In this early Christian apologetic work, Theophilus to Autolycus offers a reasoned and literary defense of the Christian faith to a skeptical pagan audience. Written in the late second century by Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, the treatise addresses his friend Autolycus, a cultured and intelligent critic of Christianity, who had dismissed the faith as irrational and unworthy of serious thought. In response, Theophilus draws on philosophy, historical records, and Scripture to articulate a compelling case for the truth of Christian doctrine.

This short work unfolds in three books. In Book 1, Theophilus counters Autolycus’s mockery of Christian beliefs by pointing out inconsistencies in pagan mythology and contrasting them with the moral clarity of the Hebrew prophets. He contends that the Christian God, though invisible, is knowable through reason, conscience, and the natural world—an idea that bridges the philosophical traditions of antiquity with emerging Christian thought. He also introduces a central Christian theme: the superiority of divine revelation over human speculation.

Book 2 expands on the concept of divine truth by grounding it in the Hebrew Scriptures, which Theophilus argues are older and more historically reliable than Greek writings. He uses a biblical chronology to reconstruct the history of the world, asserting the antiquity and reliability of Genesis and the prophets in contrast to the shifting tales of Homer and Hesiod. Alongside his historical apologetic, Theophilus develops a theological anthropology: humans were created good, in God’s image, with freedom to choose obedience or rebellion. Sin, death, and the need for salvation emerge as central themes.

In Book 3, the most theological of the volumes, Theophilus presents a more direct exposition of Christian doctrine, including monotheism, the Logos, resurrection, and the coming judgment. He describes the Logos as both the agent of creation and the rational principle of divine self-expression—a striking early articulation of what would later become foundational to Trinitarian theology. Theophilus also emphasizes Christian moral distinctiveness, highlighting love of enemies, care for the poor, and personal integrity as hallmarks of Christian life, even in the face of public scorn or persecution.

Rich with scriptural citation, historical reasoning, and rhetorical force, To Autolycus is both a defense of Christianity and an invitation to personal transformation. It provides rare insight into how a second-century Christian intellectual engaged the cultural elite of his day—respecting their learning, yet boldly offering an alternative vision of truth, history, and human purpose. For readers today, Theophilus’s work remains a window into the thought world of the early Church and its confident hope in the God who reveals himself not through myths, but in history and Scripture.

Whether you're interested in early Christian apologetics, the intersection of Greek philosophy and biblical faith, or simply the spiritual journey of a pagan friend drawn toward the light of the gospel, Theophilus to Autolycus is a profound and personal witness from one of Christianity’s earliest defenders.