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Clement of Alexandria

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Christian theologian (c. 150 – c. 215)


Clement of Alexandria
Clement depicted in 1584
Church Father, Theologian
BornTitus Flavius Clemens
c. 150 AD
Athens,Achaia,Roman Empire
Diedc. 215 AD
Jerusalem,Syria Palaestina,Roman Empire
Venerated inOriental Orthodoxy
Anglican Communion[1]
CanonizedPre-congregation
Feast4 December (Eastern Catholicism,Anglicanism)
5 December (Episcopal Church,Anglicanism)
ControversyRegarded as aheretic byPhotius.
Catholic cult suppressed
c. 1605 byPope Clement VIII
Other namesClement Alexandrine
Philosophical work
Era
RegionWestern philosophy
School
InstitutionsCatechetical School of Alexandria
Notable studentsOrigen andAlexander
Main interestsChristian theology
Notable works
Notable ideas
Part ofa series on
Catholic philosophy
  

Titus Flavius Clemens, also known asClement of Alexandria (Ancient Greek:Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς;c. 150c. 215 AD),[4] was a schematicChristian theologian and philosopher who taught at theCatechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils wereOrigen andAlexander of Jerusalem. A convert to Christianity, he was an educated man who was familiar withclassical Greek philosophy andliterature. As his three major works demonstrate, Clement was influenced byHellenistic philosophy to a greater extent than any other Christian thinker of his time, and in particular, byPlato and theStoics.[5] His secret works, which exist only in fragments, suggest that he was familiar with pre-ChristianJewish esotericism andGnosticism as well. In one of his works he argued that Greek philosophy had its origin among non-Greeks, claiming that both Plato andPythagoras were taught by Egyptian scholars.[6]

Clement is usually regarded as aChurch Father. He is venerated as asaint inCoptic Christianity,Eastern Catholicism,Ethiopian Christianity, andAnglicanism. He was revered inWestern Catholicism until 1586, when his name was removed from theRoman Martyrology byPope Sixtus V on the advice ofBaronius. TheEastern Orthodox Church officially stopped any veneration of Clement of Alexandria in the 10th century.[citation needed] Nonetheless, he is still sometimes referred to as "Saint Clement of Alexandria" by both Eastern Orthodox[7] and Catholic[8] authors.

Biography

[edit]

Neither Clement's birthdate or birthplace is known with any degree of certainty. It is speculated that he was born sometime around 150 AD. According toEpiphanius of Salamis, he was born in Athens, but there is also a tradition of anAlexandrian birth.[9][10]

His parents werepagans and Clement was a convert to Christianity. In theProtrepticus he displays an extensive knowledge of Greek religion andmystery religions, which could have arisen only from the practice of his family's religion.[9]

Having rejected paganism as a young man due to its perceived moral corruption, he travelled inGreece,Asia Minor,Palestine, andEgypt. Clement's journeys were primarily a religious undertaking. In Greece, he encountered anIonian theologian, who has been identified asAthenagoras of Athens; while in the east, he was taught by an Assyrian, sometimes identified withTatian, and a Jew, possiblyTheophilus of Caesarea.[11]

In around 180 AD, Clement reachedAlexandria,[12] where he metPantaenus, who taught at theCatechetical School of Alexandria.[13]Eusebius suggests that Pantaenus was the head of the school, but controversy exists about whether the institutions of the school were formalized in this way before the time ofOrigen.[14][15][note 1][17] Clement studied under Pantaenus, and was ordained to the priesthood byPope Julian before 189. Otherwise, virtually nothing is known of Clement's personal life in Alexandria. He may have been married, a conjecture supported by his writings.[18]

During theSeverian persecution of 202–203, Clement left Alexandria. In 211,Alexander of Jerusalem wrote a letter commending him to the Church ofAntioch,[19] which may imply that Clement was living inCappadocia or Jerusalem at that time. He diedc. 215 AD at an unknown location.

Theological works

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Klementos Alexandreos ta heuriskomena (1715)

Trilogy

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Three of Clement's major works have survived in full and they are collectively referred to as a trilogy:[20]

Protrepticus

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Main article:Protrepticus (Clement)
TheOrphic mysteries are used as an example of the false cults of Greek paganism in theProtrepticus.

