Celsus in His Own Words

A Translation of The True Teaching

De: M. David Litwa, Celsus Platonicus

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

This work is a translation of Celsus' The True Teaching--the very first extensive criticism of Christianity, probably written in the late second century CE. In contrast to the rendition of this work by R. J. Hoffmann, Dr. Litwa offers a literal--though not wooden--translation of Celsus in an attempt to represent its original language and force. Celsus was eloquent, witty, and sharp-witted. There is, accordingly, no need to improve on his language or rhetoric, let alone to add or rearrange material. Litwa simply tries to represent The True Teaching—in all its biting wit and force. The power and clarity of Celsus' arguments still amaze people today, as well as his ability to foreshadow later Christian and anti-Christian developments and themes. In short, Celsus' True Teaching has stood the test of time, and it touches a nerve even today. It contains precious information about early Christian diversity, theology, associations, cult practices, and it offers an extensive comparison with Greco-Roman literature and mythology.

Very interesting

I definitely learned some stuff I didn’t know and I found it all very interesting.

Fantastic

I’m glad I finally listened to Celsus’ writings. He said many things that modern writers have again noticed.