Overview
The Apostolic Fathers is a critically important collections of texts for studying the first century of Christian history. Here a leading expert on the Apostolic Fathers offers an accessible, up-to-date introduction and companion to these diverse and fascinating writings. This work is easy to use and affordable yet offers a thorough overview for students and others approaching these writings for the first time. It explains the context and significance of each document and points to further reading. This new edition of a well-received text has been updated throughout and includes a new chapter on the fragments of Papias.
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface to the Second Edition
For the Reader
Introduction: What Are the Apostolic Fathers?
1. The Letter of Barnabas
2. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (The Didache)
3. The Letters of Ignatius
4. The Fragments of Papias
5. The Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians
6. The Martyrdom of Polycarp
7. The First Letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (1 Clement)
8. The Second Letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (2 Clement)
9. The Shepherd of Hermas
10. The Letter to Diognetus
Glossary
Index
Preface to the Second Edition
For the Reader
Introduction: What Are the Apostolic Fathers?
1. The Letter of Barnabas
2. The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (The Didache)
3. The Letters of Ignatius
4. The Fragments of Papias
5. The Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians
6. The Martyrdom of Polycarp
7. The First Letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (1 Clement)
8. The Second Letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (2 Clement)
9. The Shepherd of Hermas
10. The Letter to Diognetus
Glossary
Index
Endorsements
"Clayton Jefford has a gift. Not once, but twice, he has taken a complicated, diverse, and hotly debated collection of ancient Christian texts and made them intelligible for a modern, uninitiated audience. But make no mistake. His revised and expanded handbook, a companion and tutor to have along as one reads the Apostolic Fathers, is not simplistic. Jefford condenses and construes the critical issues and literature in a manner that the beginning student will find advantageous, and the expert insightful. Every traveler needs a guide. For the Apostolic Fathers, your journey begins with Jefford."
D. Jeffrey Bingham, associate dean of biblical and theological studies, Wheaton College
Praise for the Previous Edition
"Reading the Apostolic Fathers provides a succinct but comprehensive introduction to Christian literature of the 'sub-apostolic' age. It provides the basic background information needed to read these texts intelligently and provides bibliographical aids for further study. The work will be of special interest to students beginning their study of the history of early Christianity."
Harold W. Attridge, Yale Divinity School
"The layout of the printed page is as visually satisfying as the text is intellectually gratifying. . . . It is this kind of responsible summary and survey of a complex body of scholarship on a collection of ancient texts that will make interdisciplinary scholarship truly possible. . . . [The authors] have also produced the best kind of textbook, providing a student with a complete orientation and leaving to her the final task of reading the text."
Karen J. Torjesen, Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate School
"This book, intended as a quick and simple guide to the Apostolic Fathers, achieves its goals admirably. The consistency of the format, the clarity of the organization and writing, and the inclusion of numerous tables, maps, and a handy glossary ensure that anyone encountering these documents for the first time will find here a reliable and user-friendly introduction to an often strange and mysterious world."
Michael Holmes, Bethel College
"Set apart by the clarity of its prose and the cleverness of its design. Students will welcome both. . . . An excellent and a readable introduction. It is ideal for use in the classroom."
James E. Goehring, Mary Washington College
Author
Clayton N. Jefford
Clayton N. Jefford (PhD, Claremont Graduate School) is professor of scripture at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana. He is the author of several books, including The Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament and The Apostolic Fathers: An Essential Guide.