Clayton N. Jefford Bücher

This comprehensive introduction to a crucial collection of early Christian texts offers insights into the first century of Christian history. It has been thoroughly updated, featuring a new chapter dedicated to the fragments of Papias, enhancing the understanding of these foundational writings.

Focusing on early Christian literature, this collection features writings from key figures like Clement I, Hermas, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, and the author of the Epistle of Barnabas, who were contemporaries of biblical writers. Their works, marked by pastoral concern and stylistic similarities to the New Testament, played a significant role in the early church and were even regarded as Scripture prior to the establishment of the official canon.

The Didache offers an invaluable insight into early Christian practices and beliefs, serving as the first manual for Christian life from the late first or early second century. Clayton Jefford enhances this historical text by providing parallel translations from multiple original languages, including Greek, Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, and Georgian, allowing readers to explore its rich linguistic and cultural heritage.

This fascinating book explores the contemporary issue of religious freedom and its relevance for the modern Christian. With a refreshing blend of scholarly objectivity and pastoral sensitivity, the volume offers the insights of the American scholars as they seek to investigate the role of Christian freedom within their individual fields of expertise. From the apostle Paul to the civil rights movement of more recent days, and from the question of the human right for choice to the contemporary debate over new approaches to religious education, this book provides numerous insights into a topic that has engaged church historians, theologians and ethicists for centuries.