Early Apologists
A Plea for the Christians & On the Resurrection of the Dead
Athenagoras of Athens · c. 177
Historical Context
Addressed to the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, Athenagoras writes as a Christian philosopher in elegant Greek to refute pagan slanders.
Summary
He answers the three standard charges — atheism, cannibalism (because of the Eucharist), and incest — and offers one of the earliest formal arguments for the Trinity. His treatise on the resurrection defends bodily resurrection on rational grounds.
Major Themes
- Trinity
- Apologetics
- Bodily resurrection
- Marriage and chastity
Important Quotations
“We acknowledge one God, uncreated, eternal, invisible… and the Son… and the Holy Spirit.”— Plea 10
Related Church Fathers
Related Doctrines
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Leslie W. Barnard, Athenagoras: A Study in Second Century Christian Apologetic