TheProtrepticus (Greek:Προτρεπτικὸς πρὸς Ἕλληνας: "Exhortation to the Greeks") is, as its title suggests, an exhortation to the pagans of Greece to adopt Christianity. Within it, Clement demonstrates his extensive knowledge of pagan mythology and theology. It is chiefly important due to Clement's exposition of religion as an anthropological phenomenon.[22] After a short philosophical discussion, it opens with a history of Greek religion in seven stages.[23] Clement suggests that at first, humans mistakenly believedthe Sun, the Moon, and other heavenly bodies to be deities. The next developmental stage was the worship of the products of agriculture, from which he contends the cults ofDemeter andDionysus arose.[22] Humans then paid reverence to revenge and deified human feelings oflove andfear, among others. In the following stage, the poetsHesiod andHomer attempt to enumerate the deities; Hesiod'sTheogony giving the number of twelve. Finally, humans reached a stage when they proclaimed others, such asAsclepius andHeracles, as deities.[22] Discussingidolatry, Clement contends that the objects of primitive religion were unshaped wood and stone, and idols thus arose when such natural items were carved.[24] FollowingPlato, Clement is critical of all forms of visual art, suggesting that artworks are but illusions and "deadly toys".[24]

Clement criticizes Greek paganism in theProtrepticus on the basis that its deities are both false and poor moral examples. He attacks the mystery religions for their ritualism and mysticism.[24] In particular, the worshippers ofDionysus are ridiculed by him for their family-based rituals (such as the use of children's toys in ceremony).[25] He suggests at some points that the pagan deities are based on humans, but at other times he suggests that they aremisanthropic demons, and he cites several classical sources in support of this second hypothesis.[26] Clement, like many pre-Nicene church fathers, writes favourably aboutEuhemerus and other rationalist philosophers, on the grounds that they at least saw the flaws in paganism. However, his greatest praise is reserved for Plato, whoseapophatic views of God prefigure Christianity.[27]

The figure ofOrpheus is prominent throughout the Protrepticus narrative, and Clement contrasts the song of Orpheus, representing pagan superstition, with the divineLogos of Christ.[28] According to Clement, through conversion to Christianity alone can one fully participate in the Logos, which is universal truth.[29]

Paedagogus

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Main article:Paedagogus
Christ, the Logos incarnate, is thePaedagogus of the work's title.

The title ofPaedagogus, translatable as "tutor", refers to Christ as the teacher of all humans, and it features an extended metaphor of Christians as children.[30] It is not simply instructional: Clement intends to show how the Christian should respond to theLove of God authentically.[31] Following Plato (Republic 4:441), he divides life into three elements: character, actions, and passions. The first having been dealt with in theProtrepticus, he devotes thePaedagogus to reflections on Christ's role in teaching humans to act morally and to control their passions.[32] Despite its explicitly Christian nature, Clement's work draws onStoic philosophy andpagan literature; Homer, alone, is cited more than sixty times in the work.[33]

Although Christ, like a human, is made in theimage of God, he alone shares the likeness of God the Father.[34] Christ is bothsinless andapathetic, and thus by striving toimitate Christ, one can achieve salvation. To Clement, sin is involuntary, and thus irrational (άλογον), removed only through the wisdom of the Logos.[35] God's guidance away from sin is thus a manifestation of God's universal love for mankind. The word play onλόγος andάλογον is characteristic of Clement's writing, and may be rooted in theEpicurean belief that relationships between words are deeply reflective of relationships between the objects they signify.[36]

Clement argues for theequality of sexes, on the grounds that salvation is extended to all humans equally.[37] Unusually, he suggests that Christ is neither female nor male, and that God the Father has both female and male aspects: theeucharist is described as milk from the breast (Christ) of the Father.[38][39] Clement is supportive of women playing an active role in the leadership of the church and he provides a list of women he considers inspirational, which includes both Biblical and Classical Greek figures. It has been suggested that Clement's progressive views on gender as set out in thePaedagogus were influenced byGnosticism;[38] however, later in the work, he argues against the Gnostics thatfaith, not esoteric knowledge (γνῶσις), is required for salvation. According to Clement, it is through faith in Christ that one is enlightened and comes to know God.[40]

In the second book, Clement provides practical rules on living a Christian life. He argues against overindulgence in food and in favour of goodtable manners.[41] While prohibiting drunkenness, he promotes the drinking of alcohol in moderation following 1 Timothy 5:23.[41] Clement argues for a simple way of life in accordance with the innate simplicity of Christianmonotheism. He condemns elaborate and expensive furnishings and clothing, and argues against overly passionate music and perfumes, but Clement does not believe in the abandonment of worldly pleasures and argues that the Christian should be able to express joy in God's creation through gaiety and partying.[42] He opposes the wearing of garlands, because the picking of the flowers ultimately kills a beautiful creation of God, and the garland resembles thecrown of thorns.[43]

Clement treats sex at some length. He argues that bothpromiscuity andsexual abstinence are unnatural, and that the main goal ofhuman sexuality is procreation.[44] He argues thatadultery, sex with pregnant women,concubinage,homosexuality, andprostitution all should be avoided as they will not contribute toward the generation of legitimate offspring.[45]

In his third book, Clement continues along a similar vein, condemningcosmetics on the grounds that it is one's soul, not the body, one should seek to beautify.[46] Clement also opposes the dyeing of men's hair and maledepilation as beingeffeminate. He advises choosing one's company carefully, to avoid being corrupted by immoral people, and while arguing that material wealth is no sin in itself, it is too likely to distract one from the infinitely more important spiritual wealth that is found in Christ.[47] The work finishes with selections of scripture supporting Clement's argument, and following a prayer, the lyrics of ahymn.[48]

