Clement of Alexandria

Titus Flavius Clemens Alexandrinus (ca. A.D. 150-215) wrote the Stromateis, possibly the third work in his trilogy - the Protrepticus, the Paedagogus, and the Stromateis - to direct Christian Gnostics toward the third stage of philosophy - gnosis. For Clement the only true gnosis was that which presupposed the faith of the Church, that is, apostolic and divinely revealed. But for Clement the ideas of Greek philosophy were also a divine gift to mankind. All of his writings reflect this reconciliation of faith and knowledge. The full title of the Stromateis is Miscellanies of Notes of Revealed Knowledge in Accordance with the True Philosophy, and the word stromateis itself means a kind of patchwork quilt. Clement describes the work as a somewhat unorganized collection of flowers or trees that have grown together naturally. Of the eight books some are fragmented or incomplete, but all show Clement as philosopher, theologian, and biblical commentator. Books One to Three in this volume all revolve around the relation of Christian faith to Greek philosophy. In Book One Clement defends philosophy as given by God, a "preparation paving the way for him who is perfect in Christ" (Strom. 1.5.28). In Book Two he defends faith against the philosophers as the way to truth. Book Three explores the question of Christian marriage, or true gnosis, while refuting the religious and moral principles of the false gnosis, that is, fornication and adultery. Within this book is a unique and beautiful exposition of "two or three gathered together" as husband, wife, and child. Books One to Three of the Stromateis establish Clement's fundamental theology - a harmony of faith and knowledge that places Greekphilosophy at the service of faith, which is, to Clement, more important than knowledge. Articulated in allegorical exegesis rather than literal interpretation, this interplay of philosophy and religion was the hallmark of the Scho

This enlightening study examines the relationship of the early Christians to the classical tradition. Based on the work of the Christian thinkers, Justine, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen, and existing pagan criticism of the Church, the book illustrates how rejection of the classical tradition combined with profound acceptance of its humanism were synthesized by the early Church.