Universal Life Church
Don Noenoehitoe
1. Who were apologists and polemicists and how did they respectively approach their task of defending the Christian faith through writing?
History of Christianity - Lesson 9
1. Who were apologists and polemicists and how did they respectively approach their task of defending the Christian faith through writing?
What was the difference in approach between the Eastern and Western apologists?
Apologists derived their writings to confront the persecutions of the early Christians and false charges of atheism, cannibalism, incest, and antisocial behaviors that were made by their Roman counterparts and anti-christian writers such as Celsus, Galen and Lucian. The Apologist were determined for the elevating of Christianity as superior to Judaism, pagan religion, and state worship polytheism .
With backgrounds deeply immersed in Greek philosophy, the apologists were writing as philosophers, not theologians. They emphasized that Christianity was the oldest religion and philosophy because the Pentateuch predated the Trojan Wars, and what truths that were in Greek philosophy were in fact borrowed from Christianity or Judaism. The apologists made much of the pure life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Christ's miracles, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ which proved Christianity is the highest philosophy.
Unlike the apologists (as converts from paganism) who addressed the external threats of persecution from the Roman state, the polemicists (as ones with a Christian cultural background) addressed internal heresies that were threatening the internal peace, purity, and unity of the early Christian church.
Unlike the apologists, the polemicists heavily emphasized the New Testament as the source for their writings in condemning the false doctrines.
Eastern Apologists:
- Aristides of Athens, From A.D.140 - A.D.150, offered an apology to Emperor Antoninus Pius.
- Justin Martyr, (c. A.D. 100-A.D. 165), immersed in Stoicism and the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras, wrote his First Apology to Emperor Antoninus Pius, followed by the his Second Apology to the Roman Senate
- Tatian, (c. A.D. 110-c. A.D. 180), a student of Justin Martyr, wrote "Address to the Greeks" in which Tatian exposed the obscurity of paganism and the viability of Christian antiquity that predated the Greek philosophies.
Tatian also wrote the Diatessaron, a "harmony" or synthesis of the four New Testament Gospels.
- Athenagoras," the Athenian, Philosopher, and Christian", a proto-orthodox Christian apologist.
Around A.D. 177 he wrote Supplication; the Embassy for the Christians, an apology to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus.
- Theophilus of Antioch, sometime after A.D. 180 wrote "Apology to Autolycus".
He relied heavily from the Old Testament and one of the earliest Christian work to use the word "Trinity",
(Greek: Trias) but instead inferring to the words "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," rather, Theophilus himself puts it as "God, his Word (Logos) and his Wisdom (Sophia)."
The eastern apologists defended the early church theology through Greek philosophy,
Western apologists:
- Tertullian (c. A.D. 160-A.D. 225) was the apologist of the Western Church, the founder of Latin Christianity and Western Theology.
Immersed in Classic Greeks, he is perhaps the oldest Latin writer to use the term "Trinity," (Latin: trinitas). Among his apologetic writings, the Apologeticus, addressed to the Roman magistrates.
- Minucius Felix, around 200AD wrote "Octavius", a dialogue on Christianity between the pagan Caecilius Natalis and the Christian Octavius Januarius.
The Western apologists were concerned more about the distinctions and finality of Christianity than the similarities with pagan religions and philosophies.
2. Who was the greatest apologist? Who was the greatest polemicist?
Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 100-A.D. 165) was the greatest apologist of the 2nd century A.D.
Born in a pagan family near the Biblical town of Shechem, he early on became a wandering philosopher on a quest for truth.
Irenaeus, born in Smyrna [modern-day Izmir, Turkey], he would be considered the greatest polemicist.
He was predisposed to Polycarp's preaching while the latter was bishop of Smyrna.
Irenaeus later went to Gaul [modern-day France] where he became bishop before A.D. 180.
He was a well-accomplished missionary bishop. However his greatest effort was his polemical writings condemning Gnosticism.
Written around A.D. 185, Adversus Haereses [Against Heresies] was an attempt to condemn Gnostic doctrines, especially on the system of Gnostic Valentinus.
3. What were the two polemical schools of Christian thought and what were their respective approaches to formulating Christian theology?
The Polemicists: The Alexandrian School
Around A.D. 185, was founded in Alexandria, a school of catechism to teach new pagan converts the doctrines of Christianity.
The first leader of this school was Pantaenus who was a convert from probably Stoicism.
Clement of Alexandria (c. A.D. 155-c. A.D. 215), who was steep in Hellenistic philosophy, and later Origen (c. A.D. 185-A.D. 254) with writings emphasis of textual criticism of the Scriptures, were the leaders of this Catechetical school.
Rather than stressing a historical-grammatical Biblical hermeneutic, they came up with an allegorical hermeneutic - hidden, deeper spiritual meanings - that has arguably harmed Christianity ever since that time.
Clement proposed to unite the mysticism of Neoplatonism with the practical spirit of Christianity.
Nevertheless, Neoplatonism eventually succumbed to Christianity.
The Polemicists: The Carthaginian School
The Western/Latin mentality - with tendency to emphasize a grammatical and historical interpretation of the Gospels - was more concerned with practical issues involving church polity and doctrines relating to the church rather than speculative theology. This difference can be seen in contrasting the writings of Origen with the writings of Tertullian and Cyprian (c. A.D. 200-c. A.D. 258) of North Africa, who wrote De Unitate Catholicae Ecclesiae.
