The Pseudo-Clementines (Studies on Early Christian Apocrypha)

by Jan N. Bremmer

This book is one of the first modern collections of studies on important aspects of the Pseudo-Clementines, which occupy a special place among the early Christian writings, due to their complicated origin and their relevance in reconstructing Jewish Christianity. The volume starts with two chapters which discuss the problems of the date, place, text and genre of the Pseudo-Clementines. The majority of chapters focus on various aspects and passages of the Homilies and Recognitions. In the Homilies, the work examines philanthropy, the relationship between Judaism and Hellenism, Appion and Annoubion, Enochic traditions, Orphic cosmogonies, philosophical sources, the theory of two ways and the conversion of families. In the Recognitions, the theme of recognition, the doctrine of free will, figures of speech, the Sadducees and the narrative intention of speeches are examined. Finally, both works are interrogated on their uses of centre and periphery. The volume concludes with a discussion of Clement in the Legenda Aurea and, as has become customary, with an extensive bibliography and index.

Paperback

First published December 30, 2010

About the author

Prof. em. Dr. Jan Nicolaas Bremmer (Ph.D., Free University Amsterdam, 1979) is Professor emeritus for Religious Studies in the Faculty for Religious Studies and Theology at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, where he twice held the post of Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies.