Written around AD 180, To Autolycus is one of the earliest surviving works of Christian apologetics and the only extant writing of Theophilus, bishop of Antioch. Addressed to a skeptical pagan friend, this three-book defense of the faith provides a fascinating glimpse into the intellectual world of the second-century Church.
 
In these pages, Theophilus dismantles the folly of idolatry, defends the antiquity and authority of Scripture, and proclaims the Christian vision of creation, judgment, and eternal life. With clarity and conviction, he contrasts the empty myths of the pagan gods with the truth of the one Creator, who made the world out of nothing and revealed Himself through His Word. Notably, To Autolycus contains one of the earliest known uses of the word “Trinity,” making it a landmark text in the history of Christian doctrine.
 
More than a polemic, this work is an invitation—a patient, reasoned conversation in which a Christian bishop explains his faith to an educated friend. For students of early Christianity, To Autolycus offers not only a defense of the Gospel but also a model of how the Church engaged culture with courage, wisdom, and grace.