Anna Petrin: Liturgy and Apology: Justin Martyr’s Discussions of the Eucharist

The ‘liturgical portions’ of Justin Martyr’s writings have long been invaluable to scholars of liturgical history because of their comparatively detailed descriptions of pre-Nicene liturgical rites. In both the First Apology (65-67) and the Dialogue with Trypho (41, 70, 117), Justin provides seemingly straightforward descriptions of baptism, the eucharist, and weekly worship, along with theological interpretation.  Rarely, however, have liturgical historians considered how these descriptions serve Justin’s broader apologetic project. Indeed, aspects of the two texts’ liturgical descriptions can be difficult to harmonize precisely because they are so carefully nuanced for the benefit of Justin’s interlocutors and audiences. The theological descriptions of the eucharistic meal, for example, differ notably between the First Apology and the Dialogue.  This paper examines the intersection of apology and liturgy in Justin Martyr’s writings and considers how his discussions of the eucharist fit into his broader project of Christian identity formation in the late antique world. Justin’s works operate at the boundary lines between the Roman, Jewish, and Christian communities and navigate the complex and multi-layered set of identities to which his readers would have subscribed. Better understanding how he deploys these liturgical descriptions in service of his apologetic purposes will provide us with a better grasp of the writings of Justin and will also allow liturgical historians to be more precise in their use of these invaluable descriptions of early Christian liturgy.