Orthodox Forge

The Fathers

The Epistle to Diognetus

Author Unknown Late 2nd or Early 3rd century

Who he was

  • A discourse on the superiority of Christianity.
  • The Epistle to Diognetus is an apology of Christianity composed in the form of a letter.
  • It is very accurate, simple and clear, written as open answers by the author for the questions of his friend, a high-ranking pagan named Diognetus.
  • Nothing else is known of the author or the addressee.
  • The Epistle to Diognetus expresses the sweetness of its writer in his defense of the faith, and his faithful witness to the Christian life.
  • In his defense, the writer explains the following two points:
  1. How can a man worship an idol made by human hands, made of corruptible material, which can be stolen?!
  2. The soul is discomforted by the sacrifices of animal blood.

What he wrote

  • Christians reveal their faith through their daily life.
  • Christian faith is a divine gift.
  • Christians are not a separate nation.
  • The nature of the Church is heavenly.
  • The Church insists on loving the world faithfully.
  • Christians are subject to the state’s law.
  • The Church practices communal life in everything except in the conjugal life.
  • The author depicts in glowing terms the superiority of Christianity over the foolish idolatry of the pagans, and over the external formalism of the worship of the Jews.

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