Apostolic Tradition, as this text is best known, was identified in the early twentieth century as the work of Hippolytus, a Christian leader from third-century Rome. The text provides liturgical information of great antiquity, and as such has been massively influential on liturgical study and reform, especially in Western churches. The second edition of this crucial liturgical document continues Fr Stewart's influential work of re-evaluating the evolution of church hierarchy in the early Church. In addition, this new edition is the first to incorporate a recently discovered Ethiopic manuscript, which in many cases has helped to clarify ambiguities in the text.