An Apocryphal text from the New Testament? (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

We're taking a look at one of the weirder ancient Christian texts. It's called The Shepherd of Hermas, and for quite a while in the ancient world, it was considered scripture. So what's going on with this text? Was it a real contender to be included in the canon, or did it never stand a chance? 

 0:00 - Introduction to "The Shepherd of Hermas" 

0:42 - Who Was Hermas? 

2:31 - Authorship Timeline and Canonical Debate 

5:43 - The Book's Three-Part Structure 

6:51 - Rhoda, the Tiber River, and the Problematic Thought 

11:11 - The First Vision: Rhoda's Reproach 

14:34 - The Angel of Repentance and the Commandments 

17:31 - The Similitudes: "Buying Afflicted Souls" 

22:38 - Reconstructing an Alien Early Christianity 

25:17 - Outro

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/-oIYV5FtYeE?si=qfMOZ6JFX4mBVFIL