Notes on Clement and Origen

The School of Alexandria: Clement and Origen

General Introduction to the School of Alexandria

  • The School of Alexandria represents a theological current distinct from previously studied positions, marked by its unique approach to hermeneutics and pedagogical methods.
  • Historically, Alexandria was a principal city in the Empire, rivaled in importance only by Rome and Antioch, but surpassed in cultural and intellectual activity.
  • Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 or 331 B.C., the city became notable due to the establishment of the Library and the Museum by Ptolemy Soter.
    • The Library, a significant center of knowledge, contained around 700,000 volumes, was directed by prominent scholars.
    • The Museum acted as a university attracting various intellectuals like writers, scientists, and philosophers.
  • Due to its geographical and cultural position, Alexandria became a melting pot of ideas, integrating diverse philosophies and traditions, including:
    • Hellenistic Judaism influenced by Philo.
    • Various Eastern doctrines, including Babylonian astrology and Persian dualism, along with mystery religions.
  • The city's eclecticism flourished due to an atmosphere conducive to individualism and cosmopolitanism, leading to a diverse intellectual landscape including Gnostics, Neoplatonists, and esoteric Christian thought represented by Clement and Origen.

Neoplatonism and its Influence on Alexandria

  • Plotinus, a major figure of Neoplatonism, described his system as originating from the ineffable One, characterized by:
    • The conceptualization of the universe emanating from this One, parallel to how light spreads from a source, defining creation not as a willful act but as a process of emanation.
    • This emanation results in a hierarchy of being:
    1. The One (the ineffable source)
    2. The Intellect (the realm of forms and ideas)
    3. The World Soul (creator of the material world)
  • Within this might, humanity is viewed as souls trapped in physical bodies, urging a return to union with the One.

Clement of Alexandria

Biography
  • Possible pagan origins and upbringing in Athens.
  • Pursued wisdom, traveling to Italy, Syria, and Palestine before meeting Pantaenus in Alexandria, where he began his theological education.
  • Clement took over as the head of Pantaenus' school around A.D. 200, which he would later abandon due to persecution in A.D. 202.
  • His works that remain are:
    1. Exhortation to the Heathen
    2. The Instructor (Paidagogus)
    3. The Stromata
    4. Who Is the Rich Man That Shall be Saved?
    5. Excerpts from Theodotus
  • Death is estimated between A.D. 211 and 216.
Major Works
  • Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?
    • Addresses economic issues within the church, emphasizing the concept of shared wealth and the nature of salvation for the rich.
  • Exhortation to the Heathen (Protreptikos)
    • First part of a trilogy inviting pagans to accept Christian faith.
    • Although an apologetic work, Clement recognizes truth in Hellenistic traditions and philosophers.
  • The Instructor (Paidagogus)
    • A guide meant to lead believers to moral standards, functionally analogous to the role of a master toward slaves.
  • The Stromata
    • A non-systematic collection of teachings on various topics (epistemology, ethics, theology), lacking in cohesive structure.
Theological Principles
  • Clement views Christian truth as complementary to the philosophical truths found in Greek thought, differing from traditional positions.
  • Asserts that:
    • Philosophers derived ideas from God, either through direct revelation or as handmaidens to the truth that leads to Christ.
    • Sought to integrate Hellenistic philosophy with Christian doctrine, positing that philosophy can enhance understanding of Christian truths.
    • Proposed a duality of meaning in Scriptures: literal and spiritual, and often employed allegory in interpretation, while retaining a historical foundation.
Exegesis and Allegory
  • Advocated for multiple senses of interpretation, where the allegorical and metaphorical meanings convey deeper truths alongside the literal understanding.
  • He employed typology, correlating Old Testament events (like Isaac's sacrifice) to Christological significance, emphasizing both historical and theological implications of scripture.
Gnosis
  • Distinction between simple believers and 'true gnostics':
    • An emphasis on refined understanding and ethical living as necessary for deeper comprehension of divine truths.
    • Pursuit of knowledge leads to divine insight and emphasizes the aristocratic nature of this