Apocrypha

de S. J. Voicu, Thomas C. Oden

While the canonical status of the Greek and Latin Old Testament texts commented upon within this volume has been understood differently within Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, their longstanding use within the Christian churches makes them worthy of careful study and reflection. As noted in the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Jerome says that the church reads them "for example of life and instruction of manners." As a result their influence extends well beyond ecclesiastical use to literature, hymnody, music and art. Their questioned authority has nevertheless affected the choice of books included here, not by a priori judgment but by the paucity of comment from which to choose. None of the early fathers dedicated commentaries to these texts as a whole. Despite the length of 1 and 2 Maccabees and the model they presented for Christian martyrdom, they were rarely cited or commented upon. The Wisdom books received the most comment and are those best represented here. In particular, readers will find ample comment here on Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon (the latter three all found as additions to the Hebrew and Aramaic book of Daniel). Among commentators readers will find Origen, John Chrysostom, Theodoret of Cyr, Hippolytus, Jerome, Augustine, Julius Africanus, Athanasius, Palladius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Clement of Alexandria, Bede, Rabanus Maurus, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Cassiodorus, Ambrose and others. --From publisher's description. The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series is an ecumenical project, promoting a vital link of communication between the varied Christian traditions of today and their common ancient ancestors in the faith. On this shared ground we listen as leading pastoral theologians of six centuries gather around the text of Scripture and offer their best theological, spiritual and pastoral insights. With the aid of computer technology, the vast array of writings from the church fathers-- including much that is available only in the ancient languages-- have been searched for their comment on Scripture, then hand-selected by scholars who then shaped and annotated the materials to introduce it to today's readers. Each portion of commentary has been chosen for its salient insight, its rhetorical power and its faithful representation of the consensual exegesis of the early church.--Book jacket and publisher's website.