The issue of the Social Addressee of the Early Christian Apologies in the Modern Foreign Historiography

Abstract

This paper examines the main concepts of the history of the Early Christian apologetic from the second half of twenty century to the beginning of twenty one century. The author notes that interest to the problem of audience of the apologies is increased in the modern science, the researchers elaborate the new original approaches. Today two views can be distinguished concerning the addressee of the apologies. According to the first, the apologies were intended for non-Christian audience and also could address to the ruling persons. According to the second, the apologies were never read outside the Church and they were created for Christians themselves.