J. (Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School) is a Professor of Scripture at St Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology (Indiana). He has previously published two other works on the Didache (The Didache in Context [1985] and The Sayings of Jesus in the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles [1997]). Other previous books have examined further facets of the Apostolic Fathers (The Apostolic Fathers: an Essential Guide [2005]; The Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament [2006]; Reading the Apostolic Fathers [2nd ed. 2012]; and The Epistle to Diognetus [2013]). The work reviewed here, an introduction to the Didache, is the fifth entry in a series of brief editions of early Christian apocryphal works. The core of the book is divided into three basic sections: introduction, English translation, and notes and additional notes. The entire volume is only 75 pages long, including both the bibliography and the index, creating a succinct and inexpensive edition of the Didache.
The Greek text of the Didache (or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) was rediscovered in 1873 by Philotheos Bryennios. ‘Because this is the only extant manuscript that likely was written in the same language as the original, its value cannot be underestimated’ (p. 6). J. interacts not only with this lone Greek manuscript (and the fragmentary evidence of P. Oxy. 1782), but also with the Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic and Georgian versions. His informative introduction provides an overview of the manuscripts available in these five languages (pp. 6–11), and he also discusses the materials from the Didache available in the Apostolic Constitutions, the Apostolic Church Order, the Epitome of the Canons of the Holy Apostles and the Arabic Life of Shenoute (pp. 11–14). The Didache was cited or mentioned by various patristic works, was called ‘scripture’ by Clement of Alexandria and was included among the ‘disputed writings’ by Eusebius of Caesarea (pp. 3–4).
As a fascinating manual of early church life, the Didache provides important insights into the moral standards, religious practices and liturgical rituals of early Christians. J. believes that the Didache's structure ‘is easily determined’ with its ‘four primary divisions’, including an initial section providing ‘two ways’ paraenesis (p. 1). According to J.'s analysis, this ‘two ways’ section ‘bears nothing specifically Christian in its essence, since it occurs elsewhere in the Jewish and Greek literature of the first and second centuries’ (p. 5). In fact, the Didache as a whole reflects a close association with Jewish traditions. ‘The specifics of such a faith are not entirely clear, but their association with the synagogue seems evident from the Jewish nature of the teachings that remain, the prayers that are spoken, and the view of community that reflects a structure familiar from rabbinic literature’ (p. 5).
Overall, J.'s well-reasoned conclusions reflect the mainstream of Didache scholarship. J. believes that the manual ‘reflects an especially early form of the faith’ (p. 4), and he places the original composition of the Didache in the late first or early second century. Of course, arguments based upon the sequential evolution of theological development (pp. 4, 15) are inherently subjective to a degree. Nevertheless, some concrete evidences fit such a chronological placement. Theological particularities of the Didache include the propensity to call Jesus ‘servant’ or ‘child’ (an early trait). The polity found in the Didache includes bishops and deacons, and therefore differs from the tripartite development found in Ignatius of Antioch (bishops, elders and deacons). The Didache seems to reflect ‘the problem of settled faith communities in conflict with traveling, itinerant preachers and prophets’ (p. 4). J. maintains that the Trinitarian formulae in 7.1 and 7.3, the use of the term ‘Christian’ in 12.4 and the references to a seemingly literary ‘gospel’ in 8.2, 11.3 and 15.3–4 may reflect a secondary hand at work (cf. p. 55), although some other scholars accept them as original. The notes on page 59 equate the ‘the Lord's Day’ in 14.1 with Easter. Nevertheless, page 44 states, ‘The reference is presumably to that day of the week when Christians worshipped (i.e., Sunday) rather than to an annual event’.
J. finds echoes in the Didache that ‘touch on’ many New Testament books, ‘including all the gospels, Acts, letters of Paul, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1–2 John, Jude, and Revelation’ (p. 3). Specifically, ‘A strong Matthean framework of thought undergirds the entire text of the Didache’ (p. 3). While the Didache ‘clearly’ reflects materials found in the Synoptic traditions within Matthew (pp. 50, 57), J. does not insist upon direct literary dependence.
An original translation is provided immediately after a helpful chart on ‘How to Use This Book’ (p. 18). J. claims that his presentation of the Didache offers several key benefits over previous editions (pp. 14–15). First, the witness of Codex Hierosolymitanus appears on the left with alternate readings from the Latin Doctrina apostolorum, P. Oxy. 1782, and the Coptic version on the right. Second, gender-neutral language is employed where possible. Third, the translation seeks to avoid contemporary theological bias. J. insists upon translating ὡς κύριον with an anarthrous ‘as Lord’ rather than with the usual ‘as the Lord’ (p. 52), and he chooses to translate ἄρτον as ‘food’ rather than ‘bread’ in 11.6 on p. 40 (though cf. pp. 19, 44).
The English translation is crisp and masterly, except perhaps for the confusing double use of ‘depravities’/‘depravity’ in Chapter 5 (for πορνεῖαι and κακία, respectively). A few additional cross-references could have shed further light on some of the discussions, such as the addition of 1 Timothy 3:8 to the discussion of ‘doubled-tongued’ on p. 23, the addition of Philippians 2:14 to the discussion of ‘grumbler’ on p. 25, and the addition of Philippians 1:1 to the discussion of ‘bishops and deacons’ on p. 45. Some typographical errors appear, such as ‘Athansius’ for ‘Athanasius’ on p. 19, ‘matter’ for ‘matters’ on p. 46, ‘Masseux’ for ‘Massaux’ on p. 66 and ‘Sibyllene’ for ‘Sibylline’ on p. 75 (cf. 50). Other typographical lapses occur in French (‘Le problem’ for ‘Le problème’ on p. 67), Latin (non applicants se bonis for non applicantes se bonis on p. 32), and Greek (εὐαγγέλιος for εὐαγγέλιον on p. 15, διψυχήεις for διψυχήσεις on p. 28, ἀγιασθεῖσαν for ἁγιασθεῖσαν on p. 37 and δειξιὰν for δεξιὰν on p. 42). For some reason, Latin wording is italicised throughout the notes on translation but not in the notes on manuscripts immediately above.
The closing bibliography and indexes are extremely beneficial and greatly add to the value of this edition. Some more entries could be inserted, including J. Draper's The Didache in Modern Research (2006), W. Varner's The Way of the Didache (2007), T. O'Loughlin's The Didache (2010), M. Del Verme's Didache and Judaism (2004), A. Milavec's The Didache: Text, Translation, Analysis, and Commentary (2004), H. van de Sandt's Matthew and the Didache (2005) and the jointly authored Matthew, James, and the Didache (2008). One also thinks of H. Lietzmann's classic, Die Didache (1962). However, such additions might have been left on the cutting board based upon a judgement call to retain the compact nature of the bibliography. And above all, one appreciates the compact and affordable nature of this handy edition of the Didache (without sacrificing scholarly quality). This concise yet erudite volume will serve as a valuable tool for scholars and students of early Christian origins for years to come. The only downside of this brief edition may be the small print of the textual notes. Nevertheless, these compact notes are packed with both a breadth of learning and a depth of insight, thus forming a model introduction.
