Handout #1

The church, an old woman who regains her youth

Hermas, who is writing in the first part of the second century, is preoccupied with the problems of the church of his , in particular with penitence. In a series of visions, an angel who takes the form of a young shepherd replies to his questions. That the church appears as old woman primarily signifies its antiquity in the thought of God,  but also the weakness and the sins of Christians who have made it lose its strength and its joy.  

An old woman came clothed in shining garments with a book its her hand. She sat down alone and greeted me 'Good day, Hermas.    'In my grief and weeping, I said to her 'Good day, Lady. 'Who is she?' I asked the young man.  'The church', he said. I said to him, 'Then why is she so old? 'Because,' he said, she was created the first of all things. That is why she is so old, and for her sake the world was established.  In the first vision I had seen her, very old and sitting in a chair. In the second vision her face was younger, but her body and hair were old; and she spoke with me standing; she was more joyful than in the first vision. In the third vision she was quite young and extremely beautiful, and only her hair was old; she was exceedingly joyful and sat on a couch.  'In the first vision,' asked the young man, 'why did she appear as old and sitting on a chair?  Because your spirit was old and already fading away, and had no power through your weakness and double-mindedness.

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