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 Questions to Antiochos and Other Theological Questions  Pseudo-Athanasius Buy the Kindle Edition Here Buy the Kobo Edition Here    It was Luther who made the question-and-answer format popular for catechisms, but it had been used for teaching for centuries before him.  Often, the curious would prepare lists of questions and send them to authorities to answer: so we have a set of  Solution to Thirty-Eight Questions  from St. Hildegard of Bingen, or the set of detailed questions that the Khan of Bulgaria sent to the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople to decide whether he would become Catholic or Orthodox.  (One question queried the sinfulness of wearing trousers.)   This volume consists of a variety of sets of questions, all falsely ascribed to St. Athanasius, but instead probably written in the 7th century.  The sets included are the  Questions to Antiochos , the  Sequential Questions on the Gospels , the  Scrip...

 Introduction I am finishing up a translation of a series of Greek questions-and-answers falsely ascribed to St. Athanasius; at the least the main group of questions (the  Questions to Antiochos ) seem to date from the 7th century.  One group of questions, simply named "Other Questions," goes into detail about the metaphysics of the Trinity and the Incarnation.  Below is an excerpt from Q. 4 of the  Other Questions , discussing how man can understand the Trinity.  I hope to release the full translation of these works soon.      The Sun As An Image of the Trinity Pseudo-Athanasius (c. 7th c.)  Listen with understanding, and you will know the Holy Trinity’s mystery, as far as the mind of men is able to know.  Or, rather, it seems to me, insofar as our words are able to tell.  For God is unexplainable, and, therefore, we cannot comprehend His nature, nor is He, like us, one-personed.  For if He were one-personed, we would kno...

  It is not enough to escape evil, if we are to attain the kingdom of the heavens, but many works of virtue are needed. So that we might escape Gehenna, we must cleave from wickedness; so that we might attain the kingdom, we must cleave to virtue….Not doing good is a part of evil; for this is idleness, and idleness is a part of evil; rather, not a part, but the foundation and root of wickedness; for idleness has taught all evil...For to not do good is to do evil…. Because of this, the blessed Paul, too, leading us from wickedness, leads us towards virtue. For what is the use, tell me, of cutting away all the thorns, if you do not plant good seeds? For, the toil remaining incomplete, it turns again to our loss….He who does not weep does not, because of that, laugh, but he is in a middle state. So, too, here, he who is not bitter is not thereby good, nor he who is not wrathful thereby compassionate; but another effort is needed so that we might obtain the good. ...

 Introduction This Greek homily is one of the many, many spurious works ascribed to St. Athanasius.  Quite possibly it is a homily for the Sunday Before the Nativity (Sunday of the Holy Fathers), one of the many days when Hebrews 11 is read at Liturgy: a large portion of this chapter is paraphrased in the first section of this homily.  The homily is notable for its detailed portrayal of God as a judge, with various prophets and others who had been wronged by the wicked approaching Him with their complaints.  Due to the references to Iconoclasm in §8, it is probably from around the 8th century, or later. Homily on the Holy Fathers and the Prophets Psuedo-Athanasius Faith, leading [us] on the way of God-knowledge, and in the virtuous and unconquered way of life, does not have a recent beginning, as the lawless and abominable Jews say; but it is f rom above, from the holy and pious Fathers, I say, from Abel, and from Enoch, and from Noah, and from ...

Fragments from the Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon Origen of Alexandria (185-283) Part Two For Part One, see here .  For selections from the Septuagint version of Proverbs, see here .  The source for this selection is PG 13:25D-33D. Crown of graces (Prv 1:9): the enclosure [1] of the virtues, through which they are bound to each other. Golden collar around your neck (Prv 1:9): he calls the surrounding splendor and circular blaze of the divine words “golden collar.”    And he calls the mind “neck.” We will remove his memory from the earth (Prv 1:12): for those who say these things are also those saying: This is the heir; come, let us slay him, so that the inheritance will become ours (Mt 21:38). And cast your lot among yourselves [2] (Prv 1:14): leaving that society, be among yourselves, make the Sabbath among yourselves, prepare the unleavened bread among yourselves, and may you keep the other parts of the law. For they are partakers of slaughter ...

Below I have translated selected passages from the Septuagint version of Proverbs, in order to provide context for Origen’s commentary (Part One) .  Since Origen—like many of the Fathers—often focused heavily on the exact words of a Scriptural verse, I have tried to be overly-literal in my translations here.  Occasionally, in the notes, I have referenced Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s well-known Septuagint translation, first published in 1844 and widely available online. Greek has many words for “understanding” or “knowledge.”   To keep this difference visible in my translation, I have consistently used a distinct word for each Greek word.   Φρονησις becomes “thoughtfulness”: it often has the connotation of “prudence,” as well as “intention.”   Αισθησις becomes “good-sense,” as the word is also used to refer to feelings or physical sensations; etymologically, it is related to the word aesthetics .   Εννοια becomes “reflection,” though it can also h...