The Didache (a Window On The Earliest Christians)

By (author) O'Loughlin Thomas
Short description/annotation:
The Didache is one of the earliest Christian writings, reflecting the situation before 70 CE and before the four gospels became prevalent. O''Loughlin covers the history of the text from its discovery in the 19th-century and provides a new translation along with a commentary, which highlights areas of key interest to Christians today.
Description:
The Didache is one of the earliest Christian writings, earlier than most of the documents that make up the New Testament. It provides practical instructions on how a Christian community should function, and offers unique insights into the way the earliest Christians lived and worshipped. In this highly readable introduction, Thomas O''Loughlin tells the intriguing story of the Didache, from its discovery in the late nineteenth century to the present. He then provides an illuminating commentary on the entire text, highlighting areas of special interest to Christians today, and ends with a fresh translation of the text itself.
Review quote:
''A valuable and thorough introduction to an important though little-studied work that provides a unique window on a corner of the early Christian world.''
Review quote:
''A truly accessible commentary on this ancient text and on the early Christian communities that lie behind it, and yet one that incorporates up-to-date academic scholarship.''
Review quote:
''I highly recommend this informed, engaging and pastorally sensitive exploration of the Didache. Reading the text within its Jewish roots and in harmony with its New Testament parallels, Thomas O''Loughlin shows how the Didache admirably shaped the faith and practice of second-generation Christians in ways that have relevance for us today.''
Biographical note:
Thomas O''Loughlin is Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham. He has published extensively on how ancient text can reveal the lives of Christians. His books include Discovering Saint Patrick (DLT/Paulist 2005), Celtic Theology: Humanity, World and God in Early Irish Writings (Continuum, 2000) and Saint Patrick: The Man and his Works (SPCK, 1999).
Promotional headline:
A world expert on first-century Christian literature provides a fresh translation and fascinating exploration of a document that predates most of the New Testament.