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.

Reading the Apostolic Fathers: A Student's Introduction

History

Clayton N. Jefford

World

Baker Academic

The apostolic fathers were authors of nonbiblical church writings of the first and early second centuries. These works are important because their authors, Clement I, Hermas, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, were contemporaries of the biblical writers. Expressing pastoral concern, their writings are similar in style to the New Testament. Some of their writings, in fact, were venerated as Scripture before the official canon was decided.
 The Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament provides a comparison of the apostolic fathers and the New Testament that is at once comprehensive and accessible. What genres (letters, miracle stories, etc.) appear in what ways? What apostolic fathers seem to reflect which passages in the New Testament? What themes appear in both bodies of literature? How did the apostolic fathers adopt and adapt images from the New Testament? How do the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers contribute to our understanding of how early Christians understood themselves in relation to the mother faith of Judaism?
 Any attempt to compare the Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament faces the difficulty that each set of writings represents diverse authors and historical contexts within the early church. As a result, scholars who work in the field have typically restricted their research to individual authors and writings. Thus, it has been difficult to come to any general observations about the larger corpus. After carefully examining images, themes, and concepts found in the New Testament and the apostolic fathers, Jefford posits some general observations and insights about the beliefs of the early church.

The Apostolic Fathers And the New Testament

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Hendrickson Publishers

Rediscovered in 1873, the Didache provides a glimpse of early Christian ritual and liturgy. It is the very first manual for Christian life. Here Clayton Jefford presents parallel translations of the original-language manuscripts - from Greek, Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, and Georgian. His detailed introduction places the Didache in its historical context, and cross references and notes on sources enable in-depth study.

Didache: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (Early Christian Apocrypha) (Early Christian Apocrypha, 5)

Polebridge Press

The Didache: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Early Christianity (Early Christianity and Its Literature)

An intriguing dilemma for those who study ancient Christian contexts and literature This edited volume includes essays and responses from specialists in the Didache and in early church history in general. Features: 
<ul>
<li>Strategies for understanding liturgical constructions and ritual worship found in the text</li> <li>Studies that apply generally to the overall content and background of the Didache</li> <li>Essays on the relationship between the Didache and scripture particularly with respect to the Gospel of Matthew</li> </ul>

Jonathan A. Draper

SBL Press

An intriguing dilemma for those who study ancient Christian contexts and literature This edited volume includes essays and responses from specialists in the Didache and in early church history in general. Features: 
<ul>
<li>Strategies for understanding liturgical constructions and ritual worship found in the text</li> <li>Studies that apply generally to the overall content and background of the Didache</li> <li>Essays on the relationship between the Didache and scripture particularly with respect to the Gospel of Matthew</li> </ul>

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Clayton N. Jefford. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Clayton N. Jefford

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Clayton N. Jefford. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Reading the Apostolic Fathers: A Student's Introduction

The Apostolic Fathers And the New Testament

Didache: The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (Early Christian Apocrypha) (Early Christian Apocrypha, 5)

The Didache: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Early Christianity (Early Christianity and Its Literature)

The Didache: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Early Christianity (Early Christianity and Its Literature)