Will the Real Ignatius Please Stand Up? Evaluating the Recensions with Ignatian Scholar Jack Bull

In this special episode, Dr. Boyce sits down with Ignatian scholar Jack Bull to explore one of the most debated textual traditions of early Christianity—the letters of Ignatius of Antioch. With three competing recensions—the Short, the Middle, and the Long—each offering a different window into the voice and theology of the early church, which version truly reflects the historical Ignatius?

Together, we’ll walk through the textual history, theological developments, and manuscript evidence for each recension. From the minimalist Syriac tradition to the highly stylized Marian expansions of the Long Recension, what do these versions tell us about the evolution of early Christian thought—and about the editorial hands that shaped it?

If you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7

Here is a link to Jack's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Patristica

Here is a link to the Syriac Short Recension: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/syriac-versions-of-the-ignatian-epistles-20958

Here is a link to the Middle and Long: https://ccel.org/ccel/ignatius_antioch/epistles_of_ignatius/anf01.v.html

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