Grant’s overview of 2nd century Christianity completed, I’m currently reading The Shepherd of Hermas.
Popular reading in 2nd and 3rd century Christian circles. Popular today?
The Shepherd is written in three sections, or books. I’m finished reading the first book (“Visions”) and about half way through the second (“Commandments”) - and for those wondering, the third is “Similitudes”.
Popular in early Christianity. Today?
”Realistically, most Christians sitting in our churches on a Sunday morning won’t have read
The Shepherd of Hermas (or perhaps Irenaeus or Clement either, but that’s a conversation for another day), so what should we do with this ancient text? Much like the writings of Clement, Tertullian or Justin Martyr,
The Shepherd of Hermas never claims to be scripture itself. This was another early Christian work seeking to help believers better understand the God of the Bible …
Should we read
The Shepherd today? It is certainly a confusing text, one that requires attention and at times, a fair amount of hard work. But it is equally rewarding. …
The Shepherd is not a perfect work, but it can be a helpful one. Reading it offers us valuable insight into the world of the early church. We can see some of the theological questions, challenges and concerns these Christians would have faced, and the visual and literary imagery that pervaded their world. As with any early Christian text, it can require a bit of effort to work through, but it is part of a Christian historical tradition that at its best points us back to the God at the centre of that history.”
Have we got our Bibles wrong?
academic.tyndalehouse.com
Suggestion: Don’t settle for being like “most Christians”. Read
The Shepherd of Hermas. Read the early Christian writings. And as with all things that you read: read widely, read deeply, read thoughtfully, read critically.