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The Resurrection of the Dead

Athenagoras of Athens

Chapter 1

About this work

A philosophical defense of bodily resurrection arguing from God’s power and purpose, the unity of human body and soul, moral judgment, and the intended end of human creation.

Author: Athenagoras of Athens
Date: Late 2nd century
Origin: Athens (traditional)
Genre: Theological Treatise

Its relationship to Athenagoras and to the Plea is traditional but has received scholarly discussion.

Chapter I.—Defence of the Truth Should Precede Discussions Regarding It.

By the side of every opinion and

Chapter 2 ›

doctrine

which

agrees

with

the

truth

of

things

,

there

springs

up

some

falsehood

;

and

it

does

so

,

not

because

it

takes

its

rise

naturally

from

some

fundamental

principle

,

or

from

some

cause

peculiar

to

the

matter

in

hand

,

but

because

it

is

invented

on

purpose

by

men

who

set

a

value

on

the

spurious

seed

,

for

its

tendency

to

corrupt

the

truth

.

This

is

apparent

,

in

the

first

place

,

from

those

who

in

former

times

addicted

themselves

to

such

inquiries

,

and

their

want

of

agreement

with

their

predecessors

and

contemporaries

,

and

then

,

not

least

,

from

the

very

confusion

which

marks

the

discussions

that

are

now

going

on

.

For

such

men

have

left

no

truth

free

from

their

calumnious

attacks

—

not

the

being

of

God

,

not

His

knowledge

,

not

His

operations

,

not

those

books

which

follow

by

a

regular

and

strict

sequence

from

these

,

and

delineate

for

us

the

doctrines

of

piety

.

On

the

contrary

,

some

of

them

utterly

,

and

once

for

all

,

give

up

in

despair

the

truth

concerning

these

things

,

and

some

distort

it

to

suit

their

own

views

,

and

some

of

set

purpose

doubt

even

of

things

which

are

palpably

evident

.

Hence

I

think

that

those

who

bestow

attention

on

such

subjects

should

adopt

two

lines

of

argument

,

one

in

defence

of

the

truth

,

another

concerning

the

truth

:

that

in

defence

of

the

truth

,

for

disbelievers

and

doubters

;

that

concerning

the

truth

,

for

such

as

are

candid

and

receive

the

truth

with

readiness

.

Accordingly

it

behoves

those

who

wish

to

investigate

these

matters

,

to

keep

in

view

that

which

the

necessity

of

the

case

in

each

instance

requires

,

and

to

regulate

their

discussion

by

this

;

to

accommodate

the

order

of

their

treatment

of

these

subjects

to

what

is

suitable

to

the

occasion

,

and

not

for

the

sake

of

appearing

always

to

preserve

the

same

method

,

to

disregard

fitness

and

the

place

which

properly

belongs

to

each

topic

.

For

,

so

far

as

proof

and

the

natural

order

are

concerned

,

dissertations

concerning

the

truth

always

take

precedence

of

those

in

defence

of

it

;

but

,

for

the

purpose

of

greater

utility

,

the

order

must

be

reversed

,

and

arguments

in

defence

of

it

precede

those

concerning

it

.

For

the

farmer

could

not

properly

cast

the

seed

into

the

ground

,

unless

he

first

extirpated

the

wild

wood

,

and

whatever

would

be

hurtful

to

the

good

seed

;

nor

the

physician

introduce

any

wholesome

medicines

into

the

body

that

needed

his

care

,

if

he

did

not

previously

remove

the

disease

within

,

or

stay

that

which

was

approaching

.

Neither

surely

can

he

who

wishes

to

teach

the

truth

persuade

any

one

by

speaking

about

it

,

so

long

as

there

is

a

false

opinion

lurking

in

the

mind

of

his

hearers

,

and

barring

the

entrance

of

his

arguments

.

And

,

therefore

,

from

regard

to

greater

utility

,

I

myself

sometimes

place

arguments

in

defence

of

the

truth

before

those

concerning

the

truth

;

and

on

the

present

occasion

it

appears

to

me

,

looking

at

the

requirements

of

the

case

,

not

without

advantage

to

follow

the

same

method

in

treating

of

the

resurrection

.

For

in

regard

to

this

subject

also

we

find

some

utterly

disbelieving

,

and

some

others

doubting

,

and

even

among

those

who

have

accepted

the

first

principles

some

who

are

as

much

at

a

loss

what

to

believe

as

those

who

doubt

;

the

most

unaccountable

thing

of

all

being

,

that

they

are

in

this

state

of

mind

without

having

any

ground

whatsoever

in

the

matters

themselves

for

their

disbelief

,

or

finding

it

possible

to

assign

any

reasonable

cause

why

they

disbelieve

or

experience

any

perplexity

.