Apologists • Early Church
c. 100 – c. 165 • Christian apologist and martyr
A philosopher converted to Christianity, Justin defended Christians before the Roman world and argued that Christ is the divine Logos. His First and Second Apologies and Dialogue with Trypho are among the most important second-century Christian texts.
Justin gives unusually detailed descriptions of Christian worship, baptism and the Lord’s Supper and shows Christians engaging Greco-Roman philosophy and Jewish-Christian debate.
His arguments reflect a second-century apologetic setting and should not be read as though later doctrinal terminology were already fully developed.
