Methodius of Olympus

About Methodius of Olympus

Methodius was Bishop of Olympus (later of Tyre) and a significant early Christian writer. Though he lived around the same time as Origen and admired some of his work, Methodius critiqued Origen's more speculative theology, particularly regarding the pre-existence of souls and the resurrection body. Methodius wrote numerous works, mostly lost, but his "Symposium" (or "Banquet of the Ten Virgins") survives—a philosophical dialogue celebrating virginity, modeled on Plato but thoroughly Christian. It portrays ten virgins discoursing on virtue and chastity, culminating in a hymn to Christ the Bridegroom. Methodius championed free will against determinism and emphasized the goodness of creation and the physical resurrection. He was martyred during Maximin's persecution around 311. His writings show the synthesis of Greek philosophical methods with Christian doctrine, and his defense of bodily resurrection influenced later theology.