Synopsis
ATHENAGORAS. Under the titles … (a defence of
the Christians by the Christian philosopher Athenagoras of Athens) and
… (of the resurrection of the dead), two works have come down to
us, whose author is entirely unknown to the tradition of the church. Eusebius,
Jerome, and their immediate successors, do not mention him; and, as the survey
which Eusebius gives of the apologetical literature of the second century is
very elaborate, his silence with respect to Athenagoras could not fail to
attract attention. Very early the existence of an apologist of that name was
doubted, and the work was ascribed to Justin. This supposition, however, is
from internal reasons untenable. The first testimony, [p.164] and the only one
from the third century, of the existence of the apology and the name of its
author, is a quotation by Methodius (Epiph.
Haeres. 64, c. 21). Some notices by an unknown scribe (Cod. Barocc.
142, fol. 216), quoting from Philippus Sidetes, from the beginning of the fifth
century, state that Athenagoras was director of the catechetical school of
Alexandria, lived at the time of Hadrian and Antoninus, and was, like
Celsus, occupied with searching the Scriptures for
arguments against Christianity, when he was suddenly converted; but most of
these notices are palpably erroneous. In spite, however, of the entire absence
of a tradition, and the close resemblance to the apology of Justin, the date of
the work must be placed somewhere in the second century. It is addressed to the
emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, and various passages
indicate the period between 176 and 178. The treatise on the resurrection,
which contains nothing specifically Christian, first appeared in Latin, Venice,
1498, then in Greek, Louvain, 1541. The apology, together with the treatise,
first appeared from the press of H. Stephanus, 1557.
A. Harnack, "Athenagoras," Philip Schaff,
ed., A Religious Encyclopaedia or Dictionary of Biblical, Historical,
Doctrinal, and Practical Theology, 3rd edn., Vol. 1. Toronto, New York
& London: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894. pp.163-164. [Greek text
removed]
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Athenagoras
(Christian Classic Ethereal Library) |
|
Athenagoras
(Paul Hartog) |
 |
L.W. Barnard, "The Embassy of
Athenagoras - Two Notes," Vigiliae Christianae, Vol. 21 (1967):
88-92. |
|
L.W. Barnard, "The Old Testament and
the Authorship of Athenagoras' De Resurrectione," Journal of Theological
Studies 18 (1967): 432f. |
 |
L.W. Barnard, Athenagoras: A Study
in Second Century Christian Apologetics. Théologie Historique 18.
Paris: Beauchesne, 1972. |
|
T.D. Barnes, "The Embassy of
Athenagoras," Journal of Theological Studies 26 (1975):
111-14. |
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P. Lorraine Buck, "Athenagoras's
Embassy: A Literary Fiction," Harvard Theological Review 89.3 (1996):
209-226. |
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F.L. Cross, The Early Christian
Fathers. Studies in Theology 1. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.,
1960. Hbk. pp.55-57. |
|
Monir A. Dawoud, "Fathers of the School
of Alexandria: Athenagoras," Coptic Church Review 12.4 (1991):
121-124. |
|
Robert M.Grant, "Athenagoras or
Pseudo-Athenagoras," Harvard Theoglogical Review 47 (1954):
121-129. |
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Athenagoras
(Paul Hartog) |
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H.A. Lucks, The Philosophy of
Athenagoras. Catholic University Press of MAerica Philosophical Studies, 32
(1936). |
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A.J. Malherbe, "The Holy Spirit in
Athanagoras," Journal of Theological Studies, n.s. 20 (1969):
538-542. |
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A.J. Malherbe, "The Structure of
Athenagoras, Supplicatio pro Christianis," Vigiliae Christianae
23 (1969): 1-20. |
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A.J. Malherbe, "Athenagoras on
Christian Ethics," Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 20 (1969):
1-5. |
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A.J. Malherbe, "Athenagoras and the
Location of God," Theologische Zeitschrift, Vol. 26 (1970):
46-52. |
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A.J. Malherbe, "Athenagoras on the
Pagan Poets and Philosophers," P. Granfield & J.A. Jungman, editors,
Kyriakon Festschrift Johannes Quasten.Munster: Aschendorff, 1970,
pp.214-225. |
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Miroslav Marcovich, "On the Text of
Athenagoras, De Resurrectione," Vigiliae Christianae 33.4 (1979):
375-382. |
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Athenagoras
(John B. Peterson) |
|
 Johannes Quasten, Patrology, Vol. 1.
Resources for Chritian Living, 1950. Pbk. ISBN: 0870610848. pp.229-236.
{CBD} |
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Louis A. Ruprecht, "Athenagoras the
Christian, Pausanias the Travel Guide, and a Mysterious Corinthian Girl,"
Harvard Theological Review 85.1 (1992): 35-49. |
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H.R. Smythe, "The Interpretation of
Amos 4:13 in Athanasius and Didymus," Journal of Theological Studies ns
1 (1950): 158-68. |
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Alexander of 
Athenagoras, Embassy for Christians,
new edn. New York: Paulist Press, 1955. Hbk. ISBN: 0809100363. pp.193.
