Person
Celsus
A second-century Middle Platonist philosopher and critic of Christianity.
Filed underChurch HistoryPhilosophy
Definition
A Middle Platonist philosopher who wrote 'The True Account' (c. 178 AD), a polemical attack on Christianity. He criticized the faith as irrational, subversive, and arrogant for its claim to uniqueness. His work is primarily known through Origen's refutation, 'Against Celsus'.
Sources
- 1.Everett Ferguson Church History: Volume One: From Christ to Pre-Reformation. 2nd ed.. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013). pp. 63-84
Last revised August 18, 2026