Early Christian Teachers: The 'didaskaloi' from Their Origins to the Middle of the Second Century

Description

The teachers of early Christianity were one of its most intriguing groups and appear to have been the equivalent of the Jewish rabbis or pagan philosophers. By examining all the earliest sources mentioning the 'didaskaloi', Alessandro Falcetta sheds light on the first hundred years of their history, tackling questions such as why their fate was so different from that of the rabbis, and whether they were tradents of the Jesus material and therefore guarantors of the Gospels' historic reliability. By relating teachers to apostles, prophets and bishops, the author enriches our knowledge of the structure of early Christian communities and how they developed into hierarchical churches. Preface Table of Content Abbreviations and Note Introduction 1 Scholarship on Early Christian Teachers 2 Teachers in non-Christian Sources 3 Sources on Syria 4 Sources on Asia Minor 5 A Source on Rome: The Shepherd of Hermas 6 Sources of Uncertain Location Conclusions Bibliography Index of References Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects