Clement of Rome: Scripture, Boundaries, and 21st Century American Christianity
Clement of Rome (1st Century A.D.) seems to have written as the voice of the (unified?) church in Rome, “The church of God, living in exile in Rome, to the church of God, exiled in Corinth, […]” (Richardson 43). He addressed the church in Corinth about an unhappy situation in which some from within the church have thrown off the legitimate leaders, replacing them with leaders to their own liking: “It is disgraceful, exceedingly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian upbringing, to have it reported that because of one or two individuals the solid and ancient Corinthian Church is in revolt against its presbyters. […] The result is that the Lord’s name is being blasphemed because of your stupidity, and you are exposing yourselves to danger” (65). As Clement addressed this problem, he gives readers an insider’s view of how the Church (at least the church in Rome and maybe Corinth) was shaping up. Specifically, how the Church understood itself in the world context, what ecclesiasti...