#patristics

• Apollinaris — The name borne by several historical Christian figures of Late Antiquity, the most prominent being Apollinaris the Younger, bishop of Laodicea (4th century), author of a controversial christological doctrine officially condemned as a heresy by the Church. This Syrian theologian and polymath sustained a radical theory regarding the union of natures in Christ, triggering intense dogmatic debates that shaped early patristics.
• Apologist — A person who enthusiastically and firmly praises, defends, or justifies a doctrine, an idea, a political system, or a religious belief against adverse attacks. In a historical ecclesiastical context, the term denotes Christian writers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries (such as Justin Martyr or Tertullian) who authored systematic works to demonstrate the validity of Christianity before pagan authorities.
• Apologetic — Containing an apology, pertaining to the systematic defense and praise of a doctrine, idea, or belief; characterized by arguments designed to justify or rehabilitate a theological or ideological position against criticism. Broadly, it describes a distinctly laudatory tone or text, often lacking objectivity due to attachment to the defended cause.
• Apologetics — A branch of systematic theology concerned with the rational defense and logical justification of religious dogmas against objections, criticisms, or attacks from other religions or skeptical philosophical systems. Historically, it represents the discipline utilizing dialectical tools to demonstrate the harmony between divine revelation and human reason.
• Arnobius — The name borne by two important Christian theologians of late antiquity. The most famous is Arnobius of Sicca (Arnobius the Elder), a 4th-century Christian apologist from Numidia, author of 'Adversus Nationes'; the second is Arnobius the Younger, a 5th-century monk active in Rome.