculiar form of "exodus" from the world and its affairs.