Origen and Augustine

At the foundation of Catholic theology are to be found Origen of Alexandria and Augustine of Hippo. They are so foundational not, most importantly, because of their positions on particular theological questions, but because of their conception of theological thinking itself. Both articulate accounts of the role of attention to Scripture and the use of philosophical reasoning that are formative in the centuries that follow. Both thinkers were original geniuses who also represent the approach of earlier Christian traditions. Widespread controversy over Origen’s thought throughout the Christian world means that Augustine’s conception of theology can also be understood as something of a corrective to his predecessor (even if this is often unconscious).