St. Justin Martyr
Patron Saint of Philosophers
St. Justin Martyr was a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. He believed that Christianity answered the great questions about life and existence better than any philosopher could. His most famous work, First Apology, was a defense of the Christian life and a courageous attempt to stop the persecutions of Christians by the Roman Emperor Antoninus. Justin also defended the Church against pagan beliefs through many writings and was known as one of the early Christian apologists. As a result of defending the early Church from an onslaught of theological attacks, Justin was martyred in Rome in 165.