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Books, Scribes, and Cultures of Reading in the Shepherd of Hermas
- Author(s):
- Travis Proctor (see profile)
- Date:
- 2021
- Group(s):
- Second Century Christianity
- Subject(s):
- Christian literature, Early, Reading, History, Libraries, Scribes--Social life and customs, Slavery
- Item Type:
- Abstract
- Tag(s):
- Early Christian literature, History of reading, Reading and library history, Scribalism/scribal culture
- Permanent URL:
- http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/vh92-1020
- Abstract:
- In this article, I analyse how the Shepherd of Hermas constructs an ancient Christian reading culture through concurrent portrayals of Christian reading, copying and book production. I argue that, by portraying its protagonist Hermas as an idealised reader, scribe and auditor, the Shepherd constructs an early Christian reading culture that authenticates Hermas's role as prophet, activates the textual dissemination of the Shepherd and ritualises the practice of Christian auditory ‘reading’. The article closes with ‘Hermas the freedman’, which considers how Hermas's self-presentation as a formerly enslaved person may have connections to the Shepherd's centralisation of ancient reading cultures.
- Metadata:
- xml
- Published as:
- Journal article Show details
- Pub. DOI:
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046920002626
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Pub. Date:
- 2021
- Journal:
- Journal of Ecclesiastical History
- Status:
- Published
- Last Updated:
- 2 years ago
- License:
- All Rights Reserved
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