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Epistle to Diognetus
Excerpt from the Lexham Bible Dictionary, the most advanced Bible dictionary.
A brief apologetic treatise written in Greek in the late second century to the pagan Diognetus. While never included in a canon list, this letter was accepted as authentic in the early church, and is part of a collection known as the Apostolic Fathers. The author and date of this articulate exposition of Christianity is a mystery. The only source available for Letter of Diognetus was a single medieval manuscript, but it was destroyed by fire in the 19th century; today, reconstructions are based upon transcriptions which disagree at times. The Letter of Diognetus provides moral comment on the foolishness of idolatry and on Christian character and behavior in the world.(For more information on the Apostolic Fathers, see this article: Apostolic Fathers. For information on the process of canonization, see this article: Canon, New Testament.)
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The Lexham Bible Dictionary
Diognetus, Letter to
Diognetus, Letter to (Διόγνητος, Diognētos). A brief apologetic treatise written in Greek in the late second century to the pagan Diognetus. While never included in a canon list, this letter was accepted as authentic in the early church, and is part of a collection known as the Apostolic Fathers. The
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary
Diognetus, Epistle to
DIOGNETUS, EPISTLE TO. A late 2d century apology addressed to a certain Diognetus who is otherwise unknown. Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice (Meditations 1.6), but he is not likely to be the recipient,
Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments
Diognetus, Epistle to (Writing)
Diognetus, Epistle toThe Epistle to Diognetus is a relatively brief (698 words, excluding articles, proper names and pronouns) apologetic treatise for Christianity presented in an epistolary form (see Letters). It claims to be written to a pagan of high social or political rank in response to certain
The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
Diognetus, the Epistle to
Diognetus, the Epistle to. A letter written by an unknown Christian to an otherwise unknown inquirer. It probably dates from the 2nd, or perhaps the 3rd, cent. Answering three questions (ch. 1), the author explains why paganism and Judaism cannot be tolerated (2–4), describes Christians as the soul
The Westminster Dictionary of Theologians
Diognetus, to
Diognetus, To (2nd? century). One of the writings that is commonly found among the ⇒Apostolic Fathers (together with ⇒Clement of Rome, the Didache, ⇒Ignatius of Antioch, ⇒Polycarp of Smyrna, ⇒Papias, the so-called Epistle of ⇒Barnabas, and the Shepherd of ⇒Hermas). This document was discovered and published
A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines, Volumes I–IV
Epistle to Diognetus
EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS. The Greek text known by this name has been known only since its publication in the year 1592 by Henricus Stephanus, in whose handwriting it is extant at Leyden (MS. Voss Q 30), as taken both by him and by Beurer, whose transcript is lost, from a single faded exemplar, the same which
The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Volume 2, D–G
Diognetus, Epistle to (Writing)
Diognetus, Epistle to di-og’ni-tuhs (Διόγνητος). An apologetic work of the early church, usually included among the Apostolic Fathers. It is a brilliant, lucid exposition of Christianity by an unknown author. A Diognetus who served as the tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Meditations 1.6) may be
Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity
Diognetus, Letter To
DIOGNETUS, Letter to. A manuscript, conventionally known as MS F, was discovered by chance at *Constantinople ca. 1436. It contained various works, mostly apologetic, five of which were erroneously attributed to *Justin; the last of these erroneously attributed works was entitled To Diognetus. Stephanus,
The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volumes 1–5
DIOGNETUS, LETTER TO
DIOGNETUS, LETTER TO. The Letter to Diognetus is an apology in letter form. The author is anonymous (possibly QUADRATUS, or perhaps HIPPOLYTUS, THEOPHILUS, or Pantaenus), the recipient’s identity is uncertain (if not fictional, perhaps HADRIAN), as is the date (likely between 150 and 225 ce), and the