Stromata

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Clement describes theStromata as a work on various subjects that spring up in the text like flowers in a meadow.[49]
Main article:Stromata

The contents of theStromata, as its title suggests, are miscellaneous. Its place in the trilogy is disputed – Clement initially intended to write theDidasculus, a work that would complement the practical guidance of thePaedagogus with a more intellectual schooling in theology.[50] TheStromata is less systematic and ordered than Clement's other works, and it has been theorized byAndré Méhat that it was intended for a limited, esoteric readership.[51] AlthoughEusebius wrote of the eight books of the work, only seven undoubtedly survive.Photius, writing in the 9th century, found various text appended to manuscripts of the seven canonical books, which ledDaniel Heinsius to suggest that the original eighth book is lost, and he identified the text purported to be from the eighth book as fragments of theHypotyposes.[52]

The first book starts on the topic of Greek philosophy. Consistent with his other writing, Clement affirms that philosophy had apropaedeutic role for the Greeks, similar to the function of thelaw forthe Jews.[53] He then embarks on a discussion of the origins of Greek culture and technology, arguing that most of the important figures in the Greek world were foreigners, and thatJewish culture was the most significant influence on Greece.[54] In an attempt to demonstrate the primacy ofMoses, Clement gives an extended chronology of the world, wherein he dates the birth of Christ to 25 April or May, 4–2 BC, and the creation of the world to 5592 BC. The books ends with a discussion on the origin of languages and the possibility of a Jewish influence on Plato.[55]

The second book is largely devoted to therespective roles of faith and philosophical argument. Clement contends that while both are important, thefear of God is foremost, because through faith one receives divine wisdom.[56] To Clement,scripture is an innately true primitive philosophy that is complemented by human reason through the Logos.[57] Faith is voluntary, and the decision to believe is a crucial fundamental step in becoming closer to God.[58][59] It is never irrational, as it is founded on the knowledge of the truth of the Logos, but all knowledge proceeds from faith, as first principles are unprovable outside a systematic structure.[60]

The third book coversasceticism. He discusses marriage, which is treated similarly in thePaedagogus. Clement rejects the Gnostic opposition to marriage, arguing that only men who are uninterested in women should remain celibate, and that sex is a positive good if performed within marriage for the purposes of procreation.[61] He argues that this has not always been so: the Fall occurred because Adam and Eve succumbed to their desire for each other, and copulated before the allotted time.[62] He argues against the idea that Christians should reject their family for an ascetic life, which stems fromLuke,[63] contending that Jesus would not have contradicted the precept to "Honour thy Father and thy Mother",[64] one of theTen Commandments.[65] Clement concludes that asceticism will only be rewarded if the motivation is Christian in nature, and thus the asceticism of non-Christians such as thegymnosophists is pointless.[66][67]

Clement begins the fourth book with a belated explanation of the disorganized nature of the work, and gives a brief description of his aims for the remaining three or four books.[68] The fourth book focuses onmartyrdom. While all good Christians should be unafraid of death, Clement condemns those who actively seek out a martyr's death, arguing that they do not have sufficient respect for God's gift of life.[69] He is ambivalent about whether any believing Christians can become martyrs by virtue of the manner of their death, or whether martyrdom is reserved for those who have lived exceptional lives.[70]Marcionites cannot become martyrs, because they do not believe in the divinity of God the Father, so their sufferings are in vain.[71] There is then a digression to the subject of theologicalepistemology. According to Clement, there is no way of empirically testing theexistence of God the Father, because the Logos has revelatory, not analysable meaning, although Christ was an object of the senses. God had no beginning, and is the universal first principle.[72]

The fifth book returns to the subject of faith. Clement argues that truth, justice, and goodness can be seen only by the mind, not the eye; faith is a way of accessing the unseeable.[73] He stresses that knowledge of God can only be achieved through faith once one's moral faults have been corrected.[74] This parallels Clement's earlier insistence that martyrdom can only be achieved by those who practice their faith in Christ through good deeds, not those who simply profess their faith. God transcends matter entirely, and thus thematerialist cannot truly come to know God. Although Christ was God incarnate, it is spiritual, not physical comprehension of him that is important.[74]

In the beginning of the sixth book, Clement intends to demonstrate that the works of Greek poets were derived from theprophetic books of the Bible. In order to reinforce his position that the Greeks were inclined toward plagiarism, he cites numerous instances of such inappropriate appropriation by classical Greek writers, reported second-hand fromOn Plagiarism, an anonymous 3rd-century BC work sometimes ascribed toAretades.[75] Clement then digresses to the subject of sin andhell, arguing that Adam was not perfect when created, but given the potential to achieve perfection. He espouses broadlyuniversalist doctrine, holding that Christ's promise of salvation is available to all, even those condemned to hell.[76]

