New genres of Christian literature | Gnostics | Docetics? (jan 1, 140 – dec 31, 399)

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Infancy gospels, narrating the childhoods of Jesus and his mother Mary, become a popular genre of Christian literature.
> Infancy Gospel of James (140-170 CE); may be pushing back on docetic theology, with its very physical description of Jesus’ birth.
> Infancy Gospel of Thomas (140-170 CE)

Martyrdom acts become another popular genre of Christian literature. In terms of historical value on the topic of martyrdom, these works diverge markedly in quality:
> So infused with obvious legend or theological agenda that the actual history standing behind them is obscure: Martyrdom of Polycarp, Acts of Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonice
> More realistic but seemingly embellished: Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas
> Free from much embellishment and potentially quite realistic: Letters from Vienna and Lyons, Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs
> Lost: Acts of Apollonius
In these works and other writing of the era, we find a propagandistic promotion of martyrdom (even in cases where it could be evaded), as well as the promise that the act of martyrdom obviates the guilt of all prior sins (Acts of Paul, Acts of Andrew, Minucius Felix, Didascalia, Tertullian). By way of contrast, the gnostic writer Heracleon pushes back against the idea of martyrdom embraced by “the multitudes”, arguing that: a) anyone can make a verbal confession before authorities, b) a life of faith and pro-social action is the true “universal” confession, and c) many of the original apostles did not in fact suffer martyrdom. Clement of Alexandria stakes out a middle position, arguing that no one should actively seek martyrdom and that one should protect themself from it if possible, but that if escape is not an option, one must follow through with it.

"Gospel harmonies" begin to be created.
> Justin Martyr? (150-160 CE)
> Tatian’s Diatessaron (170-175 CE). This work was very influential in Syriac Christianity, and unlike later such works, it shows no particular interest in trying to argue that the four canonical gospel stories are totally consistent or without contradiction when combined. The Diatessaron attests the grouping of the four canonical gospels, but it also provides a potential snapshot into the fluidity of their content, as it includes the longer ending of Mark, but lacks the genealogies from Matthew and Luke, as well as the story of the woman taken in adultery from John.
> The Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony (170-200 CE)

The “Apocryphal Acts” (150-225 CE) become another popular genre of Christian literature, fantastically filling in the lives and martyrdoms of several apostles, and notably promoting a radically Encratic lifestyle. These works are often transmitted in piecemeal units, and occasionally considered authoritative.
> Acts of Peter takes decisive aim at Simon Magus, perhaps attesting to the size and influence of his contemporary following. Yet a portion of the story apparently actually appealed to gnostics, as it was included in a gnostic codex for unclear reasons.
> Acts of John has some potentially interesting connections to the Johannine community and its history of schism over docetic beliefs.
> Acts of Paul
* Insists that there is no resurrection unless its Encratic lifestyle is followed.
* Contains another supposed correspondence between Paul and the Corinthians, recruiting his voice a century after his death to repudiate gnostic doctrine and insist on the non-Pauline notion of a resurrection of the flesh. Seems to intimate that Paul had deceitful gnostic minions among his own crew.
* Tertullian claims that the author of Acts of Paul was known in his time, and was a presbyter of Asia who had been stripped of his office for creating the spurious work.
* A “cult of Thecla” enjoys broad popularity in the Christian world as a result of the legendary stories about this virgin martyr found in the Acts of Paul.
> Acts of Andrew is floridly supernatural and moralizing in nature.
> Act of Peter contains the morally repulsive story of Peter's daughter, who is so beautiful that God blesses her by crippling her to ward off horny men.
> Acts of Thomas recounts Thomas' adventures as an initially unwilling missionary to India, spreading an incredibly Encratic message that eventually sees him executed.

"Gospel prologues" begin to be added to the canonical gospels, perhaps beginning with a portion of an “Anti-Marcionite” prologue to Luke.
> "Anti-Marcionite Prologues" (150-400 CE)
> The "Monarchian Prologues" to the canonical gospels (200-450 CE) give lengthy introductions to each work and provide a handful of heretofore unique traditions about the authors. They also subtly promote what seems to be a form of Modalistic Monarchianism, while at the same time warning against “heretical fables”. May have a Roman provenance, opening the door to the question of theological sanction.

The first "Gospel synopsis" is created by Ammonius of Alexandria (200-230 CE). Known as the Ammonian Sections, the work places correlated passages of the four canonical gospels beside each other, anchored to the gospel of Matthew.

The first church orders since the Didache are composed.
> The Didascalia is a Christian legal treatise and set of instructions for new converts. It touches upon the proper way for a Christian to live their life, how the church should manage orphans and widows, the qualifications and duties of bishops/deacons, and the proper physical layout of the church. Utilizes a broad assortment of canonical and noncanonical sources, but only cites the gospel of Matthew by name.
> The Apostolic Church Order is a law code for churches that spread widely and became canonical among eastern branches of Christianity. It reuses material from the Didache, putting its precepts on the lips of the apostles, and details the qualifications and duties of various proto-orthodox church functionaries. It also perplexingly portrays the disciples as disagreeing or debating over the proper number of presbyters for a new church, and the appropriate role of women in the church hierarchy.

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