“The Shepherd of Hermas is a Christian literary work of the late first half of the second century, considered a valuable book by many Christians, and considered canonical scripture by some of the early Church fathers such as Irenaeus. The Shepherd was very popular amongst Christians in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries. It is found in the Codex Sinaiticus.”

It’s great popularity is a reminder to us of the diversity of accepted Christian theology in the early church. And the folly of labeling certain beliefs of the early church as ‘heresy’ at a time when what became ‘orthodoxy’ had yet been agreed.

Dr. Andrew Henry is a scholar of late antique Mediterranean religion. Dr Hendry holds a MA and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University. He is a Lecturer and Scolar at George Washington University, where he specializes in early Christianity, the New Testament, and the historical context of biblical texts.