Clement of Rome’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, one of the very few Christian texts having survived from the first century, is a supremely valuable historical document. Modern scholars affirm as much, although many have called into question whether Clement was a direct disciple of Sts. Peter and Paul, arguing instead that he lived and wrote many decades after the martyrdom of the apostles. In the groundbreaking Clement and the Early Church of Rome: On the Dating of Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, Msgr. Thomas J. Herron presents his rigorously researched conclusions and sketches out the significance of his findings. Clement’s Epistle stands as an early example of the exercise of hierarchical—and Roman—authority in the Church. It is a disciplinary letter addressed with confident authority to a distant Church.

“His methods are rigorous. His writing is clear and unflinchingly honest. His tone is modest. Nevertheless, his conclusions are stunning. He argues very persuasively for the earlier dates; and then he proceeds to sketch out the significance of the early dating for history, theology, and apologetics. Did he succeed? Well, his work has been cited as authoritative by scholars as illustrious as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. And His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is certainly not alone.”

—Scott Hahn, Bestselling Author and Popular Speaker

“I am dependent . . . upon the brilliant analysis by Thomas J. Herron.”

—Dr. Clayton Jefford, St. Meinrad School of Theology, author of The Apostolic Fathers and the New Testament