The final extant book begins with Clement arguing that his version ofGnosticism (what he calls the ‘Christian gnostic’ earlier in Stromata[77]) is the true religion and states they should be an example of what a trueChristian is, even saying they are "holy and pious" and "worships the true God in a manner worthy of him".[78] Clement then gives a description of the nature of Christ, and that of the true Christian, who aims to be as similar as possible to both the Father and the Son. Clement then criticizes the simplisticanthropomorphism of most ancient religions, quotingXenophanes' famous description of African, Thracian, and Egyptian deities.[79] He indicates that the Greek deities may also have had their origins in the personification of material objects:Ares representing iron, and Dionysus wine.[80] Prayer, and the relationship between love and knowledge are then discussed. Corinthians 13:8 seems to contradict the characterization of the true Christian as one who knows; but to Clement knowledge vanishes only in that it is subsumed by the universal love expressed by the Christian in reverence for the Creator.[81] FollowingSocrates, he argues that vice arises from a state of ignorance, not from intention. The Christian is a "laborer in God's vineyard", responsible both for one's own path to salvation and that of one's neighbor. The work ends with an extended passage against the contemporary divisions and heresies within the church.[82]

Other works

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Besides the great trilogy, Clement's only other extant work is the treatiseSalvation for the Rich, also known asWho is the Rich Man who is Saved? written c. 203 AD[83] Having begun with a scathing criticism of the corrupting effects of money and misguided servile attitudes toward the wealthy, Clement discusses the implications of Mark 10:25.[18] The rich are either unconvinced by the promise of eternal life, or unaware of the conflict between the possession of material and spiritual wealth, and the good Christian has a duty to guide them toward a better life through the Gospel.[18] Jesus' words are not to be taken literally — the supercelestial (ὑπερουράνιος) meanings should be sought in which the true route to salvation is revealed.[84] The holding of material wealth in itself is not a wrong, so long as it is used charitably, but Christians should be careful not to let their wealth dominate their spirit. It is more important to give up sinful passions than external wealth. If the rich are to be saved, all they must do is to follow thetwo commandments, and while material wealth is of no value to God, it can be used to alleviate the suffering of neighbors.[85]

Other known works exist in fragments alone, including the four eschatological works in the secret tradition:Hypotyposes,Excerpta ex Theodoto,Eclogae Propheticae, and theAdumbraetiones.[86] These cover Clement's celestial hierarchy, a complex schema in which the universe is headed by the Face of God, below which lie sevenprotoctists, followed byarchangels,angels, and humans.[87] According toJean Daniélou, this schema is inherited from a Judaeo-Christian esotericism, followed by the Apostles, which was only imparted orally to those Christians who could be trusted with such mysteries.[88] Theproctocists are the first beings created by God, and act as priests to the archangels. Clement identifies them both as the "Eyes of the Lord" and with theThrones.[89] Clement characterizes the celestial forms as entirely different from anything earthly, although he argues that members of each order only seem incorporeal to those of lower orders.[90] According to theEclogae Propheticae, every thousand years every member of each order moves up a degree, and thus humans can become angels. Even theprotoctists can be elevated, although their new position in the hierarchy is not clearly defined.[90] The apparent contradiction between the fact that there can be only sevenprotoctists but also a vast number of archangels to be promoted to their order is problematical. One modern solution regards the story as an example of "interiorized apocalypticism": imagistic details are not to be taken literally, but as symbolizing interior transformation.[91]

The titles of several lost works are known because of a list in Eusebius'Ecclesiastical History, 6.13.1–3. They include theOutlines, in eight books, andAgainst Judaizers. Others are known only from mentions in Clement's own writings, includingOn Marriage andOn Prophecy, although few are attested by other writers and it is difficult to separate works that he intended to write from those that were completed.[92]

TheMar Saba letter was attributed to Clement byMorton Smith, but there remains much debate today over whether it is an authentic letter from Clement, an ancientpseudepigraph, or a modern forgery.[93][94] If authentic, its main significance would be in its relating that the Apostle Mark came to Alexandria from Rome and there, wrote a more spiritual Gospel, which he entrusted to the Church in Alexandria on his death; if genuine, the letter pushes back the tradition related by Eusebius connecting Mark with Alexandria by a century.[95]

Legacy

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Eusebius, the fourth-century early church historian, is the first writer to provide an account of Clement's life and works, in hisEcclesiastical History, 5.11.1–5, 6.6.1[note 2] He provides a list of Clement's works, biographical information, and an extended quotation from theStromata. From this and other accounts, it is evident that Clement was highly revered by his contemporaries and later patristic figures. As J.B. Mayor observes, “The piety and learning of Clement, his power as a teacher and philosopher, are spoken of in the highest terms by succeeding fathers.”[97]

