Reviews for Fulfilled Prophecy a Proof of the Truth of Revealed Religion: Being the Warburton Lectures f...

The average rating for Fulfilled Prophecy a Proof of the Truth of Revealed Religion: Being the Warburton Lectures f... based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-08-02 00:00:00 Claude Simpson Justin Martyr (AKA Saint Justin) was a second century Christian leader, teacher, and writer. Only three of his works survive today: the lengthy Dialogue with Trypho and two shorter apologies. This book contains both apologies, written around 156-58 or so and addressed to the emperors Antoninus Pius, his sons, and the Roman Senate. An apology is a special kind of genre in Christian literature where the writer attempts to use logic and reason to defend the faith against outside attack. At the time Justin was writing, Christians were being persecuted by the Roman authorities for a number of reasons. If they weren't quite enemies of the state, their failure to embrace the ruler-cult that the various emperors liked to promote, along with their rejection of many other aspects of classical/pagan culture, made them a most unwelcome sect to many in high places. Justin’s defense of Christians and their doctrine was much more engaging reading than I expected it to be, particularly the more famous First Apology. A lot of rhetorical literature from the first few centuries AD can be weighed down by sophistry, but Justin largely avoids falling into that trap. His logic is clear, easy to follow, and sound. His language doesn't ascend to the heights one can find in the best written parts of the Bible, but there are moments of quiet grandeur. Justin manages the difficult trick of defending Christian beliefs without ridiculing or belittling the pagan culture surrounding them, a skill some of his contemporaries were unable or unwilling to learn. And the insights into what the Christian faith was like around the year 156, and how that faith interacted with the pagan world around it at that time, were interesting. I found Justin’s descriptions of the mass in general and the Eucharist in particular to be especially fascinating; the similarities between how Christians of 156 and Christians of 2006 practiced their faith are striking. If Justin does descend into sophistry every now and then – particularly when he leans a little too hard on Old Testament prophecy to prove his points – I was more than willing to forgive him given all the things these writings do well. “You can kill, but not hurt us” Justin proudly proclaims near the beginning of the First Apology. At the macro level, he was correct. Over 1,500 years after the Roman Empire crumbled, the church that Justin died for continues to shape the world. These short works provide an interesting glimpse into the challenges that church faced in the early going, and the arguments it used to defend itself against a sometimes hostile empire. 3.5 stars, recommended.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-02-05 00:00:00 Ellen Harbaugh A well organized appeal to the emperor to stop persecuting Christians. He first appeals to common sense. Why are Christians being persecuted simply because they are so-called? He then moves on to educate those reading the letter about what it is exactly Christians believe, how they are taught to submit to authorities, pay taxes, etc. Finally he seeks to prove Christianity by appeals to fulfilled prophecy. It is also interesting to note his responses to the different heresies of his day. Recommended for those interested in the history of the early church.