Apocrypha

An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature

By: Stephen De Young

Narrated by: Stephen De Young

Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

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 listen to 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 listeners’ understanding of the breadth and depth of the Orthodox Christian Faith.

©2023 Stephen De Young (P)2023 Stephen De Young

Part history, part theology, fully engaging

In this delightful and somewhat scholarly jaunt through the apocryphal books, the author introduces us to the different genres found under that heading, giving an overview of each work, discussing the importance of each to the Church—or lack thereof. He discusses references to and quotes from specific apocryphal passages which can be found in Scripture, showing the significance of these works to 1st century Christians, as well as uses of the texts by the early Church Fathers. Part ancient world history, part Church history, part theological studies, and fully engaging, “Apocrypha: An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature,” by Fr. Stephen De Young is a must read for the serious student of the Church and Holy Scriptures. Highly recommend.
As an added note, having twice listened to this free audio version, given in exchange for an honest review, I will be purchasing a hard copy of the book in order to mark it up, add flags, etc. This is a reference piece to which I expect to return again and again.

Great Intro Into Apocryphal Literature

Fr. De Young does an excellent job of tying in apocryphal literature with the books of the Old and New Testament, as well as writings of the church fathers, to present a holistic worldview. As a Protestant without much exposure to second temple writings, this book is an excellent entry into this literature for the lay person who wants to better understand the world to which the scriptures were written to.
Given the medium and the density of the content, it is often necessary to go back over sections or chapters to fully grasp the connections Fr. De Young is making, but this is more a reflection of the audiobook format, and not an indictment of the writing or reading.
If you enjoy Lord of Spirits/The Symbolic World/etc, you’ll love this audiobook!

Exactly what it says on the tin

This review was completed after listening to the audiobook version of Fr. Stephen De Young’s Apocrypha.

Apocrypha: An Introduction to Extra-Biblical Literature is precisely what it says on the cover. Like many readers coming from a non-Orthodox Christian background, I wasn’t sure if this text would discuss that we commonly call “the Apocrypha,” but this is addressed directly in the introduction. De Young’s intent is to provide readers with an understanding of those texts often utilized by Orthodox Christians but not typically regarded as “Scripture” in the same sense as other books typically found in an English Bible. He seems comfortable in the grey areas of “canon,” as he spends some time describing how a standardized Biblical canon isn’t really found within the Orthodox church. This grey area is where we spend the rest of our time with De Young, as he guides the reader through a survey of texts critical to the development of Orthodox theology. Notably, this book is not a collection of texts nor a Sparknotes ripoff; De Young carefully describes each text before explaining its importance within the Orthodox context. Readers will also find more information, such as a list of which texts were considered critical to the early Church, after De Young’s analysis.

I was a little wary about listening to an audiobook. I have always been a visual learner and though I’ve been picking up a podcast habit, audiobooks are quite different. Fortunately, De Young’s concise writing lends itself well to an audiobook and I didn’t find myself getting lost or confused, even though the subject matter is fairly dense. De Young also does well to present the audiobook with a pleasant affect. I would recommend this audiobook to others who typically struggle with auditory learning.

Very Well Done!

Fr. Stephen has done an excellent job making these otherwise distant and seemingly esoteric works accessible. People likely don't read the apocrypha not because they have a strong stance about it, but because it is unfamiliar, and they don't know what to do about it. Fr. Stephen helps put them in their place. This is a must for anyone studying Biblical Canonicity, the origin of certain doctrines held by the ancient church, the apocryphal writings themselves, or some other adjacent field. Thanks again Fr Stephen!

For Audio Book, it is a good performance and very engaging, which is a testament to the way in which these difficult topics are explained so simply and clearly.

As a side note, this version does not include the canon list of St. Nicephorus, which the print version does as an appendix.

Very well written and narrated

This is a great in depth look into the "Apocryphal" books. It's well written, and narrated by the author, which is a huge plus for me. Definitely the best book I'm aware of on the subject. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in learning more about this subject.

Great & Thought provoking.

I’ve been a big fan of DeYoung’s works for a while, and must say this one didn’t disappoint! I quite enjoyed listening and learning more about some of the Apocryphal books, and their impact on scripture and traditions.

Clear, Concise, and Helpful — Narrated by Author

Author Stephen De Young provides a helpful introduction to biblical apocrypha beyond the books that Roman Catholics and Protestants generally consider or argue over being called apocrypha. De Young’s main point is that there is a third class of book between “Canonical Scripture” and heretical books: apocrypha, “books that are useful for private reading in the home but are not for public reading in the churches.” Part One explores Old Testament Apocrypha and Part Two explores New Testament Apocrypha.

Some helpful highlights: De Young begins with an introduction to this third category of literature with a minor defense of it and the use of pseudepigrapha. Then, for each book he offers an overview of its historical / cultural context, authorship, contents, and it’s relationship with the Bible, the Church Fathers, and the Tradition of the Church. De Young also often brings out the teachings of the book, making it immediately applicable to the listener.

De Young limits his content to the apocrypha that is not found in Roman Catholic bibles. This keeps the focus on lesser known texts from Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity that inform the Church’s understanding of the scriptures, and it keeps the book away from strict debates on what should or should not be considered part of the Bible. De Young does have a section on canonicity that is helpful if you are curious as to his views and general Eastern Orthodox views on Canon.

The book’s narration by the author is excellent. He is able to draw out emphases in his writing as they are intended to be conveyed vocally.

The print or ebook versions would be more helpful as a reference to the apocrypha given the ability to jump to specific pages or search text.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in reading the books that influenced the Scriptures and the Early Church, whether that be 1 Enoch, the Twelve Patriarchs, or the Shepherd of Hermas. De Young’s book is accessible to the mildly interested and the deeply invested alike. I have already made it halfway through my second listen.

Great Survey of Apocrypha for Orthodox Christians

Very helpful book-by-book breakdown of Old and New Testament extra-biblical literature for Orthodox Christians. Perfect companion to the Religion of the Apostles.

Critical introduction to the Apocrypha

Don't be confused about the title, this isn't about the Deuterocanonical books (Macabees, etc.)

This is instead an introduction to the extra Biblical books that are to be "read at home" as opposed to in the Church. Fr Stephen is great as usual at making complicated subjects understandable. In this case, he opens up books that otherwise seem inaccessible.

Listening to it has made me more confident in tackling these challenging books. 4 Ezra here I come!

An In-depth Look at Important Extra-Biblical Texts

I have read all of Father Stephen’s books so far, and each one has provided great insight into the history and context surrounding the early church. Admittedly, I have very little familiarity with most of the texts mentioned in this book, so it was a bit much to take in. I’ll definitely need to reread it at some point, but it would be incredibly useful as a sort of overview/companion guide if someone were to read the original apocryphal work alongside the chapter(s) devoted to them in Father Stephen’s book. Looking forward to more content from him!