01. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch (Ancient Christian Writers) [Hardcover]

James A. Kleist (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ancient Christian Writers | Publication Date: January 1, 1978

St. Clement's epistle, written c. 96, is called the first epistle, and is a model of a pastoral letter. The epistles of St. Ignatius, Bishop of Smyrna at the beginning of the second century, are addressed to six Christian communities.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (January 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080910038X
• ISBN-13: 978-0809100385
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,874 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, July 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: 01. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch (Ancient Christian Writers) (Hardcover)

Along with volume 4 of the Ancient Christian Writers Series (Didache, Epistle of Barnabas...) these writings are second only to Scripture itself in early Church authority. In fact before the creation of the New Testament canon, the 1st epistle of Clement was widely regarded as Scripture.
This is a must-read for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and anyone who wants to know anything about the early Church.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They were preserving that which was given them., October 8, 2004

By 

Mark Lee (Woodruff, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: 01. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch (Ancient Christian Writers) (Hardcover)

Clement, bishop of Rome, was responding to reports about troubles again with those pesky Corinthian Christians. 40 years or so earlier, St. Paul had done the same. It's easy to see why for the first couple hundred years (even Eusebius, bp. of Ceasarea in Palestine considered it inspired in the early 4th century) this letter circulated with what would become the New Testament writings. His faith is apostolic as is his belief that he's merely standing in an authoritative line of men who are exhorting Christian behavior and beliefs. This letter was probably composed about the same time some of the writings of St. John were, and probably before 2 Peter and some of the pseudepigraphical Pauline literature.

This volume also shares with the reader the early 2nd century writings of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and martyr. Again we get snapshots of early Christian communities in communion, part of the "great" Church, who submit to ecclesial authority, enjoy a sacred meal, etc.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good translation with helpful but limited commentary, May 31, 2008

By 

Stratiotes Doxha Theon "2 Thes 2:15" (Richmond, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: 01. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch (Ancient Christian Writers) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderfully full and rich translation of St. Clement's letter to the Romans and St. Ignatius' 7 letters. With them we are treated to the doctrines of the early church on the structure and authority of church offices. There are few works that challenge the modern presuppositions of the early church like these of the earliest Christian tradition. This translation is ideal for sharing in a group study for their clarity letting the early fathers speak for themselves with limited interjection of commentary. Each section provides an introduction giving a brief outline of the lives of Clement and Ignatius. Each epistle is salted with note references. The notes are kept apart at the end of each epistle so that you can easily read the epistles without being distracted by lengthy footnotes on each page. The notes are there at the end of each epistle ready to shed more light on a particular passage without demanding notice at every turn of the page. The format is ideal for group or personal study. Very highly recommended.