1. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Introduction to Irenaeus
19 September 2017
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

2. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Introduction
Early Christian Apologists
Review of Hellenistic Philosophy
Early Internal Christian Arguments
Background on Irenaeus
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

3. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Christian Apologists
Apology from Greek word meaning to defend
Written to defend Christianity to those outside of Christianity; Roman society at large
Usually written using philosophical terms and ideas drawn from Hellenistic Society
Apologists include:
Justin Martyr (patron saint of philosophers)
Athenagoras
Tertullian
Catholic Christianity has always used contemporary philosophical methods as the language of theology and as an aid to interpret the Bible; philosophy as the handmaid of theology. Example: Virtue
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

4. Refresher in Hellenistic Philosophy
Athenian Philosophy Before Alexander the Great
Socrates and Plato: Platonism (and indirectly skepticism); Academy
Aristotle: Plato’s student, founder of Lyceum and Aristotelianism
Hellenistic Philosophy (see Acts 17)
Epicurus, fought in Alexander’s army; opposed to Plato, founder of Epicureanism; the Garden
Zeno: opposed to Epicurus, founder of Stoicism; the Stoa
Middle Platonism: mix of Platonism and Stoicism
Neo-Platonism centered in Alexandria 250 CE
Note that ancient philosophy was considered a way of life; in addition to being an academic discipline
Mark Timeline
Future note: Aquinas runs into trouble in 13th C because he uses Aristotelian methods, not neo-Platonic
Future note: Current Pope is a Philosopher, phenomenology
Virtue is not a Biblical concept; it is a Greek philosophical concept. In Bible, proper morality and ethics is described as a ‘Way’. One can chose from two paths (Ps. 1). The three ‘theological virtues’ are described by Paul, not a virtues by as the more excellent way. Christianity is called the Way at the beginning of Acts
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

5. Platonism and Aristotelianism
Plato ( BC)
Happiness is found in choosing the good and the beautiful
Uncertain whether virtue is learned or gift of gods
The physical world is only a shadow of the real world
Socrates always searching for knowledge (but does he ever find it?)
God is not material, dualism
Aristotle ( BC)
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue
Virtue is the mean between two vices as a prudent man would define it
Knowledge leads to virtue; exceptional people can make themselves virtuous
Keen interest in the physical world; especially systems of classification
‘Metaphysics’ is Aristotle’s treatment of ethics; it occurs in his works ‘after physics’
God as prime mover and as the end (telos)
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

6. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Epicureanism
Founded by Epicurus ( BC) in reaction against Plato
Begins with theodicy question: why is there evil and suffering in world if there is a good, creator, all-powerful God(s)
Answer: God or gods (if they exist) are uninterested in material, physical world
Material world not created, but sempeternal
No life after death
Happiness and Ethics based on pleasure and avoidance of pain
Person not bound by ties of family or duty
Science and technology very important; based on random motion of atoms
Justice based upon contractual agreements
Opposed to allegory and prophecy as a way of knowing
Favored philosophy of intellectual Romans who wanted to withdraw from society
Women encouraged to join as full members of schools
Roundly condemned by all other philosophies; rabbinic word for atheist is derived from Epicurus
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

7. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Stoicism
Founded by Zeno ( BC) in reaction against Epicurus
Happiness is following the will of God (Providence)
God everywhere, God as logos (rational necessity); God as a type of gas that permeates everything
His providence rules everything (see Acts 17:28)
Ethics based on following God’s plan for you; no free will; emphasis on virtues; judgment by God after death
Natural law as part of Providence’s eternal law
Passions are to be subordinated to intellect
Allegorical interpretation of Greek myths
Dominant philosophy of Roman Empire
Seneca, Epictitus, Marcus Aurelius
At end
Shift gears to New Testatment
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

8. Contrast Epicureans and Stoics on Free Will
Man made of atoms which can have random motion
Random motion means men’s actions are not pre-determined;
Man exercises free will through this mechanism
No immortal soul, no judgment; justice based on contract
Stoics
Everything pre-determined by providence
Man fated by natural (eternal) law
No free will
Soul judged based upon conformance of interior intent to providence
These issues are still with us, in almost exactly these terms
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

9. Early Christian Understanding: Example Free Will
Philosophically, a mix of Stoic and Epicurean
God, Providence, is always at work and all things are in His control (see Acts 17:28)
But God has also endowed man with free will, and responsibility for his actions
St. Justin Martyr: “And if the human race does not have the power by free choice to avoid what is shameful and to choose what is right, then there is no responsibility for actions of any kind.”
St. Irenaeus: “Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master of his acts.”
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

10. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Justin Martyr (d. 163)
We know quite a lot about him through his autobiographical Dialogue with Trypho (a Jew)
Born in Palestine
Tried many different philosophies before converting to Christianity
Settled in Rome and established a Christian school in Rome mid-Second Century
Lived above the baths
Addressed his Apology to the Emperor; but really an open letter to philosophers in other Roman schools
Martyred during reign of Marcus Aurelius
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

11. First Apology Key Points
Structure
Addressed to Emperor, Antoninus Pius and his adopted son, Marcus Aurelius (1)
Plea and petition to the court (1)
Structured as a chiasm; common literary device
Use of philosophical terms
Jesus compared to Socrates (5)
Jesus compared to Minos in Plato’s Gorgias
Plato and Stoics similar to Christianity on the eschaton (20)
Importance of free will (43)
Jesus is the Reason (Logos) that all men of Truth live by (32, 46)
Jesus compared to gods
Jesus compared to Zeus (21)
Jesus crucifixion and suffering does not preclude his being Son of God; compare to Zeus’ sons (22)
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

12. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Apology (cont.)
Christians in Empire
Christians as good citizens (17)
Christians opposed to Jewish rebellion in 133 (31)
Moses older that Plato (44)
Importance of Prophecy lead by Spirit (31-53)
Use of Old Testament
Importance of antiquity of belief
Statements of Christian Beliefs
Summary and reference to Eucharist (13, 66)
References to Jesus’ teaching (15, 16)
Trinity(13)
Cross as Sign of Triumph (55)
Christian Worship (61-67)
Erroneous Christian views
Marcion (26)
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

13. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Knew Justin Martyr’s works, may have known Justin Martyr; also knew Polycarp (student of Ignatius and bishop)
Born in Asia Minor; sent by Rome to Lyons in Gaul to be bishop after a brutal persecution
Like Justin Martyr, wrote in Greek
Some key issues for Irenaeus:
What works are canonical
Apostles as guarantors of Truth
How to think about Jesus Christ
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

14. Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
Assignment
Read Justin Martyr First Apology
Brief discussion, but no paper on Thursday
Benedict XVI, General Audience, Justin Martyr, March 21,
Read Weinandy “St. Irenaeus and the Imago Dei”
How Irenaeus supports the goodness of God’s creation, and of human beings in particular
The importance of Jesus; humans created in likeness to Son; our bodies manifest Son’s image
How to grow as imago Dei
Lecture 5: Justin Martyr and Irenaeus