Shepherd of Hermas — "Early Christian Text"

The Evangelical Covenant Church does not include the Shepherd of Hermas in its biblical canon but recognizes it as a valuable early Christian text worthy of study. The Shepherd was valued in the early church as a prophetic and moral exhortation, and the ECC respects it as part of the patristic heritage. The text's emphasis on repentance, moral renewal, and faithful living aligns with ECC values.

The Shepherd of Hermas may be used in ECC study, teaching, or spiritual formation contexts, but it is not cited with canonical authority. The ECC views it as a witness to early Christian faith and practice rather than as Scripture. Its visions and parables offer moral and spiritual encouragement but are not understood as doctrine or as having the same authoritative status as the biblical canon.

The ECC's approach is characteristic of its moderate evangelical stance: respecting the wisdom of the patristic period without according extracanonical texts the status of Scripture. The Shepherd is a valuable resource for spiritual formation and ethical teaching, but authority for doctrine rests with the 66-book biblical canon.