Second Clement: An Introductory Commentary (Apostolic Fathers Commentary Series | AFCS)
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
The document called Second Clement was not a letter, nor was it written by Clement. It originated as an address to a congregation and is preserved among the group of writings known as the Apostolic Fathers. Unlike First Clement, it is one of the least known of these writings, yet preserves a fascinating window into the life of early believers. Its overall message is that Christians should render a payback to God for his grace shown to them in Christ. Second Clement offers a fascinating window into the life of the early church.
- Provides an exegetical, theological, and historical commentary
- Features insights into an early Christian congregation
- Focuses on grammatical and intertextual issues
If the Apostolic Fathers are regularly neglected by New Testament scholars, then 2 Clement must be one of the most neglected of them. This short but multi-faceted second-century document provides a host of interesting insights into an early Christian congregation. Will Varner has provided a very useful and handy introduction to this book and its interpretive issues. He offers a clear and useful translation, a series of helpful introductory essays, and a concise commentary on its twenty chapters. I highly recommend this volume as a great beginning point for study of 2 Clement.
—Stanley E. Porter, President, Dean, and Professor of New Testament, Roy A. Hope Chair in Christian Worldview, McMaster Divinity College
William Varner’s focus on theological, grammatical, and intertextual issues provides a solid basis for examining this valuable second-century writing. Whether you are new to Second Clement or a seasoned scholar, Varner’s introduction and commentary will be a helpful companion as you navigate the text of this early Christian writing.
—Rick Brannan, editor of The Apostolic Fathers: A New Translation
Varner has done an excellent job discussing the genre, unity, and structure of 2 Clement. The comparison to patron-client relations is absolutely correct. It makes sense of what is going on in the text.
—Robert Knapp, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, and author of The Dawn of Christianity
Reviews
1 rating
Glenn Crouch
2/15/2022
This recently released commentary on 2 Clement, is the second volume in this series of commentaries on the Apostolic Fathers - and I eagerly await the release of more volumes :) The Commentary includes not only the author’s translation of the book, but a section dedicated to articles on 2 Clement (all by the author) that nicely cover such things as authorship, date, audience, etc - which are all worthwhile. However I found the sections on the “Reception and Use of Sacred Tradition” and the analysis of the “Theology of Second Clement” very useful in better understanding the context of the book. The second half of this book is devoted to the actually chapter-by-chapter commentary. I found that the author’s respectful handling of 2 Clement to be very appealing. He includes many different views as he examines various aspects and interpretations, and is quite gracious with those whom he disagrees. This work is also very well referenced. Overall, I now have a much better appreciation of 2 Clement and I recommend this volume to any who have a real interest in early Church history.