Clement (Titus Flavius Clemens) of Alexandria By JUDITH L. KOVACS University of Virginia Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150 – ca. 215) was one of the leading Christian thinkers and writers of his time. He lived and taught in the North African city of Alexandria – perhaps intellectually the most lively and stimulating city in the Roman Empire. A number of Clement’s works survive and they reveal a wide-ranging mind that is able to synthesize perspectives from the Bible, Greek philosophers, the writings of the tragedians, and post- biblical Christian authors. Clement’s thought has influenced Christian thinkers down through the centuries, such as John Wesley, and for modern theologians his methods represent the beginning of a long tradition of Christian philosophical reflection. KEYWORDS Clement of Alexandria, Education, Knowledge, Miscellanies = Stromateis, Logos, Perfection, Philosophy, Scripture An exuberant and dynamic thinker, Titus Flavius Clemens of Alexandria ( ca. 150 - ca. 215) was a Biblical exegete, Platonic philosopher, polymath, and apologist for Christianity. Clement cites widely from the Bible and Greek poetry, drama, and philosophical writings. 1 He calls to Plato ‘lover of the truth’ and Euripides ‘the philosopher of the stage’ (Misc. 5.11.70.2). Classicists value Clement for preserving fragments of works otherwise lost, including writings of pre-Socratic philosophers and ancient plays. As the first to attempt a thoroughgoing synthesis of the Bible and Greek philosophy, Clement began a long tradition of Christian philosophical reflection. This introduction to Clement will consider: I. Clement’s life and context; II. his writings; III. his theology; IV. his legacy. 1. Clement’s Life and Context Little is known of Clement’s life or his role in the church. The only glimpse he provides of his own biography is found at the beginning of his most important work, the Miscellanies, where he describes his travels in search of wisdom: Now this book of mine is not a piece of writing artfully crafted for display, but it consists of notes stored up for my old age, as a remedy against forgetfulness. It is a mere reflection and shadow of the vigorous and animated teachings and the blessed and truly remarkable men I was privileged to hear. One of these, an Ionian, I met in Greece, others in the larger Greek world — one was from Syria and another from Egypt — still others in the East, where I met one from Assyria and another who was a Hebrew by birth. Last of all I found the most powerful teacher of all, having tracked him down in Egypt where he was hidden away. And there my search ended. He was the true Sicilian bee, who by plucking the flowers of the prophetic and apostolic meadow engendered pure knowledge in the souls of his hearers. (Misc. 1.1.11.1-2) 2 Because of this passage and the extensive use Clement makes of Greek literature it is often assumed that he was born in Athens to pagan parents and later converted to Christianity, but neither point is certain. Epiphanius, the only ancient witness who 1 According to Eric Osborn, Clement of Alexandria (Cambridge: CUP, 2005), 4-5, Clement cites scripture 5121 times and quotes from 348 different classical authors, including Plato 600 times and Homer 240 times. 2 All quotations from Clement’s works are my own translations, from the edition of O. Stählin et al., GCS vols. 12, 15, and 17. For editions and English translations of Clement’s works, and abbreviated titles of them, see the Bibliography. Biblical texts are quoted after the New Revised Standard Version translation. 1.