In the same work, Eusebius citesAlexander of Jerusalem (180–251) lauding “the holy Clement, who was both my master and benefactor,” describing him as one of the “blessed fathers who have trod the path before us,” while Eusebius himself is quoted as calling him “an incomparable master of Christian philosophy.”Jerome (342–420) calls Clement “the most learned of men,” recording that his writings are “full of eloquence and learning, both in sacred Scripture and in secular literature.” The aforementioned Alexander of Jerusalem is quoted by Jerome praising “the blessed presbyter Clement, a man illustrious and approved.” According toTheodoret (393–450), “he surpassed all others, and was a holy man.” Likewise,Cyril of Alexandria (376–444) says Clement was “a man admirably learned and skillful, and one that searched to the depths all the learning of the Greeks, with an exactness rarely attained before.”Maximus the Confessor (580–662) refers to him reverentially as “the great Clement.”

More recently, scholars have acknowledged Clement's primacy and importance in various respects. He has been called “the first Christian scholar” (Shelley), “the first systematic teacher of Christian doctrine” (Patrick), “the first great teacher of philosophical Christianity” (Hatch), “the first self-conscious theologian and ethicist” (Backhouse), “the first great Christian teacher in Alexandria” (Needham), “the founder of Christian philosophical theology” (Bray), “the true creator of ecclesiastical theology” (DeFaye), “the first major commentator on the Bible” (Bray), “the founder of Christian literature” (ANF), “the great founder of the Alexandrian School” (Coxe), a “pioneer of Christian scholarship” (ACCS), “an intellectual giant in the early church” (Kruger), “that man of genius who introduced Christianity to itself, as reflected in the burnished mirror of his intellect” (Coxe), and “the most inquisitive and independent spirit that has perhaps ever appeared in the Church” (DeFaye).

Stylistically, it has been noted that “his writings shine with a happy, peaceful, optimistic spirit; reading them can be a remarkably uplifting experience” (Needham). “He loves God’s creation and sees it as good; he gives us a warm, joyous picture of life; he is richly human, sane, and moderate” (Ferguson). Additionally, Clement's works “are a storehouse of curious ancient lore—a museum of the fossil remains of the beauties and monstrosities of the world of pagan antiquity, during all the epochs and phases of its history” (Wilson). “His prodigious erudition was unsurpassed even by that of Origen” (Cayre). “I do not know where we shall look for a purer or a truer man than this Clemens of Alexandria; he seems to me one of the old fathers whom we should all have reverenced most as a teacher, and loved best as a friend” (Maurice).

Nonetheless, there have been a few detracting voices.Photios I of Constantinople writes polemically against Clement's theology in theBibliotheca, although he also is appreciative of Clement's learning and the literary merits of his work.[98] In particular, he is highly critical of theHypotyposes, a work of biblical exegesis of which only a few fragments have survived. Photios compared Clement's treatise, which, like his other works, was highly syncretic, featuring ideas of Hellenistic, Jewish, and Gnostic origin, unfavorably against the prevailing orthodoxy of the 9th century.[99] Amongst the particular ideas Photios deemedheretical were:

  • The belief that matter and thought are eternal, and thus did not originate from God, contradicting the doctrine ofCreatio ex nihilo.[100]
  • The belief incosmic cycles predating the creation of the world, followingHeraclitus, which is extra-Biblical in origin.[101]
  • The belief that Christ, as Logos, was in some sense created, contrary toJohn 1, but followingPhilo.[102]
  • Ambivalence towarddocetism, the heretical doctrine that Christ's earthly body was an illusion.[103]
  • The belief thatEve was created from Adam's sperm after he ejaculated during the night.[104]
  • The belief that Genesis 6:2 implies that angels indulged in sexual intercourse with human women.[105]
  • The belief in reincarnation, i.e., the transmigration of souls.[106]

However, it is not clear that these are accurate representations of Clement's actual beliefs, since his extant writings appear to be mostly in line with what would come to be considered orthodox Christian theology. It has been suggested that Photios may have misunderstood Clement to be speaking for himself when he was often quoting from Gnostics and other sects without agreeing with their teachings.[107]

As one of the earliest of the Church fathers whose works have survived, he is the subject of a significant amount of recent academic work, focusing on, among other things, his exegesis of scripture, his Logos-theology and pneumatology, his belief inapokatastasis, the relationship between his thought and non-Christian philosophy, and his influence onOrigen.[108]


Clement of Alexandria
Church Father, Theologian
Venerated inOriental Orthodoxy
Anglican Communion
CanonizedPre-congregation
Feast4 December (Eastern Catholicism,Anglicanism)
5 December (Episcopal Church,Anglicanism)
ControversyRegarded as aheretic byPhotius.
Catholic cult suppressed
1586 byPope Sixtus V

Veneration

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Up until the 17th century Clement was venerated as a saint in theCatholic Church. His name was to be found in the martyrologies, and his feast fell on the fourth of December, but when theRoman Martyrology was revised by PopeClement VIII his name was dropped from thecalendar on the advice of CardinalBaronius.Benedict XIV maintained this decision of his predecessor on the grounds that Clement's life was little known, that he had never obtained publiccultus in the Church, and that some of his doctrines were, if not erroneous, at least suspect.[109]

