The Apostolic Fathers – second edition

Forlagets omtale:
The Apostolic Fathers, the earliest extant Christian writings outside the New Testament, are a primary resource for the study of early Christianity. These writings provide significant and unparalleled insight into the Christian movement during a critical transitional stage in its history. This updated edition of Holmes's 1992 Greek-English diglot edition of the Apostolic Fathers is arguably the best collection of these writings available.

In 1992 Michael Holmes systematically reviewed the Greek (and in a few instances the Latin) texts originally edited by J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer in 1891. While Lightfoot and Harmer produced a magnificent work for their time, advances in the past century, including new manuscript discoveries, dictate that their work be updated. Holmes provided that updated edition complete with a critical apparatus to substantiate his textual decisions.

Now a paperback edition with further refinements makes Holmes's work available again to the scholarly community. This edition features updated introductions to the various writings, enhanced bibliographies with additional entries for the specialist, and in some cases additional textual witnesses.

The introductions to each ancient document, the bibliographies, and the textual notes make this volume essential for the serious study of early Christianity. Scholars, research libraries, and students of the Apostolic Fathers will welcome this updated edition.

Review of the 1992 edition:

'The text, translation, and notes which Holmes has provided manage to transform the work of a previous generation of scholarship into a useful resource for the modern study of the Apostolic Fathers. I gladly welcome this second edition and believe it represents a worthy and contemporary revision of the old Lightfoot-Harmer volume. This text undoubtedly should be recognized as a superior collection of materials when placed in comparison with the commonly used edition of the Apostolic Fathers that was published by Kirsopp Lake.' --Clayton N. Jefford, Journal of Early Christian Studies

Author info:

Michael W. Holmes (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical studies and early Christianity at Bethel College.

Reviews:

'This edition of the Apostolic Fathers now stands as the definitive English edition and is indispensable for any student of early Christianity.'--Fred W. Burnett, Religious Studies Review

'The modest pricing of this paperback edition puts it in range of general readers. Full indexes complete the volume. Holmes and his publisher are to be commended for this serviceable edition.'-Novum Testamentum

'Originally published in 1992 and now slightly revised and thoroughly updated in its bibliographies and introductions, this bilingual edition has become the standard text to be consulted on ancient writings such as 1 Clement, the letters of Ignatius, the Didache, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Papias fragments. The editor is to be congratulated on his accomplishments.'--International Review of Biblical Studies

Table of Contents:

Introduction
The Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians (1 Clement)

An Ancient Christian Sermon (2 Clement)

The Letters of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch

To the Ephesians

To the Magnesians

To the Trallians

To the Romans

To the Philadelphians

To the Smyrnaeans

To Polycarp

The Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

The Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)

The Epistle of Barnabas

The Shepherd of Hermas

The Epistle of Diognetus

The Fragments of Papias

Index of Subjects and Authors

Index of Scripture and Extrabiblical Literature