Title Defending and defining the faith : an introduction to early Christian apologetic literature / D. H. Williams

Published New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2020]

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Description 1 online resource (xvii, 465 pages) Contents Introduction -- Matters of definition and qualification: an elementary review -- The Roman world of early Christianity -- The construction of Christian self-definition -- Persecution and the ambiguity of Roman law -- Earliest Christian responses -- Christian faith and intellectual culture -- Hellenized antagonism toward Hellenism -- Philosophy as protagonist -- Brilliant diatribe -- Apology as dialogue and apeal -- Clash of the giants -- North African apologetics -- Apologist par excellence -- Apologetic as exhortation -- The unexpected pagan emperor -- Cities in conflict -- Fifth-century anti-pagan polemic expressions Summary "Christian apologetics in the patristic era should be understood broadly as a defense of Christian beliefs and practices against non-Christian beliefs, practices, and policies (religious, social, and political) that were either antithetical to Christian beliefs and practices or openly hostile to Christianity. The advantage of this conceptualization of apologetics is that it enables readers to follow the discussion of Christian responses to Hellenistic culture beyond the context of persecution associated with the pre-Constantinian period which tends to be where many scholarly projects on apologetics end. The reader is also invited to see the links in the intellectual trajectory from early second-century apologetics through the early fifth century, prompting deeper reflection about the process of Christian self-definition in late antiquity. This book offers a presentation of Christian apologetic literature from the second century to the fifth century, taking each writer within the intellectual context of the day. The book argues that most apologies were not directed at a pagan readership. In most cases, ancient apologetics had a double object: to instruct the Christian and persuade weak Christians or non-Christians who were sympathetic to Christian claims. Taken cumulatively, it finds, apologetic literature was integral to the formation of the Christian identity in the Roman world. Christian beliefs Christianity Hellenistic culture pre-Constantinian period Christian self-definition Christian apologetic literature Christian identity"-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on July 01, 2020) Subject Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600. Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600 -- Bibliography Christian literature, Early -- History and criticism Christian literature, Early -- Bibliography Apologetics -- Early church Christian literature, Early Genre/Form bibliographies. Bibliographies Criticism, interpretation, etc. History Bibliographies. Bibliographies. Form Electronic book LC no. 2019036453 ISBN 9780190620516 0190620528 9780190620530 019062051X 9780190620523 0190620536

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