Date

1-16-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Master of Arts in Biblical Studies (MA)

Chair

Leo Percer

Keywords

Shepherd, Hermas, Apostasy, Defection, Blasphemy, Repentance, Tower, Community, Hebrews, 1 Clement, Patristic, Roman Christianity, Early Christianity

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This study provides a detailed analysis of apostasy as it is expressed in the Shepherd of Hermas. Drawing from the work of B.J. Oropeza, the study offers a threefold analysis that identifies the Christian community in danger, the nature of apostasy as it pertains to this community, and the consequences of such apostasy. Special attention is devoted to Vision 3 and Similitudes 8-9 for their vivid Tower motif, a unique literary device by which the author expresses the hope and limitations of repentance, community identity, and the causes and consequences for separation from this community—all of which contribute to a fuller depiction of apostasy. As defined in this study, apostasy involves movement across the boundaries of a religious community; thus the Shepherd’s understanding of apostasy offers a significant window into the earliest discussions of Christian identity, community, and apostasy prior to the clarity afforded by centuries of theological and ecclesial discourse. A brief comparison with two other early Christian works from the same general provenance and time period, namely Hebrews and 1 Clement, further contextualizes the Shepherd’s conception of apostasy. It is argued that while the Shepherd’s language of apostasy, particularly the factors that contributed to the phenomenon, were similar to what is found in Hebrews and 1 Clement, its concerns for “genuine” repentance and its rhetoric and solutions for apostasy were unique. Ultimately, while he has been criticized for literary ineptitude and theological imprecision, this study demonstrates that the author of the Shepherd is strikingly perceptive and comprehensive in his exposition of the various factors that contribute to apostasy and demonstrates a remarkable sensitivity to the practical concerns with apostasy and repentance as he navigates the extremes of rigorism and laxity.

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