The Apostolic Fathers and Paul eds. by Todd D. Still and David E. White

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Apostolic Fathers and Paul eds. by Todd D. Still and David E. White Sandy L. Haney todd d. still and david e. white (eds.), The Apostolic Fathers and Paul (Pauline and Patristic Scholars in Debate 2; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017). Pp. xxii + 282. $114. As the second volume of the Pauline and Patristics Scholars in Debate series, The Apostolic Fathers and Paul examines the reception of Paul in the Apostolic Fathers. Readers will appreciate the volume's broad understanding of the reception history of Paul and the Pauline tradition. The editors acknowledge the complexity of defining both "reception" and "Pauline" material. The volume gives attention to each text of the Apostolic Fathers, even those without obvious connection to Paul, thus nuancing and expanding the conversation regarding Paul's relation to the corpus of the Apostolic Fathers. Such breadth in content is echoed in the myriad methods and approaches offered by the authors. David L. Eastman ("Paul as Martyr in the Apostolic Fathers") discusses the beginnings of the Pauline cult and particularly the development of the view of Paul as martyr. He addresses the import of this concept for ecclesial authority and its rhetorical weight during times of persecution. Through a comparative analysis in "The Implications of Paul as Epistolatory Author and Church Planter in 1 Clement and Polycarp's Philippians," Paul Hartog explores how both epistles provide insight into Paul's letter-writing ministry as well as his church-planting approach, focusing particular attention on the way Philippians may assist in determining the date of Revelation. [End Page 361] Clayton N. Jeffords ("Missing Pauline Tradition in the Apostolic Fathers? Didache, Shepherd of Hermas, Papias, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, and the Epistle to Diognetus") nuances the ways in which Pauline influence in these works might be determined and defined, probing reasons for possible absences. In "The Absence of Paul in 2 Clement," Paul Foster examines 2 Clement and its supposed Pauline parallels, arguing against any direct dependence on Paul and Pauline writings and attributing the similarities between 2 Clement and Paul to shared Christian traditions. Carlton Paget problematizes the quest for Pauline influence on Barnabas in "Paul and the Epistle of Barnabas," teasing out the various levels of Barnabas's potential "Pauline" knowledge. Reading 1 Clement as an allegorical letter in "The Reception of Paul in 1 Clement," Clare K. Rothschild demonstrates 1 Clement's multifaceted, purposeful use of Paul's 1 Corinthians to address a new situation involving issues of authority and schism. Todd D. Still's short essay on Ignatius and Paul, "Ignatius and Paul on Suffering and Death: A Short, Comparative Study," argues, against Arthur J. Droge, that Paul does not share Ignatius's pathological desire for death. David J. Downs ("The Pauline Concept of Union with Christ in Ignatius of Antioch") analyzes the theme of union with Christ in Ignatius, contending that Ignatius's thoughts share great similarity with Paul's theology, even if direct dependence cannot be proven. Through a sociogeographic perspective in "Paul, Ignatius, and Thirdspace: A Socio-Geographic Exploration," Harry O. Maier compares and contrasts Paul's and Ignatius's creation of Thirdspace, particularly regarding their vision of church. He focuses attention on the way Ignatius employs civic language and imagery in the controversies over ecclesial leadership. Giving attention to social setting in "Neither 'Pure Evangelic Manna' nor 'Tainted Scraps': Reflections on the Study of Pseudo-Ignatius," L. Stephanie Cobb proposes that Pseudo-Ignatius uses the apostolic authority of Paul and Ignatius—particularly Pauline reception through Ignatius—to offer a moderating ethical position in the polarized ascetic environment of fourth-century Antioch. In "Polycarp's Reception of Paul and Rhetorical Structure: Can One Inform the Other?," David E. Wilhite analyzes the potential connections between the rhetorical aims of Polycarp's first letter to the Philippians and Polycarp's use of Pauline materials, particularly in light of Polycarp's use of Johannine, not Pauline, material in his attacks against docetism. Andrew Gregory's "Afterword: Some Reflections on Methods and Approaches," provides a helpful, critical synthesis of the volume's essays, highlighting the relations among the authors' arguments and marking intersections between this work and other recent publications. The volume is...