Gourt > Society > Religion and Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > Early Christian Writings (38)
The category of New Testament apocrypha reminds the modern reader of the wide range of responses that were engendered in the interpreting of the message of Jesus of Nazareth during the first several centuries of the Common Era, as mainstream Christianity emerged. Christians obedient to what are now the mainstream churches/denominations were warned away from these works now termed apocryphal, some of which were vigorously suppressed and survive only as fragments. In the process of determining the Biblical canon, only a number of works were recognized as authentic and included in the New Testament. The earliest lists of authentic works, were not quite the same as modern lists, for example Revelations was long regarded as inauthentic, while Shepherd of Hermas was considered genuine by most Christians, and appears in several ancient bibles.
The works that presented themselves as "authentic" but did not obtain general acceptance from within the churches, are called New Testament Apocrypha. These are not accepted as canonical by most mainstream Christian denominations; only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church recognizes the Shepherd of Hermas, 1 Clement, Acts of Paul, and several Old Testament books that most other denominations reject, but it should be noted that this church does not adhere to an explicit canon.
The Word "Apocrypha"
The word means "hidden writings" and comes to us from Greek through Latin. The general term is usually applied to the books, which were allowed by the Council of Nicea as useful, but not inspired by the Holy Spirit. As such, to refer to Gnostic writings as apocryphal is misleading since they would not be classified in the same category by orthodox believers. More on [ New Testament apocrypha ]
Athanasius@
Augustine of Hippo@
Basil the Great@
Clement of Alexandria@
Clement of Rome@
Cyprian of Carthage@
Cyril of Alexandria@
Cyril of Jerusalem@
Dionysius the Great@
Ephraim the Syrian@
Fulgentius of Ruspe@
Gregory of Nazianzus@
Gregory of Nyssa@
Gregory Thaumaturgus@
Gregory the Great@
Hilary of Poitiers@
Hippolytus of Rome@
Ignatius of Antioch@
Irenaeus@
Jerome@
John Chrysostom@
John of Damascus@
Justin Martyr@
Leo the Great@
Maximus the Confessor@
Pamphilus of Caesarea@
Papias of Hierapolis@
Polycarp of Smyrna@
Vincent of Lérins@
Classical Studies :: Arts
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Gnosticism
South Los Angeles church turns theft into a reason to give
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
After a boy stole the collection plate, the congregation at Holman United Methodist Church starts Jobs for Kids to reach out to teens. When he speaks about the boy who stole the collection plate, the Rev. Henry L. Masters likes to recount the Old Testament story of Joseph and the good that ultimately resulted from his misfortune.
Pope apologizes for clerics' sex abuse
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Pope Benedict XVI said at a Mass today that he was "deeply sorry" for the sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy in Australia, describing the offenses as evil and a grave betrayal of trust.
Pastors defy United Methodist officials to conduct gay weddings
Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Some have officiated at such ceremonies, some plan to and 82 retired ministers have offered their services. Bishop warns that violating church guidelines has consequences. Scores of United Methodist Church ministers in California are putting their careers on the line in an open revolt against religious edicts that forbid them to conduct weddings for gay and lesbian couples.
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Christian Classics Ethereal Library - Numerous classical Christian texts in electronic format, sponsored by Calvin College.
Meta Description: [ A large on-line library of classic
Christian books for download or browsing ]
Ante-Nicene Christianity - Includes writings of some Apostolic fathers, and some topical collections of beliefs on issues.
Apocryphal New Testament Writings - List, with bibliography and links.
Meta Description: [ The Development of the Canon of the New Testament ]
Early Christian Writings - Information and translations for the New Testament, Apocrypha, Gnostics, Church Fathers, Gnostic Gospels, Pseudepigrapha Epistles, Apocryphal Acts, and documents of early Christianity like the Gospel of St. Thomas.
Early Church.org.uk - Resource for students of early Church history. Includes articles, detailed bibliographies, and images of church fathers.
Meta Description: [ Early Church.org.uk: An Internet Resource for Studying the First Centuries of Christianity ]
Egeria: Translation - Egeria's Description of the Liturgical Year in Jerusalem: Translation
Fathers of the Church - An extensive compilation of councils, synods, canons, and writings of the Fathers.
Meta Description: [ Featuring the Church Fathers, Catholic Encyclopedia, Summa Theologica and more. ]
Gnostic Society Library - A collection of materials dealing with Gnosis and Gnosticism, both ancient and modern. Includes the Nag Hammadi Library.
Meta Description: [ A vast collection of materials dealing with Gnosis and Gnosticism, both ancient and modern. The site includes the Gnostic Library, with the complete Nag Hammadi Library and a large collection of other primary Gnostic scriptures and documents. ]
ICL Guide to Early Church Documents - Includes canonical literature, and creeds. Hosted by the Institute for Christian Leadership.
Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism - Research seminar investigates the influence of Jewish pseudepigrapha, Markabah and Hekhaloth writings and Enochic tradition on the eastern Christian texts.
Noncanonical Homepage - English translations for acts, gospels, epistles, pseudepigrapha, and other apocrypha of the Old and New Testament.
Meta Description: [ Noncanonical Literature - Documents to Aid Students and Scholars in Biblical Interpretation including Introductions and Summaries of Many Noncanonical Works ]
On-Line Texts Related to Biblical Study - Online primary literature for the study of Judaism and Christianity.
St. Pachomius Library - Virtual encyclopedia of Orthodox Christianity. Emphasis on the early Church. Articles on important writers. Their works available online. Links.
The Whole Bible: Analysis of the Canonical and Apocryphal Scriptures - Information on apocryphal gospels, acts, epistles, and apocalypses.
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