Apostolic Fathers
The Shepherd of Hermas
Hermas of Rome · c. 90 – 150
Historical Context
An apocalyptic-pastoral work composed at Rome in stages; widely read in the second and third centuries, sometimes treated as Scripture.
Summary
Hermas reports visions, twelve mandates, and ten parables given by an elderly woman (the Church) and an angelic Shepherd. The work confronts post-baptismal sin and offers a doctrine of a single, time-limited repentance for serious sin after baptism.
Major Themes
- Post-baptismal repentance
- Purity of the Church
- Almsgiving
- Vision literature
Important Quotations
“First of all, believe that God is One, who created and arranged all things.”— Mandate 1
Primary Sources
Further Reading
- Carolyn Osiek, Shepherd of Hermas: A Commentary (Hermeneia)