Lecture 2: History of Apologetics, Pt 1 Flashcards
Define Stoicism.
God has arranged everything for the best and we should be accepting of this. When we die, the spark of the divine that is our souls returns, leaving behind the body and personality.
Who created the idea of the “anonymous Christian”?
Justin Martyr
Why did Justin Martyr compare Christ to Socrates (two parts).
Both went willing to their deaths rather than defend themselves from false claims. He was drawing on an example of someone familiar to the Greeks for his moral behavior.
Describe Dulles’ model for early church apologetics.
They consisted of political (attempting to win civil tolerance for Christians and stop persecution) and religious (attempting to gain new converts).
Define Epicureanism.
We are meant to lead a maximally pleasurable life, which is inseparable from one of justice, wisdom, and honor. Materialistic view of the soul - when we die, we are gone.
Who compared Christ to Socrates in his apologetics?
Justin Martyr
Describe the anonymous Christian.
Justin Martyr’s idea that those who lived ethical lives prior to Christ’s birth were Christians without being aware.
Give three examples of apologetics in the New Testament.
- Appealing to the eyewitness nature of Jesus’s resurrection
- Careful consideration of Jesus’s birthplace (Nazareth) vs hometown (Galilea) - since Micah specifies Nazareth
- Paul’s address to the Greeks in Athens in Acts
Describe Justin Martyr’s work.
Justin Martyr attempted to argue that Christians were not responsible for the current problems in society and should not be persecuted.
Summarize Paul’s address to the Greeks in Athens described in Acts.
He found common ground in the city’s interest in piety, and the temple for the unknown god. He quoted Greek poets and tied their understanding to the gospel.
Define telos.
End, purpose, or fulfillment. It speaks to an object’s ultimate purpose.
Which two schools of thought in Athens denied any possibility of resurrection?
Epicureanism and Stoicism
What did Stoicism believe with regard to the conquest of the self?
The conquest of the self is in accordance with the rational principle within all of us.
Who wrote First and Second Apology?
Justin Martyr
