Jonathon Lookadoo guides readers through the early Christian apocalypse known as the Shepherd of Hermas, providing a clear overview of the numerous literary, historical, and theological insights that this text contains for those researching early Christianity.
Dividing his exploration into two sections, Lookadoo first introduces the
Shepherd by providing an overview of the text to those with limited familiarity, while also focusing on critical issues such as authorship, date, and the
Shepherd's complex manuscript tradition and reception history. He then moves to examine the interpretation of particular passages in detail, and by close exploration of theological and literary features he is able to contextualize the
Shepherd alongside contemporary contexts. This volume covers the important thematic issues in the
Shepherd, and also provides a fresh perspective that arises from a thoroughly textual focus; in so doing, Lookadoo enables readers to engage both with the
Shepherd itself and the scholarship that surrounds the text.
