The word “apologist”, which is widely used today, is a derivative of the Greek verb apologeormai, which means “I protect”. For the first time, this term began to be used in relation to early Christian writers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, who, under conditions of the most severe persecution, defended the principles of the new faith, opposing the attacks of pagans and Jews.
Defenders of the faith of Christ
The wide spread of Christianity, which by the 2nd century received support from representatives of all segments of the population of the Roman Empire, caused a response not only from the authorities, but also from prominent pagan ideologists. Suffice it to recall the names of such prominent philosophers of that era as Celsus and the mentor of the future emperor Marcus Aurelius - Fronto.
In this regard, the main task of Christian apologists was, firstly, to refute the judgment spread by the pagans that the new teaching is based onprejudices and fanaticism, and secondly, to stop the vicious slander generated by the closeness of Christian meetings. In other words, it was required to protect the teaching of Christ from the attacks of its opponents. It is in connection with this that the meaning of the word "apologist" ("defender") acquires its clear and unambiguous meaning.
Names in the history of apologetics
The complexity of the task was that before the whole pagan world it was required to demonstrate the height of Christ's teachings not only from a religious point of view, but also from a philosophical, civil and cultural one. History has preserved the names of apologists who achieved unprecedented success in this difficult task. Among them are Origen, Meliton, Minucius Felix, Tertullian and many others. They wrote their works in both Latin and Greek.
Having entered the fight against Christianity, the pagans claimed that it was a threat to the foundations of the state. In response, the apologists cited exhaustive evidence that the adoption of a new faith contributes to the preservation of peace and the improvement of life for all sections of society.
From theological controversy to martyrdom
In addition, they had a sharp debate with pagan theologians, revealing the immorality and absurdity of their religion, based on primitive mythology. In their written writings and public speeches, the defenders of Christianity proceeded from the fact that the philosophy of their opponents, based on the human mind, is not capable of providing answers to the main questions,concerning the laws of being.
“Only the doctrine of the One Creator is capable of carrying the light of truth” – that was the main theological principle preached by the apologists. This statement of theirs, contrary to the main state ideology, could not but arouse the anger of the authorities and provoke a violent reaction from fanatical pagans. For this reason, many writers and public figures of early Christianity joined the ranks of martyrs for the faith.
Who were called apologists in the Middle Ages?
In the IV century, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the barbarian tribes that invaded its territory brought with them not only a general decline in culture, but also a blatant spiritual degradation. The state, which had recently come to know the light of the Christian faith, was plunged into the abyss of the wildest beliefs and prejudices. For Christian apologists, this was a period when their main task was to religiously enlighten the peoples, both those who previously inhabited the territories of Northern and Central Europe, and those who came from other regions on a wave of general migration.
The whole history of the early Middle Ages is inextricably linked with the Christianization of semi-savage barbarian tribes. At the same time, it seems almost unbelievable that in the situation of the dominance of these, in essence, occupiers and enslavers, Christianity in Europe not only did not disappear from the consciousness of people, but over time again became the dominant religion.
Spiritual greatness and the fall of Byzantium
At the same time Byzantium,took over from the defeated Rome, for a long period became the world stronghold of the Christian faith. Culture was rapidly developing in it and the process of understanding the works of ancient philosophers from the standpoint of Christianity was going on. Until the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453, the country steadily increased the level of its scientific knowledge: the foundations of algebra, mathematical symbolism were laid, interesting works in the field of geography and astronomy were published.
However, after the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, this hearth of world Christianity also faded significantly. Numerous conquests made by peoples who professed Islam and tried to establish it by force in the territories they occupied as the main religion, became the cause of the emergence of anti-Muslim apologetics.
Among its most famous representatives are the names of Thomas Aquinas, Raymond Martini, St. Cyril Equal to the Apostles, and St. John of Damascus. These apologists, although they lived in different countries and in different historical periods, had common ideas: they had a desire to preserve the purity of the Christian faith in spite of the tragedies that their peoples faced. Their theological writings have not lost their relevance even today.
Orthodox apologists
However, even before the events we mentioned, in 1054, the result of disagreements on a number of canonical, dogmatic and liturgical issues between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople was the split of the previously united Christian Church into two directions -Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Ancient Russia, which became the religious successor of Byzantium, inherited from it all the features of the faith. Preachers arrived on the banks of the Dnieper from across the sea, called to instruct yesterday's pagans in Christ's teachings.
But at the same time (and sometimes even earlier) messengers of other faiths appeared, hoping to take advantage of the favorable moment and harvest their own harvest on the yet uncultivated spiritual field. Orthodox apologists were called upon to oppose them in every possible way, expounding and defending the truths of Orthodox dogma from the attacks of their opponents. They had an important task: to settle in the souls of people who had barely come into contact with the teachings of Jesus Christ, the awareness of the truth of the existence of God, the immortality of the human soul and divine revelation set forth in the books of the Old and New Testaments.
Conclusion
During the entire thousand-year period that has passed since the Baptism of Russia, apologetics has played and continues to play a crucial role in creating and strengthening the foundation of Russian theology, thanks to which many issues of the canonical, dogmatic and moral order are being successfully studied. As in previous years, the task of its ministers is to protect the Orthodox faith from all sorts of sectarian influences and attempts to lead believers from the path destined by Jesus Christ.