Apologists derived their writings to confront the persecutions of the early Christians and false charges of atheism, cannibalism, incest, and antisocial behaviors that were made by their Roman counterparts and anti-christian writers such as Celsus, Galen and Lucian. The Apologist were determined for the elevating of Christianity as superior to Judaism, pagan religion, and state worship polytheism .
With backgrounds deeply immersed in Greek philosophy, the apologists were writing as philosophers, not theologians. They emphasized that Christianity was the oldest religion and philosophy because the Pentateuch predated the Trojan Wars, and what truths that were in Greek philosophy were in fact borrowed from Christianity or Judaism. The apologists made much of the pure life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Christ's miracles, and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ which proved Christianity is the highest philosophy.
Unlike the apologists (as converts from paganism) who addressed the external threats of persecution from the Roman state, the polemicists (as ones with a Christian cultural background) addressed internal heresies that were threatening the internal peace, purity, and unity of the early Christian church.
Unlike the apologists, the polemicists heavily emphasized the New Testament as the source for their writings in condemning the false doctrines.
Eastern Apologists:
- Aristides of Athens, From A.D.140 - A.D.150, offered an apology to Emperor Antoninus Pius.
- Justin Martyr, (c. A.D. 100-A.D. 165), immersed in Stoicism and the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras, wrote his First Apology to Emperor Antoninus Pius, followed by the his Second Apology to the Roman Senate
- Tatian, (c. A.D. 110-c. A.D. 180), a student of Justin Martyr, wrote "Address to the Greeks" in which Tatian exposed the obscurity of paganism and the viability of Christian antiquity that predated the Greek philosophies.
Tatian also wrote the Diatessaron, a "harmony" or synthesis of the four New Testament Gospels.
- Athenagoras," the Athenian, Philosopher, and Christian", a proto-orthodox Christian apologist.
Around A.D. 177 he wrote Supplication; the Embassy for the Christians, an apology to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus.
- Theophilus of Antioch, sometime after A.D. 180 wrote "Apology to Autolycus".
He relied heavily from the Old Testament and one of the earliest Christian work to use the word "Trinity",
(Greek: Trias) but instead inferring to the words "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit," rather, Theophilus himself puts it as "God, his Word (Logos) and his Wisdom (Sophia)."
The eastern apologists defended the early church theology through Greek philosophy,
Western apologists:
- Tertullian (c. A.D. 160-A.D. 225) was the apologist of the Western Church, the founder of Latin Christianity and Western Theology.
Immersed in Classic Greeks, he is perhaps the oldest Latin writer to use the term "Trinity," (Latin: trinitas). Among his apologetic writings, the Apologeticus, addressed to the Roman magistrates.
- Minucius Felix, around 200AD wrote "Octavius", a dialogue on Christianity between the pagan Caecilius Natalis and the Christian Octavius Januarius.
The Western apologists were concerned more about the distinctions and finality of Christianity than the similarities with pagan religions and philosophies.
2. Who was the greatest apologist? Who was the greatest polemicist?
Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 100-A.D. 165) was the greatest apologist of the 2nd century A.D.
Born in a pagan family near the Biblical town of Shechem, he early on became a wandering philosopher on a quest for truth.
Irenaeus, born in Smyrna [modern-day Izmir, Turkey], he would be considered the greatest polemicist.
He was predisposed to Polycarp's preaching while the latter was bishop of Smyrna.
Irenaeus later went to Gaul [modern-day France] where he became bishop before A.D. 180.
He was a well-accomplished missionary bishop. However his greatest effort was his polemical writings condemning Gnosticism.
Written around A.D. 185, Adversus Haereses [Against Heresies] was an attempt to condemn Gnostic doctrines, especially on the system of Gnostic Valentinus.
3. What were the two polemical schools of Christian thought and what were their respective approaches to formulating Christian theology?
The Polemicists: The Alexandrian School
Around A.D. 185, was founded in Alexandria, a school of catechism to teach new pagan converts the doctrines of Christianity.
The first leader of this school was Pantaenus who was a convert from probably Stoicism.
Clement of Alexandria (c. A.D. 155-c. A.D. 215), who was steep in Hellenistic philosophy, and later Origen (c. A.D. 185-A.D. 254) with writings emphasis of textual criticism of the Scriptures, were the leaders of this Catechetical school.
Rather than stressing a historical-grammatical Biblical hermeneutic, they came up with an allegorical hermeneutic - hidden, deeper spiritual meanings - that has arguably harmed Christianity ever since that time.
Clement proposed to unite the mysticism of Neoplatonism with the practical spirit of Christianity.
Nevertheless, Neoplatonism eventually succumbed to Christianity.
The Polemicists: The Carthaginian School
The Western/Latin mentality - with tendency to emphasize a grammatical and historical interpretation of the Gospels - was more concerned with practical issues involving church polity and doctrines relating to the church rather than speculative theology. This difference can be seen in contrasting the writings of Origen with the writings of Tertullian and Cyprian (c. A.D. 200-c. A.D. 258) of North Africa, who wrote De Unitate Catholicae Ecclesiae.
No comments:
Post a Comment