A Brief History of Communion: Apostolic Fathers

This post is part of an ongoing series on the history of communion. The Apostolic Fathers The earliest non-canonical references to Communion come in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, namely Ignatius of Antioch (c. 108 CE) and the Didache (c. 110 CE). Ignatius, much like Paul in 1 Corinthians, indicates that he is veryContinue reading “A Brief History of Communion: Apostolic Fathers”

Ep23: Who Runs the Church?

This episode of the Church Debates series looks at the question “Who runs the Church?” and discusses the varying ways that post-Reformation Christians organize and lead their congregations.

Scripture in 1 Clement: Context

This post is part of an ongoing series examining the function and use of scripture in the early Christian writing known as 1 Clement. Before diving into Clement’s practice of composite citation, we must first contextualize the letter. Most contemporary scholars affirm that 1 Clement was primarily written by Clement of Rome,[1] who served asContinue reading “Scripture in 1 Clement: Context”

Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Familial Expectations in Ignatius (Part III)

This post is part of an ongoing series examining Women in the Apostolic Fathers. Ignatius’s Epistle to Polycarp 5.2[1] εἴ τις δύναται ἐν ἁγνείᾳ μένειν εἰς τιμὴν τῆς σαρκὸς τοῦ κυρίου, ἐν ἀκαυχησίᾳ μενέτω. ἐὰν καυχήσηται, ἀπώλετο, καὶ ἐὰν γνωσθῇ πλέον τοῦ ἐπισκόπου, ἔφθαρται. πρέπει δὲ τοῖς γαμοῦσι καὶ ταῖς γαμουμέναις μετὰ γνώμης τοῦ ἐπισκόπουContinue reading “Women in the Apostolic Fathers: Familial Expectations in Ignatius (Part III)”

ECA: Ignatius of Antioch

This post is part of our ongoing series on Early Christian Authority. Ignatius of Antioch and the letters he wrote on way to his martyrdom in Rome have long fascinated those studying early Christianity. Killed around 117 CE by the Emperor Trajan, Ignaitus’s tale reads like a drama: the bishop of Antioch (one of theContinue reading “ECA: Ignatius of Antioch”