On the True Doctrine

This is an annotated translation of On True Doctrine, a polemic written in the second century by the Greek philosopher Celsus, one of the most important early opponents of the Christian church. Celsus' work survives only as it is quoted by the Christian writer Origen, in his Contra Celsum, an extended refutation of Celsus' arguments. Hoffman's reconstruction of On True Doctrine presents Celsus `by himself' for the first time. Celsus' discourse shows him to be an eclectic philosopher--a dabbler in various schools of thought, including Platonism and Stoicism, and a student of the history and religious customs of many nations.

Hoffman supplements this definitive translation with an informative introduction, summarizing Celsus' premises and placing the identity of Celsus in its historical context.