“The great merit of this study is the originality of Simmons who highlights a fundamental problem, which became central during the third century: universal salvation, or one way of salvation for all people…Simmons, despite the lack of the texts and the shortage of data, takes a position on these issues, without attempting to give a definitive answer. For what I have presented, for the comprehensiveness of the content and for the originality of the issue, I consider this study very good and indispensable for the Porphyrian scholars and specialists of Late Antiquity.” Giuseppe Muscolino, Mediaeval Sophia

“We have a new work ‘definitive for its time’ on the mysterious transition of Christianity from an object of persecution under Diocletian (303-305) to the official cult of the empire under Constantine (312), and finally to the banning of paganism under Theodosius (380). The culmination of close to 30 years’ work, Simmons’ chef d’oeuvre is all the more impressive in that he had to reconstruct the last, desperate counter-offensive by Porphyry almost entirely from fragments quoted by his enemies, the Christian apologists responding to his vitriolic charges – which were all the more serious and incisive in that Porphyry as a youth had studied under Origen in Caesarea and was most likely a former Christian himself. In short, unlike Celsus, he had ‘insider information’.” Patrick Madigan, The Heythrop Journal

“Simmons demonstrates command of sources in Greek, Latin, and Syriac…for those interested in Porphyry’s response to Christianity, this will likely be the volume of choice for some considerable time.” The Classical Review