Shepherd of Hermas — "Early Christian Text"

The Eastern Orthodox Church values the Shepherd of Hermas as important early Christian literature but does not treat it as canonical Scripture. The text is cited by the church fathers and has spiritual value, yet the Orthodox Church maintains a distinction between apostolic writings and later patristic literature. The Shepherd is studied in patristic theology and ascetical tradition but is not included in the biblical canon or cited with the same authority as the New Testament.

The Eastern Orthodox approach reflects the role of the seven ecumenical councils in defining the biblical canon and the patristic consensus regarding apostolic versus sub-apostolic writings. While the Shepherd of Hermas contains wisdom from early Christian tradition, it lacks the apostolic authority necessary for canonical status. The Orthodox Church affirms that Scripture is distinguished from sacred Tradition by its apostolic origin. The Shepherd is thus preserved in the Orthodox theological and spiritual tradition but recognized as belonging to the patristic heritage rather than to the apostolic canon.