This thesis examines the date, reception and literary setting of the <i>Shepherd of Hermas</i>. It includes a reassessment of the Muratorian <i>Canon</i>, the most important external evidence for the date. Chapter 2 explores critical questions relating to the <i>Shepherd</i>'s internal evidence, particularly the date. It considers textual and numismatic evidence, concluding that the <i>Shepherd</i> probably dates to the early second century. Chapter 3 is a fresh study of the Muratorian <i>Canon</i>, often assumed to date the <i>Shepherd</i> accurately; however it is considered here to reflect an important early negative perception of the <i>Shepherd</i>. This Chapter argues that the <i>Canon</i> is a Roman canonical list, possibly an excerpt from a lost dialogue, written within an early-third century anti-Montanist context, from the Hippolytean school. The <i>Shepherd</i> was probably used as a scriptural authority by Callistus' church to justify a view of second repentance unacceptable to the Hippolytean school and Tertullian. This led the school to undermine the scriptural authority of the <i>Shepherd, </i>by dating it to the time of Pius. Chapter 4 sheds further light upon the <i>Shepherd </i>through a fresh study of its wider literary setting. After a comparison with other apocalyptic works, especially <i>I Enoch</i> and <i>4 Ezra</i>, it is argued that the whole of the <i>Shepherd: Visions, Mandates</i> and <i>Similitudes,</i> is an apocalypse not only in form but also in content. Three main themes are considered: mode of revelation, eschatology and angelology. This apocalyptic dimension also sheds light upon the <i>Shepherd's</i> common paraenetic tradition with the New Testament, especially James (an Appendix sets out this material), on the understanding of repentance in the <i>Shepherd</i>, and on contemporary ecclesiastical disputes. Finally the use of the word <i>homonoia</i> is judged to indicate a further literary link with the group of second century Greek writings termed the 'Second Sophistic'.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:603661 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Hansell, P. |
| Publisher | University of Cambridge |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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