The city of Athens represents the centre of Greek philosophy and Hellenistic culture and civilisation. Following on from the Apostolic Fathers of the late first and early second century, the next generation of Christian leaders were called the "Apologists" and flourished roughly in the period 130-180 CE. Their focus was external, engaging the society around them. The word "apologist" is from the word “ apologia ” which means a defence in court. The apologists defended the Christian faith vis-à-vis the surrounding non-Christian world, and engaged with the culture to communicate the gospel to Jews and Gentiles. The most prominent Apologist was Justin Martyr (100-165), a philosopher-become-Christian who grew up in Samaria (Holy Land), but was later at Rome where he was martyred. Justin's journey to faith involved various "philosophies", such as Stoicism, Aristotelianism and Platonism, but it was a chance meeting with an old man on a beach that convinced ...