The Didache

A Window On The Earliest Christians

Professor Thomas O'Loughlin author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:SPCK Publishing

Published:31st Aug '10

Should be back in stock very soon

The Didache cover

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.

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.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.

'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.' -- Sean Freyne, Emeritus Professor of Theology, Trinity College Dublin
'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.' -- Paul Bradshaw, Professor of Liturgy, University of Notre Dame, USA
'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.' -- Aaron Milavec, author of The Didache: Faith, Hope, and Life of the Earliest Christian Communities, 50 - 70 C.E

ISBN: 9780281059539

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 270g

256 pages