Synopsis
HERMAS Pilgrim’s Progress
of the Church of the second century," Dean Stanley], a name under which a
book has come down to us, called the Shepherd (pastor, …),
and held in high esteem by the early Church [quoted by Irenaeus, Clement of
Alexandria, Origen, etc.]. The title Shepherd evidently was derived from
the first words of the angel to the author, "I am the shepherd" …
Text. - We are now in possession of
two Greek copies, - the one in the Sinaitic manuscript, discovered 1859
(not complete); the other in the Leipzig manuscript, together with three pages
found on Mount Athos. Editions appeared at Leipzig by RUD. ANGER(1856),
TISCHENDORF (1856), DRESSEL(1863), HILGENFELD(1866), [2d ed. 1881]. There are
two Latin translations, —the Vulgata and the Palatina
(in the Vatican Library). The Vulgata was first edited by Faber
Stapulensis, Paris, 1513; since then many times. Rilgenfeld’s edition
(Leipzig, 1873) is critical. D’Abbadie issued an Ethiopic
translation, Leipzig, 1860. its probable date is 543. The edition of
Gebhardt and Harnack (Patres Apost., Leipzig. 1877), based upon the
Sinaitic manuscript, is the best.
Contents. - The book contains a
number of visions accorded to Hermas. Their intent is to arouse Hermas, and the
Church through him, to repentance. The time of repentance is limited, and will
soon be at an end. The uniformity of style stamps the whole as one composition.
The author divides the book into two parts; an aged woman explaining the
visions of the first part, an angel those of the second. The visions contain
revelations, commandments (to believe in the one God, practise alms, avoid
falsehood and fornication, etc.), and similitudes. Hermas was neither a
Judaizing Christian (Schwegler, Lipsius), nor an intense Paulinian, but a
member of the orthodox church of his day.
Authorship. - The opinions may be
reduced to four: (1) Relying upon the testimony of the Muratorian canon, a real
Hermas, the brother of Bishop Pius (139-154), was author (Heyne, Gebhardt,
Harnack); (2) Relying upon the statement in the book itself (Vis. II. 4, 3),
that Herinas delivered the book to Clement, assumed to be Clement of Rome, the
author is regarded as having been his contemporary (Gaab, Caspari, Alzog,
Zahn); (3) Hermas wrote his book under Pius, but gave himself out for a
contemporary of Clement, or for the Hermas of Rom. xvi. 14 (Behm, Ewald,
Credner, Ritsehl, Hefele, Dorner, Thicrsch); (4) an unknown author of the
second century who simulated the old Hermas (Schwegler, Lechler, Hilgenfeld,
Lange, Donaldson). We hold to the first view, on the ground of the explicit
statement in the Muratorian canon. The Clement referred to in the book is not
necessarily Clement of Rome. The condition of the
Church represented is that of the first half of the second century, with its
Gnostic errors and its hypocrites. The work was probably written about 130, for
we are not shut up to the period between 139-154, which, according to Lipsius,
was the term of Pius’ administration. Pius was not bishop in our sense,
but a prominent presbyter. The book of Hermas speaks only of presbyters in the
Roman Church (comp. Vis. II. 2, 6; III. 8, etc.).
Uhlhorn, "EPIPHANIUS," Philip Schaff, ed.,
A Religious Encyclopaedia or Dictionary of Biblical, Historical, Doctrinal,
and Practical Theology, 3rd edn., Vol. 2. Toronto, New York & London:
Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894. p.977.
 |
 David E. Aune, Prophecy in
Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1991. Pbk. ISBN: 080280635X. pp. 299-310. {Amazon.com} |
 |
L.W. Barnard, "The Shepherd of Hermas
in Recent Study," Heythrop Journal, Vol. 9 (1968): 29-36. |
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Richard .J. Bauckham, "The Great
Tribulation in the Shepherd of Hermas," Journal of Theological Studies,
n.s. Vol. 25 (1974): 27-40. |
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Charles Bigg, The Origins of Christianity.
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1909. Hbk. pp.72-84. |
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Henry Chadwick, "The New
Edition of Hermas," Journal of Theological Studies 8 (1957):
274-280. |
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Hermas
(John Chapman) |
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F.L. Cross, The Early Christian
Fathers. Studies in Theology 1. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.,
1960. Hbk. pp.23-27. |
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The
Development of the Canon of the New Testament (Glenn Davis) |
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Josephine Massingberd Ford, "A Possible
Liturgical Background to the Shepherd of Hermas," Revue de Qumran 6.24
(1969): 531-551. |
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Robert J. Hauck, "The Great Fast:
Christology in the Shepherd of Hermas," Anglican Theological Review 75.2
(1993): 187-198. |
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Is
the Shepherd of Hermas Inspired Scripture? |
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The
Shepherd of Hermas (Peter Kirby) |
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Alastair Kirkland, "The Literary
History of the Shepherd of Hermas, Visions I to IV," Second Century 9.3
(1992): 87-102. |
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Patricia Cox Miller, "'All the Words
Were Frightful': Salvation by Dreams in the Shepherd of Hermas," Vigiliae
Christianae 42.4 (1988): 327-338. |
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H.P.V.
Nunn, "The 'Shepherd' of Hermas," The Evangelical Quarterly 18.2 (April
1946): 109-122.  |
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D.P. O'Brien, "The Cumaean Sibyl as the
Revelation-Bearer in the Shepherd of Hermas," Journal of Early Christian
Studies 5.4 (1997): 473-496. |
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Carolyn Osiek, "The Genre and Function
of the Shepherd of Hermas," Semeia 36 (1986): 113-121. |
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Carolyn Osiek, "The Second Century
through the Eyes of Hermas: Continuity and Change," Biblical Theology
Bulletin 20.3 (1990): 116-122. |
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Carolyn Osiek, "The Shepherd of
Hermas," Bible Review 10.5 (1994): 49-54. |
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Carolyn Osiek, "The Shepherd of Hermas
in Context," Acta Patristica et Byzantina 8 (1997): 115-134. |
|
 Carolyn Osiek, Shepherd Of
Hermas. Augsburg / Fortress, 1998. Hbk. ISBN: 0800660633. pp.400.
{Amazon.com} |
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Carolyn
Osiek, Rich and Poor in the Shepherd of Hermas: An Exegetical-Social
Investigation. Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association, 1983. Pbk.
ISBN: 0915170140. pp.184. {Amazon.com} |
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J.
Reiling, Hermas and Christian Prophecy: A Study of the Eleventh Mandate.
Novum Testamentum , Supplement 37. Leiden: Brill, 1973. Hbk. ISBN: 9004037713.
pp.197. {Amazon.com} |
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O.J.F. Seitz, "Relationship of the
Shepherd of Hermas to the Epistle of James," Journal of Biblical
Literature 63 (1944): 131-40. |
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Graydon F. Snyder, The Shepherd of
Hermas. New York: Nelson, 1968. pp.165. |
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R.G. Tanner, "Latinisms in the Text of
Hermas," Colloquium, Auckland 4/4 (1972): 12-23. |
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Joseph Verheyden, "The Shepherd of
Hermas," The Expository Times 117.10 (2006): 397-401. [Abstract] |
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Steve Young, "Being a Man: The Pursuit
of Manliness in The Shepherd of Hermas," Journal of Early Christian
Studies 2.3 (1994): 237-255. |
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Shepherd of Hermas;
Martyrdom of Polycarp; Epistle to Diognetus. Apostolic Fathers, Volume 2.
Loeb Classsical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press,
1976. Hbk. ISBN: 0674990285. pp.396.
