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Justin’s Christian Philosophy: New Possibilities for Relations between Jews, Graeco-Romans and Christians
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2016
Extract
Identity is always a complicated and negotiated reality, whether personal or communal, and this is certainly true for Christian identity in the second century CE. This century was the setting for many complicated changes that gave birth to Christianity as it is commonly understood. Naming, and the use of the terms ‘outsiders’ and ‘followers of Christ’ to define those we would call ‘Christians’, were important parts of this process. Examining how early Christians presented themselves can help us to understand the development of both Christianity and Judaism, and also to appreciate better how the early Christians saw themselves. Justin Martyr (100-65) is a central figure in this task. This essay will analyse his presentation, at a crucial point in history, of what it meant to be a follower of Christ.
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References
1 Justin’s grandfather, Bacchius, had a Greek name, while his father, Priscus, had a Latin name, as did Justin.
2 Indeed, the term ‘Christian’ must be used loosely with reference to this period, as representing something which is only beginning to become established as what modern readers would recognize by the term.
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