LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
History of Christianity: Ancient
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
9/2022
History of Christianity: Ancient
Early Christians faced an uphill battle when it came to defending their right to exist. They
were generally poorer, came from Asia or the Levant, and didn’t have any real connections to
powerful voices outside of their insulated communities. Romans saw themselves as being
wholly correct when it came to this holy war of letters, edicts, and speeches, that they are able
to turn the general pagan public against these new heathens.
It wasn’t until prominent citizens such as lawyers and authors converted were they able to
fight back using the amazing technology of the letter. The rise of educated Christians enabled
the growing church to rely on their apologies, and defend themselves against slander by the
pagans. “Octavius” is a prime example of what was said against the Christian church by the
more established religions of the empire. Christians didn’t participate in typical Roman life; they
“shrink in horror from our sacred games, from food ritually dedicated by our priests, from drink
hallowed by libation poured upon our altars. Such is the dread of the very gods you deny.” This
is just a quick excerpt that shows how radical and different the Christians were to the Empire.
With the Apologists, however, the Church was able to fight back against the accusations
and defend themselves like they were never quite able to before. Justin Martyr wrote about the
Roman values of reason and justice, themes that came up in writings like “Octavius” and
aligned the Christians in the same camp as Socrates. Surely any religion that seeks to free
people from the tyranny of demons deserves respect, and the Christian way of seeking converts
is not to instill evil, but release those who have fallen under its clutches.
Justin used the stories of Hermes and Asclepius to show how Jesus could indeed rise from
the dead, but the Gods of Greece and Rome could also show how imperfect the pagan gods
were compared to the Divine Christ and his father. The influence of these demons extends into
the pagan gods, and the myths that were told were “told by the power of the wicked demons
to deceive and lead astray the human race.” The argument made by Justin is an rather visceral
attack on the pagan gods that the Romans hold so dearly, but uses the logic and stylings of
Socrates to further the point. Using a revered philosopher like him leads Justin to a convincing
argument, and like his inspiration, Justin was martyred for his beliefs.
The rise of educated apologists not only extended their arguments to the Greek
philosophers, but also borrowed their wit and sharp tongue. Tertullian’s apology wouldn’t seem
out of place in Athens. Tertullian’s argument is based off of Roman propaganda like Octavian,
but he turns it on his heads. “We are always spoken of in this way, yet you take no pain to bring
into the light the charges which for so long a time you have made against us. Now, either bring
them into the night, if you believe them, or stop believing them.” He calls on the Roman sense
of justice and uses it against the Roman’s fears. No Christian has eaten a baby, or conspired
against the state, so why must that be the charges against them? Tertullian’s writing style is
filled with wit and humor, but drives home an important point within its flashy exterior: the
Christians are just as good, if not better, at being Roman.
The rise of the educated apologist changed how Christians were able to defend themselves
in the Empire. Converts and Pagans alike came to the defense of the Church, and the message
shifted to the values of the Romans instead of the inhumanity of the Christians. This change in
rhetoric was not only able to answer the insults of the Romans, but throw the arguments back
on their head, and gain support for the cause.
