Apocrypha: An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature

Fr Stephen De Young

Many Christians today divide ancient Jewish and Christian literature into two categories: what is in the Bible and what is not. The Christian East, however, has traditionally described a third category considered beneficial for Christians to read in the home: “apocrypha.” These texts, from the centuries before and after the Incarnation of Jesus Christ—beyond even the larger canons of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Old Testaments—reveal to us the religious world and theological framework of the apostles and early Church Fathers. In Apocrypha, a companion volume to The Religion of the Apostles, Fr. Stephen De Young surveys these works, which connect elements of Liturgy, Scripture, iconography, and patristic writings. Familiarity with them will enhance readers’ understanding of the breadth and depth of the Orthodox Christian Faith.

About the Author: Fr. Stephen De Young is the author of God Is a Man of War, The Religion of the Apostles, and The Whole Counsel of God from Ancient Faith Publishing. He is the pastor of Archangel Gabriel Orthodox Church (Antiochian) in Lafayette, Louisiana, and holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from Amridge University. He hosts The Whole Counsel of God podcast and co-hosts the Lord of Spirits podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.