Sometime around A.D. 125, an Athenian philosopher named Aristides handed the Emperor Hadrian a short, closely reasoned defense of the Christian faith. It may be the earliest full apology to survive from the early Church. Lost for over a millennium, it was recovered only in the nineteenth century through an Armenian fragment, a Syriac manuscript, and a Greek epitome. The Apology of Aristides offers an interesting look at how the earliest generations of Christians defended their faith.

This workshop walks participants through the whole of Aristides' argument, from his opening proof for the existence of God, through his survey and critique of the world's competing worldviews, to his closing portrait of the ethical life of the early Christian community. Along the way, participants study Aristides' various avenues of approach and gain unique insight into how early Christians engaged in apologetics.