Although Clement is not widely venerated inEastern Christianity, thePrologue of Ohrid repeatedly refers to him as a saint,[110][111] as do variousOrthodox authorities including theGreek MetropolitanKallinikos of Edessa.[112]

TheCoptic tradition considers Clement a saint.[113][114] Saint Clement Coptic Orthodox Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, is specifically named after him.[115]

Clement is commemorated inAnglicanism.[116]

Theology

[edit]

Gnosis

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Clement taught that faith was the basis of salvation; he also believed that faith was the basis ofgnosis—which to him meant spiritual and mystical knowledge. Clement of Alexandria appropriated the wordgnosis from the Gnostics (whom he opposed) but reinterpreted the word in a more Christian manner.[77] He distinguished between two kinds of Christians: thepistic[definition needed] Christian who lives according to God's law, and the Christiangnostic who lives on the level of the gospel[vague] and responds by discipline and love. Clement's views ofgnosis can be considered a forerunner of theChristian monastic movement that began in Egypt after his death.[117]

Philosophy

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Clement suggested that philosophy was a preparatory discipline to the Greek world preceding its wide acceptance of Christianity and often sought to harmonize insights of Greek philosophy with biblical teaching. He defined philosophy as "the desire for true being and the studies which lead to it."[118] Clement has been described as "the founder of what was to become the great tradition of Christian philosophical theology."[119] He was a forerunner to some of the later views ofAugustine, such asjust war theory and the theory of the two cities.[117][further explanation needed]

Universalism

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Clement is often regarded[120] as one of the firstChristian universalists.[121] He espoused a belief in the eventual salvation of all, though with less systematic clarity than his discipleOrigen.[122] AsPatristics scholarIllaria Ramelli has observed, Clement believed divine punishment to be corrective and remedial rather than merely retributive or destructive,[123] and "InStromateis 7:2:12 Clement is clear that God's project, aim, and activity is universal salvation: 'The God of the universe has disposed eveything for universal salvation, in general and singularly.'"[124][125]

Education

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For Clement, disciplining the body would help the Christian discipline the soul; he gave detailed instructions on proper Christian conduct, decorum, and relationships in the second and third books ofThe Instructor. According to Clement, once the passions are subject to the authority of theWord (or reason), the Christian can embark on an advanced course of philosophical study and contemplation.[126]

Clement adopted a position that gave rise to a whole stream of later Christian thought[further explanation needed]: true philosophy and authentic human knowledge have their origin in the Logos, which is the unique source of all truth. He accepts the conception of παιδεία as he conducts the wisdom taught by the Logos through education in the sacred letters: on the one hand, the Greek παιδεία prepares the mind of the Christian to distinguish and defend the truth, and, on the other, the liberal arts help the new Christian to direct all his efforts towards the truly useful of each particular discipline, geometry, music, grammar and philosophy.[127]

Notably (considering the time period), Clement seemed to advocate for the equality of women and men in the area of education, at least within the context of Christian spirituality and ethics. He wrote, "Let us recognize, too, that both men and women practice the same sort of virtue; surely, if there is but one God for both, then there is but one Educator for both."[128]

Economics

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Clement opposed a literal interpretation of the command "sell what you have and give to the poor," and argued that the Bible does not command every person to renounce all property, and that wealth can be used either for good or evil.[117]David Bentley Hart argues that Clement did so grudgingly, referring to private property as "the fruit of wickedness" and encouraged communal pooling of resources for the purpose of redistribution to the poor.[129]

Creation

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Clement believed that the days mentioned inGenesis are allegorical.[130] Clement assumed a double creation, one of an invisible world and the second being material creation. He believed that formless matter existed before the creation of the world, being influenced byPlato.[131][132] Clement tried to interpret Genesis 6 in harmony with theBook of Enoch.[133]

Others

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The first person in church history to introduce a view of aninvisible and a visible church is Clement of Alexandria.[134][135] Because Clement saw theProtoevangelium of James as canonical[citation needed], it couldimply he believed in theperpetual virginity of Mary, though some have argued that he does not seem to believe in thesinlessness of Mary.[136][137]

Clement of Alexandria interprets "Fire of Wisdom" which prevades the soul as bya baptism.[138]

Clement of Alexandria used the word "symbol" to define theEucharist, and interpretedJohn 6 to be an allegory about faith, however his views on real presence are disputed.[139][140]

Clement of Alexandria was apparently anamillennialist.[141]

Works

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Editions

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Translations

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Proponents of a formalized leadership and succession suggest that Clement succeeded Pantaenus as leader of the school, and was succeeded himself by Origen.[16]
  2. ^Of the two sections dedicated to Clement,Eccl. Hist. 6.6.1 seems decidedly out of place, andValesius argued that this was evidence that Eusebius never revised his work.[96]

