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Sprachlich-ästhetische Darstellung und "Anwendung" von Gewalt in Texten frühchristlicher Apologeten - das Beispiel der Rede Tatians an die Griechen

Language is central to the study of religion and violence. It can represent violence aesthetically or inflict violence rhetorically. This article applies these concepts to the study of a second century Christian apology, Tatian’s 'Oration to the Greeks'. Previously, similar studies looked at apologies from the fourth and fifth centuries for their increasing intolerance towards Jews, Pagans and heretics. This study of a much earlier text suggests that the use of ‘linguistic violence’ was complex and cannot be reduced to an increasing intolerance in early Christianity. Rather, ‘violent language’ can even be understood as a technique to ‘de-escalate’ physical violence.