St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies (Ancient Christian Writers) (Hardcover)

by Leslie William Barnard (Translator) "1. To the Emperor Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar, and to his philosopher son Verrissimus, and to Lucius the philosopher, Caesar's natural son..." (more)
Key Phrases: sowing logos, seed forces, logos spermatikos, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Pontius Pilate (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A very readable translation, with a helpful introduction and excellent notes discussing matters of the translation of difficult passages. -- Ashland Theological Journal

Product Description
An English translation from Greek of Justin Martyr's two major apologetic works, which are recognized as a formative influence on the development of Christian theology in the early church.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809104725
• ISBN-13: 978-0809104727
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #238,168 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Readable Translation and Fair Notes, March 14, 2008

By	Justin Ennis "christian reader" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first thing to notice about this translation of Justin Martyr's First and Second Apologies is that the text of the Apologies themselves is only 62 pages, although the book weighs in at 245. The majority of the remaining pages are notes on the text, so the book is heavily footnoted with the notes encapsulating the translator's views on Justin and engagement with the scholarly consensus.

Reading Justin is an excellent experience and this translation is quite readable. The Apologies contain many scripture references but most of them aren't interpreted in the way that almost any modern person would. At one point in the notes (note 315 on page 162) the translator refers to Justin's reading of a particular passage as "fanciful exegesis" and notes that Justin, "Quotes Old Testament proof-texts that sometimes appear to have been picked at random" but says that this, "Should not blind us to his fundamentally biblical outlook." This sums up the way that the translator approaches Justin in the notes, with much forgiveness and allowance for his place in history. Apparently this is not always the case as quotes in the book from other scholars indicate that there is certainly a strong set of opinions that Justin was rather simple-minded and so no small effort is expended on the part of the translator to refute these opinions. If you are into objectivity in your "scholarship" then this might bother you as it often can come across as being rather biased toward Justin, but I took it as simply being fair and appreciated it as such.