The Apostolic Fathers
Gain vital historical and theological insight into Apostolic Christianity’s early development and spread in the Roman Empire
To understand the New Testament well, it is important to study the larger world surrounding it, and one of the primary avenues for this exploration is through reading related ancient texts, a daunting task for scholars and novices alike given the sheer size of the ancient literary corpora. The ALNTS series aims to bridge this gap by introducing the key ancient texts that form the cultural, historical, and literary context for the study of the New Testament.
The Apostolic Fathers, among the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament, offer vital insight into early Christianity during the first half of the second century. These documents reflect a diverse theological and social landscape, where shared convictions existed alongside sharp disagreements that generated ongoing debate.
This volume is divided into two sections. The first includes eleven chapters that examine the standard Apostolic Fathers texts, addressing introductory issues, textual commentary, interpretive difficulties, and connections to the New Testament. The second features eight thematic chapters that trace recurring concerns across the corpus, drawing attention to both continuity and divergence.
Authored by leading scholars with extensive expertise, the volume contributes new perspectives on texts that have influenced doctrinal development, ecclesial formation, and patterns of Christian identity from antiquity to the present. It offers an essential resource for scholars in early Christianity, patristics, and New Testament studies.
Contributors
- Brian J. Arnold
- Michael F. Bird
- Paul Foster
- Andrew Gregory
- Mark Grundeken
- Scott Harrower
- Paul Hartog
- Clayton N. Jefford
- James A. Kelhoffer
- Michael J. Kruger
- David Lincicum
- Teresa Morgan
- Carolyn Osiek
- Clare K. Rothschild
- Gregory Vall
- William Varner
- Joseph Verheyden
Additional Information
- Contributor(s): Paul Foster, Craig A. Evans, Cecilia Wassén, Adela Collins, John Collins, Grant Macaskill, Nathan Johnson
- About the Contributor(s):
Craig A. Evans (PhD, Claremont; DHabil, Károli Gáspár) is Distinguished Research Professor at The Bible Seminary in Katy, Texas.
Cecilia Wassén (PhD, McMaster University) is professor of New Testament at Uppsala University, Sweden.
Adela Yarbro Collins (PhD, Harvard) is Buckingham Professor Emerita of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. She is the author of Mark in the Hermeneia Commentary series, The Beginning of the Gospel: Probings of Mark in Context.
John J. Collins (PhD, Harvard) is Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. He has authored or edited numerous books, including The Scepter and the Star: Messianism in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Judaism: A Comprehensive Overview, coedited with Daniel C. Harlow.
Grant Macaskill (PhD, University of St. Andrews) holds the Kirby Laing Chair of New Testament Exegesis at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He was previously Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of St. Andrews, where he had completed both his doctoral and postdoctoral projects. His research engages with the New Testament as a coherent body of theological literature emerging from the diverse contexts of late Second Temple Judaism. He is author of Union with Christ in the New Testament (Oxford, 2014).
Nathan C. Johnson (PhD, Princeton) is assistant professor of religion at the University of Indianapolis. He is the author of The Suffering Son of David in Matthew’s Passion Narrative.
- ISBN-13: 9780310495635
- Publish Date: 12/02/2025
- Publisher: Zondervan Academic
- Series: Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies
- Format: Hardcover
- Language: English
- Age Range: Adult
- Case Quantity: 12
- Dimensions: 9.43(h) x 6.67(w) x 1.6(d) inches
- Pages: 592
Product Reviews