If you haven't picked up that I've got a place of esteem set aside for the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, you haven't been reading this blog too long.

For some reason — I'm not sure why, or where it came from — I do. And the Epistle to Diognetus is one of my favorites.

In an effort to be somewhat disciplined about blogging, I've decided to use the Epistle to Diognetus as blog fodder. That's right, when I can't think of anything else, I'll just dig into Diognetus (which is a short letter) and make some brief and entirely far-too-superficial comments.

I'll start tonight with a short introduction, listing a scant bit of info about the letter, date, author, and editions. I'll start with editions.

Diognetus is available in a few different editions of the collected writings of the Apostolic Fathers:

• Ehrman, Bart D. The Apostolic Fathers (2 Volumes). Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 2003. (more info: vol 1, vol 2). Diognetus is in vol. 2.
• Holmes, Michael. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (Revised Edition). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1999. (more info)
• Lake, Kirsopp. The Apostolic Fathers (2 Volumes). Harvard University Press: Cambridge, 1912. (more info). Diognetus is in vol. 2.

The Holmes edition is an update of the J.B. Lightfoot's classic edition of the Apostolic Fathers. It is easy to find the English of Lightfoot's translation online.

A gent called Henry Meecham put out what is perhaps the most recent critical edition of the epistle in English in 1949.

• Meecham, Henry G. The Epistle to Diognetus: The Greek Text with Introduction, Translation, and Notes. Manchester University Press: Manchester, 1949.

My acquisition of this particular title is one of my most harrowing book-finding experiences.

I like the Ehrman version best, though Meecham is a close second. I typically consult Meecham as he's got commentary-style notes which come in quite handy. Ehrman reads better, though.

Integrity

The book is 12 chapters, but most (if not all) scholars assume that chapters 11 and 12 are a later addition of some sort, that they weren't in the original. The MSS actually indicates a break at the end of chapter 10.

Authorship

Authorship is anonymous and unknown. “Mathetes”, which sometimes seen in the title of the epistle, is simply a transliteration of the term “disciple” and not a claim of authorship. There are several authors that have been suggested, but it's all conjecture. One of my favorites is that the epistle is an exercise of a school-boy who is practicing his rhetoric; but this is exceedingly unlikely.

Date

Here's what Meecham says about date:

The very universality of thought and tone makes it hard to fix the period of the epistle. Westcott would place it as early as AD 117. If that is too early, Overbeck's post-Constantinian date and J.M. Cotterill's fantastic theory of an eighth- or ninth-century composition are patently far too late. Otto and Bunsen place it about AD 135; Ewald between AD 120-130. ... [some other dudes posit anywhere from 170-310] ... Lightfoot, Bardenhewer, and Krueger favour about AD 150. (Meecham 19-20).

Ehrman dates “during the second half of the second century, possibly closer to the beginning than the end of that period.” So 150-200, and more likely close to 150. (Ehrman 127).

Contents

Basically, the epistle is apologetic. The author sets out to convince Diognetus that Christianity is right, and Greek paganism is wrong.

Yes, that's oversimplified. But you didn't expect me to spill the beans in a few short sentences, did you?

You can always read it yourself first. There are 12 chapters. Here's the first (Lightfoot's English): EpDiog 1. Or you could go to Early Christian Writings and find a few editions to poke through.