Tag Archives: ancient history

The Shepherd Of Hermas And The Shape Of Christian Allegory

Posted on May 4, 2018 by nathanalbright

Despite the tedious and somewhat repetitive nature of the Shepherd of Hermas, it did have a powerful role on the trajectory of Christian literature in large part due to its popularity.  That importance is serving as the initial Christian allegory, … Continue reading →

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Congregational Discipline In The Shepherd Of Hermas

Posted on May 3, 2018 by nathanalbright

One of the more remarkable aspects of the often neglected Shepherd of Hermas is the way that congregational discipline runs throughout the pages of the book.  In a way, this ought not to surprise us.  After all, Eusebius and others … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Two Ways

Posted on May 3, 2018 by nathanalbright

Book Review:  The Two Ways:  The Early Christian Vision Of Discipleship From The Didache & The Shepherd Of Hermas, with an introduction by Rowan Williams [Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Plough Publishing House and Edelweiss/Net Gallery.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Christianity, History | Tagged | 5 Comments

Book Review: The Shepherd Of Hermas

Posted on May 3, 2018 by nathanalbright

The Shepherd of Hermas, by Hermas It is hard to know what to think about this particular fragmentary book.  This particular edition of the book is about as no frills as one can imagine.  It features no introduction or foreword … Continue reading →

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The Shepherd Of Hermas And Its View Of Women

Posted on May 2, 2018 by nathanalbright

What sort of view do we get from the Shepherd of Hermas concerning women?  Perhaps this is a question you have not pondered, since it is quite possible that you have (like Hermas) never thought to ask what an obscure … Continue reading →

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Assessing The Shepherd Of Hermas As Literature

Posted on May 1, 2018 by nathanalbright

There are some books that one reads for enjoyment, and there are other books that one reads because they are historically or culturally significant, and though there are some fortunate books where both of these are the case (which is … Continue reading →

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The Legend Of The Phoenix In The Epistle Of 1 Clement

Posted on April 26, 2018 by nathanalbright

Many contemporaries are aware of the legend of the phoenix.  Fans of the Harry Potter series will note that J.K. Rowling integrated this legend into her novels in a variety of ways, with having both Harry Potter and Tom Riddle … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Church of God, History, Musings | Tagged , | 4 Comments

The Epistle Of 1 Clement And The Prelude To Papal Claims Of Authority

Posted on April 25, 2018 by nathanalbright

It is perhaps little surprise that the first time that a congregation seeks to interfere in the leadership of another congregation, that the interfering congregation happens to be Rome and that the move to bolster friendly authorities in another congregation … Continue reading →

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Anti-Semitism In Ignatius Of Antioch’s Epistles

Posted on April 21, 2018 by nathanalbright

Having examined several aspects of Ignatius of Anticoh’s writings, it is worthwhile at this point to spend a bit of time looking at how he showed hostility to Jews and to the Sabbath, which was connected in his mind with … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ancient Greece

Posted on April 21, 2018 by nathanalbright

Ancient Greece From Prehistoric To Hellenistic Times, by Thomas R. Martin When an author has roughly 200 pages to cover the entirety of Greek history from prehistoric times to the Hellenistic age [1], you get a real sense of their … Continue reading →

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