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Find out what following Jesus meant for first-century Christians with these earliest writings of the post-apostolic era.
How did earliest Christians receive and understand the teaching of Jesus and the apostles? These writings, among the earliest used in training new disciples, show a clear, vibrant, practical faith concerned with all aspects of discipleship in daily life—vocation, morality, family life, social justice, the sacraments, prophecy, citizenship, and leadership.
For the most part, these writings have remained buried in academia, analyzed by scholars but seldom used for building up the church community. Now, at a time when Christians of every persuasion are seeking clarity by returning to the roots of their faith, these simple, direct teachings shed light on what it means to be a follower of Christ in any time or place.
The Didache, an anonymous work composed in the late first century AD, was lost for centuries before being rediscovered in 1873. The Shepherd was written by a former slave named Hermas in the second century AD or possibly even earlier.
There is a growing awareness of the value of old texts. Not only to get a sense of where we've been, but to keep our eye on where we should be going. Both of the texts contained in this volume are critical to that understanding. They are not academic volumes, not written to scholars. They were created to teach people how to be citizens of a new kingdom, and their purpose has not changed in two millennia. If you've been thinking of dipping your toe into church history and wonder what life might have been like for early church communities, this would be an excellent resource.
Serves as a worthwhile introduction to two of the works of this venerable and all-too-obscure collection of ancient texts. With a thoughtful introduction by Rowan Williams, this book clearly appeals to those who have an interest in Hellenistic Christianity and would like to better understand some of the ways in which that way of thinking started in the early centuries of the Christian era.
Two ways is a great book in helping the reader see the issues that the early church were concerned about. What is so fascinating is that many of the issues are similar to our lives today. What I loved the most was the many practical illustrations in these two narratives. Definitely worth the read.