References

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Citations

[edit]
  1. ^"The Calendar".Prayer book. p. IX. Archived fromthe original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved2013-11-03.
  2. ^Bromiley, Geoffrey William, ed. (October 29, 1979).The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Wm. B. Eerdmans.ISBN 978-0-80283781-3.Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. RetrievedDecember 31, 2019 – via Google Books.
  3. ^Clement of Alexandria. "VI".Stromata. Vol. 6. Early Christian writings.Archived from the original on 2019-07-25. Retrieved2019-08-03.
  4. ^Buell (1999), p. 10.
  5. ^Outler (1940), p. 217.
  6. ^Press (2003), p. 83.
  7. ^Ware,The Orthodox Church, 340; De Young,The Religion of the Apostles, 44; Spark,The Orthodox Study Bible, 1800.
  8. ^Akin,The Fathers Know Best, 45, 52, 61, 73, 93, 141, 224, 354.
  9. ^abFerguson (1974), p. 13
  10. ^Westcott (1877), p. 560.
  11. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 14
  12. ^Stromateis 1.1.11.2
  13. ^Eusebius,Eccl. Hist. 6.13.2; 6.6.1
  14. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 15
  15. ^Hägg (2006), pp. 56–9.
  16. ^Itter (2009), pp. 9–10.
  17. ^Osborn (2008), pp. 19–24.
  18. ^abcFerguson (1974), p. 16
  19. ^Eusebius,Eccl. Hist. 6.14.8
  20. ^Osborn (2008), p. 5.
  21. ^abcFerguson (1974), p. 1
  22. ^abcDroge (1989), p. 13
  23. ^Droge (1989), p. 130.
  24. ^abcFerguson (1974), p. 4
  25. ^Burrus (2010), p. 101.
  26. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 50.
  27. ^Ferguson (1974), pp. 55–6.
  28. ^de Jáuregui (2010), p. 132.
  29. ^Sharkey (2009), p. 159.
  30. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 76.
  31. ^Osborn (2008), p. 244.
  32. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 69.
  33. ^Irvine (2006), p. 164.
  34. ^Ogliari (2003), p. 200.
  35. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 71.
  36. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 73.
  37. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 72.
  38. ^abGill (2004), p. 18
  39. ^Berger (2011), pp. 74–5.
  40. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 75.
  41. ^abFerguson (1974), p. 8
  42. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 82.
  43. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 85.
  44. ^Kochuthara (2007), p. 145.
  45. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 87.
  46. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 91.
  47. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 94.
  48. ^Murphy (1941), p. 32.
  49. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 107.
  50. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 106.
  51. ^Osborn (2008), p. 8.
  52. ^Kaye (1835), p. 221.
  53. ^Ferguson (1974), pp. 108–9.
  54. ^Ferguson (1974), pp. 113–6.
  55. ^Ferguson (1974), pp. 117–9.
  56. ^Osborn (1994), p. 3.
  57. ^Osborn (1994), p. 4.
  58. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 121.
  59. ^Osborn (1994), p. 7.
  60. ^Osborn (1994), pp. 11–12.
  61. ^Heid (2000), p. 65.
  62. ^Seymour (1997), p. 257.
  63. ^14:25–27
  64. ^Exodus20:12
  65. ^Clark (1999), p. 198.
  66. ^Clark (1999), p. 17.
  67. ^Burrus (2010), p. 30.
  68. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 133.
  69. ^Verhey (2011), p. 350.
  70. ^Burrus (2010), p. 82.
  71. ^Osborn (1994), p. 8.
  72. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 139.
  73. ^Osborn (1994), p. 9.
  74. ^abOsborn (1994), p. 1
  75. ^de Jáuregui (2010), p. 201.
  76. ^Seymour (1997), pp. 262–3.
  77. ^abWebster, Daniel (2022-03-19)."Clement of Alexandria's "Christian Gnostic" in Stromateis I–II".A Thing Worth Doing. Retrieved2024-06-13.
  78. ^"CHURCH FATHERS: The Stromata (Clement of Alexandria)".www.newadvent.org. Retrieved2024-02-24.
  79. ^Grant (1988), p. 77.
  80. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 150.
  81. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 151.
  82. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 152.
  83. ^Heine, R. E. (2006) The Alexandrians. En: Young, F., Ayres, L., and Louth, A. (eds.) The Cambridge history of early christian literature. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 117-130.
  84. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 167.
  85. ^Ferguson (1974), pp. 173, 178.
  86. ^Bucur (2006), p. 252.
  87. ^Bucur (2006), p. 255.
  88. ^Daniélou (1962), p. 262.
  89. ^Bucur (2006), p. 257.
  90. ^abBucur (2006), p. 26
  91. ^Bucur (2006), pp. 261–3.
  92. ^Ferguson (1974), p. 179.
  93. ^Heine (2010), pp. 117–118, 121.
  94. ^Osborn (2008), p. 195.
  95. ^Heine (2010), p. 121.
