Tertullian's
Apology is a strong defense of the Christian faith, but it sometimes seems more than a bit provocative. Read Chapters 1 and 50 at the link
here (and any chapters in between that appeal to you). What's your overall impression? Is this work more likely to make the Roman authorities think twice about torturing and executing Christians, or is it more likely to irritate them? Or does it do something of both? How would you have reacted to this work if you had been a Roman official directly or indirectly involved in the trials of Christians?
I thought those chapters were very well put. The author made it feel like come on guys you should understand it. It is common sense. I think it will make them think twice because in the first chapter he compared criminals to Christians and show Christians have done nothing wrong. If I was a Roman official I would investigate this. I think at first you would get mad because they are kind of saying your a bad person for killing them. I would make sure the author knows what he is talking about then get some opinions from other officials.
ReplyDeleteI think that while Tertullian's Apology may have helped a little bit, but it seems more likely to cause irritation. The tone of this is more condescending to the people that it is talking to than that of Justin Martyr and Athenagoras. He also repeatedly calls the people he is talking to ignorant. Combining the condescension and the calling people ignorant seems like it would cause irritation because I think that that is probably the effect that it would have on me so it possibly may not have helped to make them think again about persecuting the Christians.
ReplyDeleteMallory Schlechter