perspective of the church in Rome, once again after the time of Peter and Paul. Together with the Shepherd of Hermas, 1 Clement (and perhaps 2 Clement) affords additional insight into the situation in Rome at the beginning of the second century. The Letter to Diognetus, which is without question the most recent writing in the collection, was written as a defense for the Christian faith as Christianity began to spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Figure A—When were the texts of the Apostolic