Description
Shawn J. Wilhite’s commentary on the Didache complements the study of early Christianity through historical, literary, and theological readings of the Apostolic Fathers, seeking to be mindful of the critical while commenting on a final-form text. The Didache includes a brief introduction to this relevant text, the use of Scripture by the Didachist, and the theology of the Didache. The commentary proceeds section by section with a close ear to the text of the Didache, relevant early Christian literature, and current scholarship.
About the Author
Shawn J. Wilhite received a PhD in New Testament and a ThM in Patristics from Southern Seminary. He is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University and PhD candidate in Patristics at Durham University. He is director and research fellow for the Center for Ancient Christian Studies.
Contents
Series Preface
Foreword by Clayton N. Jefford
Preface
List of Abbreviations
List of Tables
Translation of the Didache
Part I: Introductory Articles
1. An Introduction to the Didache
MS Tradition of the Didache
Use of Didache in Antiquity: Canon Lists and Possible Quotations
Date and Provenance of the Didache
Structural Overview of the Didache
2. The Reception of Sacred Scripture in the Didache
Reception History, Intertextuality, and Literary Identity
Reception History of Biblical Tradition in the Didache
Concluding Remarks: The Reception of Sacred Scripture in the Didache
3. The Theology of the Didache
Theology and Trinitarianism
Communal Liturgies: Baptismal, Fasting, Prayer, and Eucharist Liturgies
Communal Preservation and Soteriology
Corporate Gathering and Ecclesial Structures
The “Last Days” and the Didache’s Eschatological Orientation
Part II: Commentary on the Didache
Didache 1.1-6.2: Ethical Instruction of the Two-Ways Ethic
Didache 6.3-10.7: Liturgical Rituals
Additional Commentary: [Coptic Addition] Concerning the Ointment (Didache 10.8)
Didache 11.1-15.4: Ecclesial and Communal Order
Didache 16.1-8: Eschatological Ethics and Teaching
Additional Commentary: Lost Ending (Didache 16.9-12)
Bibliography
Commentary Index
Endorsements and Reviews
Wilhite’s introduction is thoughtfully balanced – elucidating the beliefs, practices, and authoritative texts of the Didachean community as seen synchronically through the window of the Jerusalem manuscript, while still acknowledging the questions concerning, and engaging the critical scholarship on the ‘journey’ of the text and the communities along the way. Most refreshingly, he is not afraid to think outside the box, and I found myself forced to reconsider points I thought long settled.
Nancy D. Pardee, University of Chicago
In this introductory commentary Wilhite spills his extensive knowledge of primary and secondary sources, including the most reliable recent studies, in a volume of value to specialists and nonspecialists alike. This prized contribution imparts a freshness and urgency rarely encountered in works on the Apostolic Fathers. I recommend it without qualification.
Clare K. Rothschild, Lewis University
Though intended as an introductory commentary on the Didache, not only does Wilhite’s book provide an entrée into the backgrounds, contents, theology, and reception of the Didache, it also steers a reliable path through the critical thickets that currently surround its interpretation. All of this makes the book a valuable companion to the study of the Didache, and a worthy contribution to this exciting new series on the Apostolic Fathers.
Charles E. Hill, Reformed Theological Seminary
