La première apologétique chrétienne : définitions, thèmes et visées

Abstract

The Christian apology does not belong to a single literary genre, but to several. It may be defined by its purpose: to defend the communities and the Christian doctrine. Its main model is the judicial discourse pro homine like the Apology of Socrates. Its four aims are: the defence of the doctrine; retortion and polemics against paganism; religious propaganda ad externos; and paraenesis ad internos.

Keywords

• apologist
• Christian apologetics
• literary genre
• religious polemics
• paraenesis
• protreptic