Repentence in the Shepherd of Hermas

  • Thread starter Thread starter Truthstalker
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Truthstalker

Guest
I finished it again in the time off. Where were we?

I’m not convinced he credits any motivation for repentence anywhere except on the believer, so I tend to think him anticipatory of Pelagianism. There doesn’t seem to be much awareness of grace or any gift of God in the work. It seems to be very primitive theologically, but that can’t really be counted against it. I am wondering why some included it in the canon.

It also doesn’t seem to be anywhere near the claim of some today in the charismatic movement who point to it as a prophecy in the time before the gifts of the Holy Ghost ceased (only to reappear around 1900), so I don’t think it is any proof that the modern gift of prophecy correlates to what was happening back then. It’s more of a serious of exhortations and more like Pilgrim’s Progress than any other work I can think of. But I think Bunyan wrote a better work.

Maybe these wild comments will spur some discussion.
 
I am wondering why some included it in the canon.
Click to expand...
Having recently read it for the first time myself (after seeing it listed as ‘cannon’ by a certain modern autocephalous group), I’ve been wondering the same thing, but haven’t been able to ask due to the Crash.

While it sounds, in many spots, typical, its theology appears to my limited knowledge to be a far different one than what is believed today, such as in the repentance issue you already mentioned.
 
BJRumph said:
Having recently read it for the first time myself (after seeing it listed as ‘cannon’ by a certain modern autocephalous group), I’ve been wondering the same thing, but haven’t been able to ask due to the Crash.

While it sounds, in many spots, typical, its theology appears to my limited knowledge to be a far different one than what is believed today, such as in the repentance issue you already mentioned.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t say “far different”: some argue that you see in SOH the beginnings of the Catholic doctrines concerning penance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top