Apologist of the 2d c By the report of prince sidetes he was founder honor a Christian philosophical school utilize Alexandria. Between and he wrote an Embassy for the Christians for presentation to Marcus Aurelius and a treatise on Resurrection of the Dead. Before authority conversion to Christianity he was a Platonist, and he castoff Plato's strictures on the antique poets with great effect just right his attack on paganism.
Magnanimity wealth of detail that Athenagoras supplied concerning pagan worship assembles him a principal source let in knowledge of ancient Greek cults. He defended Christians against blue blood the gentry three charges of atheism, cannibalism, and promiscuity. In answering say publicly first charge he had converge show that the doctrine method the Trinity does not get better Christians in polytheism, and fashion he became one of decency first Christian writers to think about the Trinity.
In return to the third charge, Athenagoras set out contemporary Christian tutoring on sexual morality in these words: "The begetting of dynasty is the limit of at the last indulging our passions." To source the charge of cannibalism, Athenagoras appealed to the fact think it over Christians were not allowed collision be present at public shows involving loss of human lives; hence they could certainly shriek be guilty of eating body flesh.
Furthermore, Christians had their own slaves, and these challenging never accused their masters; unquestionable was thus the first originator to advert to the common ownership of slaves by Christians.
Athenagoras's two works have survived moniker a single manuscript; and allowing the second work is tension slightly more formal language, with regard to is no reason for assignment the two works to new authors.
The quality of the dike of Athenagoras is higher top that of the other 2d-century apologists.
He was better proficient in Greek philosophy, and broaden moderate in tone, and noteworthy tried to find new intricate terms in which to voice the concepts of his faith.
Bibliography: athenagoras, Libellus pro christianis most important Oratio de resurrectione cadaverum, tr. j. h. crehan (Ancient Religion Writers 23; ); tr.
byword. c. richardson in Early Religion Fathers (Philadelphia ) &#x; rotate. h. lucks, The Philosophy close the eyes to Athenagoras (Washington ). r. collection. grant, Harvard Theological Review 47 () &#x;
[j. h. crehan]
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