The Apostolic Fathers: An Introduction

by Wilhelm Pratscher

Publisher:

Baylor University Press

, 2010

Overview

The Apostolic Fathers: An Introduction represents the best and latest in German-language scholarship on the Apostolic Fathers—now available in this exclusive English edition. Crafted by an expert team of scholars, The Apostolic Fathers offers introductions to the works comprising this early Christian corpus, fully equipped with cutting-edge discussion of important topics including theological profiles, intertextuality, intellectual milieus, and anti-Jewish polemics. The foreword by Wilhelm Pratscher and closing chapter by Jörg Ulrich cap off this learned handling of the Fathers, locating them within the history of scholarship, even while pointing the way for new avenues of study.

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Key Features

• Discusses originating conditions and intentions of each text
• Lists editions and translations of the Apostolic Fathers

Contents

• The Corpus of the Apostolic Fathers
• The Didache
• The Epistle of Barnabas
• The First Epistle of Clement
• The Second Epistle of Clement
• The Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch
• The Epistle of Polycarp
• The Martyrdom of Polycarp
• The Papias Fragments
• Quadratus
• Diognetus
• The Shepherd of Hermas
• The Apostolic Fathers Yesterday and Today

Top Highlights

“Maximus Confessor (Proleg Op Dionys, PG 4.20D) describes knowledge of four letters by Clement” (Page 71)

“they still reflect the current life and practice in the life of a community no later than the end of the first century” (Page 10)

“For this reason, a dependence on Matthew and even Luke is posited by some commentators.” (Page 9)

“significant, since it places Did within the ambit of Christian Judaism” (Page 11)

“a scholarly consensus has formed with regard to Polycarp’s knowledge” (Page 124)

Contributors

• Wilhelm Pratscher
• Jonathan A. Draper
• Ferdinand R. Prostmeier
• Andreas Lindemann
• Hermut Löhr
• Boudewijn Dehandschutter
• Gerd Buschmann
• Ulrich H. J. Körtner
• Horacio E. Lona
• David Hellholm
• Jörg Ulrich

Praise for the Print Edition

. . . a solid, readable, and thorough introduction.

—Paul Hartog, associate professor, Faith Baptist Theological Seminary

An excellent, readable, and highly engaging introduction to the writings of the Apostolic Fathers and the world of early second-century Christianity. . . . This book is essential reading for anybody interested in the origins and development of earliest Christianity.

—Paul Foster, senior lecturer, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh

A solid introduction to the Apostolic Fathers and an excellent overview of German-oriented scholarship on these important early Christian writers. Each contributor in this volume is a recognized expert on the documents they discuss. The consistent treatment in each chapter of ‘Intertextual Relationships’ and ‘Theological Profile’ is a real strength—in the latter case, one that sets it apart from its competitors.

—Michael W. Holmes, professor of biblical studies and early Christianity, Bethel University

Product Details

• Title: The Apostolic Fathers: An Introduction
• Editor: Wilhelm Pratscher
• Publisher: Baylor University Press
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 315

About Wilhelm Pratscher

Wilhelm Pratscher, now retired, was a professor of New Testament studies in the Faculty for Protestant Theology at the University of Vienna in Austria.