  96. ^McGiffert (1890), p. 253.
  97. ^Mayor & Hort,Clement of Alexandria: Miscellanies Book VII, lxi (cf.Testimonia Veterum in Dindorf's ed., vol. I. pp. lv to lxiv).
  98. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 16.
  99. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), pp. 17–8.
  100. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 23.
  101. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), pp. 40–43.
  102. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 75.
  103. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 95.
  104. ^Itter (2009), p. 68.
  105. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 146.
  106. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 115.
  107. ^Mayor & Hort,Clement of Alexandria: Miscellanies Book VII, lxi.
  108. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 92–3.
  109. ^Havey (1908).
  110. ^"May 12".Prologue. Western American Diocese. May 2, 2017. Archived fromthe original on 2017-05-02.
  111. ^"September 26".Prologue. Western American Diocese. May 2, 2017. Archived fromthe original on 2017-05-02.
  112. ^"Fruits of Healing". Saint Andrew GOC. May 7, 2015.Archived from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved2019-08-01.
  113. ^"5 – the Ecclesiology of St. Clement".The School of Alexandria Before Origen. Vol. Part IV.Archived from the original on 2019-08-01. Retrieved2019-08-01.
  114. ^"Ancient Egypt gave rise to one of the world's oldest Christian faiths".National Geographic Society. 19 April 2019. Archived fromthe original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved1 August 2019.
  115. ^"Our Saint".About us. St. Clement academy. Archived fromthe original on 2018-11-27. Retrieved2019-08-01.
  116. ^"The Calendar".Prayer book. p. IX. Archived fromthe original on 2013-11-04. Retrieved2013-11-03.
  117. ^abcFredericksen, Linwood."Saint Clement of Alexandria Biography, Apologist, Works, & Facts".Britannica. Retrieved2022-05-31.
  118. ^Strom. 2.9.
  119. ^Bray,God Has Spoken, 202.
  120. ^Harmon,Every Knee Shall Bow; Hart,That All Shall Be Saved; Hanson,Prevailing Doctrine; et al.
  121. ^Ramelli, Christian Doctrine of Apokatastasis, 119-130.
  122. ^See quotes cited below. Cf. Allin,Christ Triumphant.
  123. ^Cf. Clement,Paedagogus 1.8: "God's punishments are saving and disciplinary, leading to conversion; choosing rather the repentance than the death of a sinner."
  124. ^Ramelli,A Larger Hope? Vol. 1, p. 26.
  125. ^See also Clement's teaching inCom. 1 John 1.5, 2.2;Paed. 1.11; andStrom. 6.6.
  126. ^Storin, B. (2017). Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 1.1–1.4, 13. In E. Muehlberger (Ed.), The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings (The Cambridge Edition of Early Christian Writings, pp. 3-12). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781107449602.004
  127. ^(Stromata 1.43.4).
  128. ^Paed. 1.4
  129. ^Hart, David Bentley (2020) [2020].Theological Territories: A David Bentley Hart Digest (ebook ed.). Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press.ISBN 9780268107192.
  130. ^Strom. 6.16
  131. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 31.
  132. ^Paffenroth, Kim; Kennedy, Robert Peter (2003-01-01).A Reader's Companion to Augustine's Confessions. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 214.ISBN 978-0-664-22619-0.
  133. ^Ashwin-Siejkowski (2010), p. 151.
  134. ^Bongmba, Elias Kifon (2020-05-25).The Routledge Handbook of African Theology. Routledge. p. 393.ISBN 978-1-351-60744-5.
  135. ^Hovorun, Cyril (2015-08-18).Meta-Ecclesiology: Chronicles on Church Awareness. Springer. p. 42.ISBN 978-1-137-54393-6.
  136. ^Garcia, L. Jared."Mariology in the First Five Centuries: An Introduction to the Development of Mariology in the Early Church".The Journal of Social Encounters – via Academia.
  137. ^Faulkner, T. L. (2017-11-07).Mariology from a Historical and Biblical Perspective. Dorrance Publishing.ISBN 978-1-4809-7714-3.
  138. ^Cook, Keningale (1886).The Fathers of Jesus: A Study of the Lineage of the Christian Doctrine and Traditions. K. Paul, Trench & Company.ISBN 978-0-524-04326-4.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  139. ^Willis, Wendell (2017-01-06).Eucharist and Ecclesiology: Essays in Honor of Dr. Everett Ferguson. Wipf & Stock. p. 49.ISBN 978-1-4982-8292-5.
  140. ^"Did Clement Believe in the Real Presence?".Catholic Answers. Retrieved2021-12-13.
  141. ^Huskey, Michael (2020-10-08).Huskey's Study Notes on Historical Theology. Wipf & Stock. p. 110.ISBN 978-1-7252-7866-0.

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