The Apology of Justin Martyr: Literary Strategies and the Defence of Christianity

In his Apologia pro Christianis, Justin Martyr uses some major apologetic strategies to defend and promote Christianity. These are here identified as the ‘logos doctrine’, the ‘theft theory’, the ‘proof from prophecy’ and the demonological arguments. David E. Nystroem analyses each strategy on its own terms as well as in relation to the others in order for them to yield a picture of how they work, rhetorically and literarily, in Justin’s grand argument. He also explores possible literary models as well as the purpose and function of the literary form Justin chose for his work.