The Shepherd of Hermas

Hermas (c. 100-160 AD)

One of the most widely read texts of the early church, The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocalyptic vision-narrative composed in Rome in the second century. Hermas receives a series of visions from an aged woman representing the Church, followed by moral commandments and elaborate parables delivered by an angel in the form of a shepherd. The work is chiefly concerned with post-baptismal sin and the possibility of repentance, insisting that a second chance remains open to believers who have fallen. Though ultimately excluded from the New Testament canon, it was considered scripture by Irenaeus, Origen, and Tertullian and circulated widely across the ancient church for centuries.

3 hrs total · 27 chapters