Discerning Witnesses: First and Second Century Textual Studies in Christian Authority

The purpose of this research is to examine the sources of authority employed by Marcion, Clement of Rome, and Ignatius of Antioch as they navigated competing theologies during the post-Apostolic period of the early Christian church. Combining textual analysis and historical reconstruction, this study draws upon both the extant works of these early writers and the modern treatments of authority in early Christianity, finding that these authors navigated multiple forms of textual and non-textual authority in constructing their theological programs. Determining the function of the specifically Christian writings which now comprise the New Testament in their pre-canonical employment constitutes an important aspect of the current project. This study concludes that these three writers created a hermeneutic for defining and utilizing all potentially useful sources through their appeals to the central authority found in the person and event of Jesus of Nazareth.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Prahlow, Jacob Joseph

• Authority

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39289

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/39289