www.alphadictionary.com

• apologist •

Pronunciation: ê-pah-lê-jist • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: Someone who argues in defense or justification of something, as in, "She is an avid apologist for capital punishment."

Notes: Don't confuse apologist with apologizer. Today's Good Word is the personal noun from the abstract noun apologia, not apology. An apology is an expression of regret for a wrong. An apologia is a written or verbal defense or justification for something. You may use apology in the same sense as apologia—and apologize has the same two meanings. But we advise that you keep the main senses of these two words discrete: apologist with apologia, and apologizer with apology.

In Play: An apologia can be simply an explanation: "Dutch Masters is a staunch apologist for the commercial sale of marijuana." It can also be a defense against criticism of something: "Nick O'Lodian has to be the world's foremost apologist for accordion music."

Word History: Today's word is based on Latin apologia, from Greek apologia, comprising apo "(away) from" + logos "word, discourse, thought" + -ia, a noun suffix. Apo was a Proto-Indo-European preposition that meant "(away) from, off (of)". Greek apo retains all the original sounds and meaning, but Latin ab "(away) from" shows some erosion of the original. English polished it even more to produce of and off. Logos goes back to PIE log-/leg- "to gather, to speak". In Greek logos meant "word, discourse, thought". It underlies a group of Greek words English helped itself to, including logic, analogy, today's word, and the names of all our sciences, such as biology, enology, and pathology. (George Kovacs, who recommended today's Good Word, needs no apologia for his vocabulary, which is large and growing.)

In the theological world, apologetics is the field that makes a defense of one's theological beliefs. It's a kind of cross between theology and philosophy of religion.

Ah, you take me back to college.

No apologies necessary for this word...

Bravo to the editors of the New York Times for allowing its reporter use the word "apologia," and as a plural no less!

Here is the quote from a story today about the deteriorating rhetoric between officials in Washington and Israel:

<<Echoing other day-after apologias from both sides, Mr. Baskey said Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu “have forged an effective partnership and consult closely and frequently.”>>

The underlying dispute arises over vocabulary: the use by an unnamed US official of an idiomatic synonym for "coward" that reporters in Israel are struggling to translate into comprehensible Hebrew.

Today's edition of the Israeli News "Arutz Sheva",
calls Obama a liar.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Artic ... FZtIfnF9iY


got to love politics.

Not sure that's a apologia, Luke, more like a diatribe. Sounds like a Tea Party guy speaking Hebrew!

for sure! not an apologia.

Just a comment on Obama and the lie bit.

Perry: Your comment, "Sounds like a Tea Party guy speaking Hebrew!" made my day. I am still chuckling, interspersing an occasional groan.

The Bible requires every Christian to be an apologist. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15 NIV.

got to love politics.

Not necessarily. But I see your point.

Apropo of Nothing- Mine is currently residing on the top of my head.

M.pointy Bailey

As an Apologist I need to comment on this from the proffered article.

"3. Specifically, Abraham was chosen to be a role model as a father. God says of him, “For I have chosen him so that he will instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.” How could he serve as a model father if he was willing to sacrifice his child? To the contrary, he should have said to God: “If you want me to prove to You how m......."

This was to uphold the first commandment which is all important "You shall have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME" God wanted Abraham to remember that God who is the gift giver not the gift is the most important. It wasn't to prove anything to God but to put Abraham on the right path before God. Using The whole counsel of God shows this to be the case.


M. Reads-theWord Baily

bailey66: It is great to have a competent apologist weigh in. We are pretty much singing on the same page. Post more often and about whatever pulls you chain.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words from such an August personage.

I have only had one teacher, the Holy Spirit, and try not to have any visible chains to pull

M. BAILEY