Apologeticum

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The Apologeticum was written in Latin in 197 by the early Christian church writer Tertullian . In this work, the author wants to make known the essence of Christianity so that it is not unfamiliar and unjustly condemned. The apologetic book, which was probably edited in several versions and is the only text of Tertullian to have survived in many manuscripts, serves primarily to defend Christianity.

Literary genre, sources and addressees

In defense of the persecution of Christians , which flared up in individual Roman parts of the empire , but also the attacks of the philosophers and the malevolent talk of the masses, the Christian form of literature of apologetics developed. Preforms can already be found in the New Testament (Lk 12.11-12; Acts 22.1; 26.1-2.24 etc.), but also among Jews who write in Greek , especially Flavius ​​Josephus ( Contra Apionem ). These and early Christian apologies in Greek offered Tertullian the basic structure as well as many topics and examples to develop his work. He took much from the apologies of the doctrine of the Church, Justin the Martyr .

The work shows different topics and is aimed at different groups of readers: The Roman emperor and the Roman governors should be shown the illegality of the persecution of Christians; there is an intellectual competition with pagan philosophers. But the inner cohesion of the Christian community should also be strengthened.

Contents and main topics

The Apologeticum includes very different thematic focuses, and Tertullian also uses very different stylistic devices to present his theses. On the one hand, all polemics are pulled out, the opposing position is ridiculed and its representatives are morally discredited. On the other hand, there are also parts that are committed to forensic rhetoric and even soulful passages. Overall, the text is mainly divided into the following topics:

  • The (legal) injustice of the action against Christians (Apol. 1–6).
  • Reply to allegations of secretly committed crimes, especially child murder and incest (Apol. 7–9).
  • The superior age of the Christian religion (Apol. 17-21). Tertullian claims the age of Judaism and the Old Testament for Christianity. The statement that the Greek poets and philosophers resorted to the Old Testament also belongs in this context (Apol. 42.2). Tertullian was able to find these thoughts in Flavius ​​Josephus ( Contra Apionem , II 60 [12] -218 [23]).
  • Demonology (Apol. 22-23).

Atque adeo dicimus esse substancies quasdam spirituales ... daemonas ... (And we claim that there are certain spiritual beings ... demons ...) (Apol. 22.1)

Tertullian attests to the existence of demons that produce illusions and harm people. Only Christianity can fight them and the utterance of the name of Christ drives them back (Apol. 23.15).

  • The Roman Empire and the Roman Emperor (Apol 15:34). Tertullian protests most decidedly against the charge that Christianity wanted to damage the Roman Empire or the emperor. On the contrary, the prayer of Christians is helping to delay the tremendous catastrophe that threatened the Roman Empire.
  • Christianity and schools of philosophy (Apol. 46–50). In contrast to the Greek apologists, Tertullian distinguishes himself sharply from the pagan world of education. Since philosophers strive for truth at best, but Christians care for their salvation (Apol. 46.7), he sees a fundamentally different approach. But he does not shy away from polemics either when he arbitrarily and contradictingly strings together various philosophical approaches (Apol. 47.6) and accuses Socrates as the spoiler of adolescents (Apol. 46.10).

Tradition and survival

The Apologeticum is closely related to another apologetic work, the Octavius of Minucius Felix , which was written almost at the same time, but based on the script of Tertullian. This opinion has prevailed after a long discussion in the professional world. But other writers such as Cyprian of Carthage , Arnobius the Younger and Laktanz also used it. Although he carried his later turning to Montanism under Häresievorwurf stand, numerous manuscripts were created, which have been preserved in part. The fact that the script was translated into Greek at the beginning of the third century also shows the importance attached to it.

The Apologeticum has been handed down in two distinctly different and largely independent strands of tradition. The edition by Heinrich Hoppe (1939) tries to do justice to both versions. There are two translations into German (see below).

Text editions and translations

  • Carl Becker : Tertullian: Apologeticum , Munich 1952
  • Tobias Georges: Tertullian. Apologeticum (= commentary on early Christian apologists (KfA). Volume 11). Herder, Freiburg et al. 2011, ISBN 978-3-451-29048-0 (German translation with detailed commentary).
  • Heinrich Hoppe: Quinti Septimi Florentis TERTULLIANI APOLOGETICUM , Vienna / Leipzig 1939

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Schulz-wing E., sv Tertullian , in: Lexikon der antiken Christian Literatur , 1998, p. 583; A. Wlosok: sv Tertullian , in: Lexikon der Alten Welt , 1965, reprint 1990, ISBN 3-7608-1034-9 , vol. 3, col. 3017.
  2. ^ Bernhard Kytzler: M. Minucius Felix: Octavius , epilogue, p. 157
  3. ↑ Michael Fiedrowicz: Apology in early Christianity , p. 27
  4. ↑ Michael Fiedrowicz: Apology in early Christianity , p. 29f
  5. ↑ Tobias Georges: Tertullian. Apologeticum , Notes, Register p. 328
  6. ↑ Henrike Maria Zilling: Tertullian, Subject of God and the Emperor , pp. 93-103
  7. ↑ Michael Fiedrowicz: Apology in early Christianity , p. 148
  8. ↑ Henrike Maria Zilling: Tertullian, Subject of God and the Emperor , pp. 108-136
  9. ^ Bernhard Kytzler: M. Minucius Felix: Octavius , afterword, p. 161f
  10. ↑ Tobias Georges: Tertullian. Apologeticum , p. 45
  11. ^ Carl Becker: Tertullian: Apologeticum , p. 46
  12. ↑ Tobias Georges: Tertullian. Apologeticum , p. 47