Peter Morris: What is Apologetic Literature: A Proposal

This paper will argue for a new typology to supplement and partially replace the common category "apologetic" used to describe early Christian texts. I will make this argument in three parts. First, I will briefly discuss contemporary scholars' definition of early Christian apologetic and whether or not "apology" constitutes a genre. Second, I will briefly survey the use of the Greek word ἀπολογία and its cognates in ancient texts before, and contemporary with, Christianity. Using Eusebius as my primary example, I will show that Christians used this word almost exactly as their non-Christian peers and that they did not recognize a formal genre of apologetics amongst their own writing. Finally, based on the preceding, I will argue that a better way forward in categorizing ancient Christian texts is a more strictly emic use of the word apology. This is a fairy well defined rhetorical mode, but it does not neatly map onto most contemporary scholars' designation "apologetic literature." Nevertheless, I will argue that a better, eticcategory can be developed that takes seriously the similarities and relationships between early Christian texts that identified and defined "pagans," as they presented arguments for the supremacy of Christianity over against its alternatives.