Monday, September 3, 2012

Eastern Apologists

So part 2 of apologists and polemicists brings us to Cairns's list of eastern apologists.

He first mentions Aristides, who lived in Athens and contrasted Christian worship with the worship of other religions to prove its superiority.

Justin Martyr gets a wonderful write-up.  I will probably try to read is works next.  He started as a stoic from Shechem and eventually got tired of Aristotle's ideas because he charged so much for them.  He finally found God by looking through the Scriptures and opened a school in Rome. 
His First Apology to Antoninus Pius, urges him to examine accusations against Christians and realize that they are not true.
In Second Apology, he highlights injustices committed against Christians.
In Dialogue with Trypho, he attempts to explain Jesus to the Jews.

Tatian wrote Address to the Greeks, where he denounced Greek philosophy as inferior to Christianity, tried to explain that, and campaigned for fair treatment to Christians.

Athenagoras, like Justin, came to know Christ through the Scriptures.  He wrote Supplication for the Christians to refute the accusations that Christians are atheists and cannibals.

Theophilus of Antioch wrote Apology to Autolycus.  Here, he wanted to reach Autolycus for Jesus through rational arguments.  He first used trias to mean Trinity.

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