Athenagoras the Athenian: Apology Not Accepted
By Dr. James Papandrea ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 11, 2024 | In Way of the Fathers (Podcast)
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The early Christian apologist Athenagoras may not be as famous as some of the other Church fathers, but he’s a great example of someone who started out as an apologist against Christianity, but when he actually learned what the apostles and the Church taught, he was converted. He teaches us about the doctrines of the Trinity, and the Resurrection.
Links
To read Athenagoras’ A Plea for the Christians: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1656&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2421225
To read Athenagoras’ On the Resurrection of the Dead: https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1657&repos=8&subrepos=0&searchid=2421225
To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Justin Martyr: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/justin-martyr-everything-good-is-ours/
To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Melito of Sardis: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/episode-11-melito-and-parting-ways/
To listen to Mike Aquilina’s episode on Minucius Felix: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/ep-11-minucius-felix-and-great-novel-antiquity/
For a short explanation of the word “consubstantial,” see the video: “What Does Consubstantial Mean?”: https://youtu.be/P9SGuaN-xjU?si=VaB4U3n6pZVdxsHp
For more on Athenagoras and the other apologists in the context of the history of the early Church, see the book:
Reading the Church Fathers: A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/reading-the-church-fathers/
For more on the doctrine of the Trinity in the early Church, see the book: Trinity 101: Father, Son, Holy Spirit: https://www.liguori.org/trinity-101.html
To connect with Dr. James Papandrea, On YouTube—The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch
Join the conversation in the Original Church Community on Locals: https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/
Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: http://www.jimpapandrea.com
Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/
Dr. James Papandrea is a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and a Catholic member of the faculty at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. A theological consultant for EWTN’s series The Heresies, he is also the writer and presenter for The Original Church series on YouTube. See full bio.
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