The "Didache"

Paper Summary:

This theological analysis of the Roman Catholic text the "Didache"l analyzes why this early document was excluded from the New Testament. It looks at how the rediscovery of this document in 1875 is part of one major reason why the church excluded the document and how the historical validity of paleographic sources for the document denied apostolic authorship. It also examines how the the exclusion of the "Didache" from the New Testament is a direct conflict for the rules of institutional theocratic authority of "apostolic succession" for Roman Catholic Church leaders.

From the Paper:

"The Didache was a document of importance due to its early references to the apostolic Christian Church before the New Testament was collected and published as canon or law. The highly subjective nature of the authorship is one critical perspective that has been brought forth in the paleography of the Didache. The authorship of the Didache is one historical point that some critics of the writings bring forth in modern evaluations of the manuscript. Although the rediscovery of the document in 1875 connotes that the writings were apparently written in 1056, there is modern evidence that suggests that the original manuscript is dated at around 100 A.D. or even earlier. However, this study will bring forth the argument of authorship as one reason why many critics of the Didache find it too ambiguous to have been included in the Christina canon of the New Testament."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Apostolic Succession and the New Israel. 2006. http://www.preteristvision.org/articles/apostolic_succession.html (November, 12, 2006).
• Draper, J.A. 1991. Torah and troublesome apostles in the Didache community. Novum Testamentum, Vol. 33, Fasc. 4, pp. 347-372. www.jstor.org (accessed November 12, 2006).
• Milavec, Aaron. 2003. The purifying confession of failings required by the Didache's Eucharistic sacrifice. Biblical Theology Bulletin 33.2: p64 (13) http://find.galegroup.com (accessed November 12, 2006).
• Richardson, Cyril. 1953. Early Christian fathers. Philadelphia, PA. Westminster Press. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.html (Accessed November 12, 2006).
• The Didache. 2006.http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0714.htm (November 12, 2006).

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• Analytical Essay # 8884 : "Kerygma"

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