A Plea for the Christians Athenagoras of Athens 9781631741401 Books
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Athenagoras (c. 133 – c. 190 AD) was a Father of the Church, an Ante-Nicene Christian apologist who lived during the second half of the 2nd century of whom little is known for certain, besides that he was Athenian (though possibly not originally from Athens), a philosopher, and a convert to Christianity. In his writings he styles himself as "Athenagoras, the Athenian, Philosopher, and Christian". This work contains "A Plea for the Christians". Enjoy this classic work! Produced by Beloved Publishing
A Plea for the Christians Athenagoras of Athens 9781631741401 Books
Athenagoras the Athenian (ca. 2nd century) belongs to that momentous epoch in history, when philosophers were becoming Christians and Christians were becoming philosophers. Like his senior contemporary St Justin, Athenagoras continued to wear the philosopher's garb while professing the universal faith. Now, so little is known of Athenagoras that we know more about his writings than we do about his life. Fortunately, history was kind enough to hand us down a tandem of Athenagoras' treatises: one on the Resurrection of the Dead and another, this present work, entitled a Plea for the Christians. This treatise is addressed to the great Marcus Aurelius and his pretentious son, Commodus. The date of composition is surmised to have been conducted around 176-177 AD. The Plea for the Christians, then, is an apology which initially pleads the case for Christians against the injustices and inequalities they were suffering under Roman administration (Plea, ch. 1). And secondly, Athenagoras answers to the outrageous charges hurled upon them by the "undiscerning rumor of the multitude (ch. 2)," these being (1.) atheism, (2.) cannibalism (3.) and incest. Athenagoras first explains that the injustices brought upon the Christians are exacted on account of the mere name of "Christian." And the perpetrators of these injustices do not, he adds, just confiscate property, "they plot against our very bodies and souls, pouring upon us wholesale charges of crimes in which we are guiltless even in thought (ch. 1)." His argument, therefore, is that Christians should not be persecuted with regard to their name. People are to be judged for what they do; names, in themselves, are not worthy of hatred or punishment. Athenagoras, also speaks of religious inequalities Christians were enduring in a state that--he reminds the emperors--is grounded upon the principle of religious toleration. Individuals are granted the freedom to worship any god he wishes; the same is applied to cities. So why are Christian's, who worship the one God, excluded from this right? This exclusion from religious rights is an inherent contradiction to Roman law. Next, Athenagoras answers to the charge of atheism [=denial of the gods]. His argument here is that if Christians are to be held guilty of atheism, then many of the philosophers and poets should be too, since they have maintained the belief in one God. Athenagoras then infers that polytheism is the true atheism, since God is one and cannot be divided into parts. The idea that the gods are elements or bodies in the universe is absurd because they are mutable and corruptible and God is unchangeable and incorruptible. The notion that the gods are emanations from the one God is also absurd, because God is indivisible, being of one essence. Then the author moves on to answer the charge of incest. Athenagoras remarks that incest is essentially against Christian moral teaching and is completely inadmissible to the ascetic life. But, he says, incest has been a common practice among some polytheistic cultures, even among some of the accusers of Christians (ch. 34). Finally, Athenagoras refutes the claim that Christians are cannibals--a misunderstanding of the reception of the Eucharist. His response is that Christians are much more humane than pagans, since they condemn abortion, infanticide and refrain from attending or condoning the blood-lettings of the gladiatorial games. All in all, this is a very good early Christian apologetic work and is asked to be read with those of St Justin and his pupil Tatian the Assyrian. In addition to the polemical material, there is also theological subject matter, of which some of the seminal concepts of the Trinity are found. Later theologians owe much to Athenagoras in the development of their Trinitarian theologies and Christologies.Product details
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A Plea for the Christians Athenagoras of Athens 9781631741401 Books Reviews
Athenagoras the Athenian (ca. 2nd century) belongs to that momentous epoch in history, when philosophers were becoming Christians and Christians were becoming philosophers. Like his senior contemporary St Justin, Athenagoras continued to wear the philosopher's garb while professing the universal faith. Now, so little is known of Athenagoras that we know more about his writings than we do about his life. Fortunately, history was kind enough to hand us down a tandem of Athenagoras' treatises one on the Resurrection of the Dead and another, this present work, entitled a Plea for the Christians. This treatise is addressed to the great Marcus Aurelius and his pretentious son, Commodus. The date of composition is surmised to have been conducted around 176-177 AD. The Plea for the Christians, then, is an apology which initially pleads the case for Christians against the injustices and inequalities they were suffering under Roman administration (Plea, ch. 1). And secondly, Athenagoras answers to the outrageous charges hurled upon them by the "undiscerning rumor of the multitude (ch. 2)," these being (1.) atheism, (2.) cannibalism (3.) and incest. Athenagoras first explains that the injustices brought upon the Christians are exacted on account of the mere name of "Christian." And the perpetrators of these injustices do not, he adds, just confiscate property, "they plot against our very bodies and souls, pouring upon us wholesale charges of crimes in which we are guiltless even in thought (ch. 1)." His argument, therefore, is that Christians should not be persecuted with regard to their name. People are to be judged for what they do; names, in themselves, are not worthy of hatred or punishment. Athenagoras, also speaks of religious inequalities Christians were enduring in a state that--he reminds the emperors--is grounded upon the principle of religious toleration. Individuals are granted the freedom to worship any god he wishes; the same is applied to cities. So why are Christian's, who worship the one God, excluded from this right? This exclusion from religious rights is an inherent contradiction to Roman law. Next, Athenagoras answers to the charge of atheism [=denial of the gods]. His argument here is that if Christians are to be held guilty of atheism, then many of the philosophers and poets should be too, since they have maintained the belief in one God. Athenagoras then infers that polytheism is the true atheism, since God is one and cannot be divided into parts. The idea that the gods are elements or bodies in the universe is absurd because they are mutable and corruptible and God is unchangeable and incorruptible. The notion that the gods are emanations from the one God is also absurd, because God is indivisible, being of one essence. Then the author moves on to answer the charge of incest. Athenagoras remarks that incest is essentially against Christian moral teaching and is completely inadmissible to the ascetic life. But, he says, incest has been a common practice among some polytheistic cultures, even among some of the accusers of Christians (ch. 34). Finally, Athenagoras refutes the claim that Christians are cannibals--a misunderstanding of the reception of the Eucharist. His response is that Christians are much more humane than pagans, since they condemn abortion, infanticide and refrain from attending or condoning the blood-lettings of the gladiatorial games. All in all, this is a very good early Christian apologetic work and is asked to be read with those of St Justin and his pupil Tatian the Assyrian. In addition to the polemical material, there is also theological subject matter, of which some of the seminal concepts of the Trinity are found. Later theologians owe much to Athenagoras in the development of their Trinitarian theologies and Christologies.
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