Already early in the history of Christianity it was necessary to defend the reasonableness of Christian belief. The purpose of apologies was the defence and justification of the existence of the Christian faith. This was especially true when addressing the emperor or other political official. In this way, an attempt was made to ‘win a place in the sun’ for Christianity. Moreover, in a cultural context of a highly agonistic competition for adherents between religious movements, apologies served as important advertising space and recruiting activities.

Aristides of Athens wrote an apology addressed to the emperor Hadrian, which therefore has to be dated to between 117 and 138 CE. Aristides starts with a discussion on God, who is portrayed as Mover and Creator in terms of Stoic philosophical ideas. That is followed by an exposition of the religious views of various peoples, including the Jews. The Christians have found the truth, that is why they love God, keep his commandments and help the oppressed and poor. Therefore the emperor should not heed the slander of the Greeks. Aristo of Pella wrote a dialogue that purportedly took place between Jason, a Christian from Jewish descent, and Papiscus, a pagan. Using texts from the Old Testament interpreted allegorically, Jason proved that Jesus was the Son of God. The result was that Papiscus converted and became a Christian. The allegorical method used by Jason and the note in Origen (who mentions this work) that Papiscus came from Alexandria make it very probable that the dialogue was written in Alexandria.

Justin Martyr

Justin Martyr was one of the most important of the early apologists for the Christian faith. The reason for this was his unique combination of Christian and pagan ideas in his presentation of the Christian religion to his pagan audience.

Justin was born from pagan parents in Sichem in Samaria. He studied philosophy and drifted from philosophical school to philosophical school (from Stoic, Aristotelian or Peripatetic, to Neopythagorean to Platonic philosophy), none of which, according to his later testimony, satisfied him. Then he encountered Christianity during a stay in Ephesus, and it was the fearlessness of Christians in the face of death which made a big impression on him, so much so that he became a Christian, for to him ‘Christianity was the real philosophy’.