Clement of Alexandria

343 Pages·2008·1.42 MB·English

by  Eric Osborn

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
ClementofAlexandria(150–215)livedandtaughtinthemostlively
intellectual centre of his day. This book offers a comprehensive
account of how he joined the ideas of the New Testament to those
of Plato and other classical thinkers. Clement taught that God was
active from the beginning to the end of human history and that a
Christian life should move on from simple faith to knowledge and
love.Hearguedthatasequenceofthreeellipticalrelationsgoverned
theuniverse:FatherandSon,Godandhumanity,humansandtheir
neighbours. Faith as a fixed conviction which is also a growing
mustard seed was joined to Plato’s unwavering search for the best
reason. The open heaven of prophecy became intelligible through
Plato’s ascending dialectic. This book will be invaluable in making
thisoutstandingthinkeroftheearlychurchaccessibletothestudents
oftoday.
eric osborn ishonoraryProfessorinHistory,LaTrobeUniver-
sity and Professorial Fellow in Classics, University of Melbourne,
where he is a Fellow of Queen’s College. His most recent publica-
tions include Tertullian, First Theologian of the West (1997) and
IrenaeusofLyons (2001).

CLEMENT OF
ALEXANDRIA
ERIC OSBORN
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
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Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
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© Eric Osborn 2005
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permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2005
This digitally printed version 2008
A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-521-83753-8 hardback
ISBN 978-0-521-09081-0 paperback
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To
My Wife
Lorna Grace

Contents
Preface page xii
List of abbreviations xvi
1 Life and works
1
Lifeandthought 1
Questions:mobility,reciprocityandsalvationbyfaith 3
Writings:theliterarypuzzle 5
PlatoandHeraclitus 16
TheCatecheticalSchoolofAlexandria:thehistoricalpuzzle 19
AthensandJerusalem 24
part i divine plan/economy
IntroductiontoPartI 29
2 Divine plan/economy and mobility
31
Divineplan/economy:fromsunsettosunrise;thesweetdanger
ofdecision 31
Divinemovementanddesign 37
TheascentofhumanitythroughreciprocitywithGod 39
Reciprocityofmovement 44
Theendofthedivineplan/economyistobringmenclosetoGod 46
Thefertilityofgoodness;perpetualflowofgoodthings 47
Problemofevil 49
Providenceanddisciplinecontinuetodeathandbeyond 51
God’splangoeson 53
3 Scripture
56
Fromeconomytometaphysic;fromprophecytoPlato 56
Metaphorandparable 57
Simultaneityofprophecy 59
vii
viii Contents
Dialecticasquestionandanswer 62
Theupwardpathofdialectic 65
Invitationtotheauthorityandtotalityofscripture 68
Mysteryanderudition 71
Visionandsymbol 72
Clementasabiblicaltheologian 75
Textandcontext 76
Narrativetoprophecy,toPlato,toonewordincarnate 77
4 Philo and Clement: from Divine Oracle to True Philosophy
81
Agreatgulf;rationalreconstruction 82
Manybridgesacrossthegulf;historicalreconstruction 84
Monotheismandthe‘shortsequences’ 85
Movement.Lawaspreparation.SarahandHagar.First‘longsequence’ 90
Movement.Bibleasphilosophy.Divineoracletotruephilosophy.
Second‘longsequence’ 91
Movement.Thegentlelaw.Thelawandthevirtues(2.18.78–100;
virt.34–100).Third‘longsequence’ 94
Movement.Temple,vestmentsandthenewcreation(5.6.32–40).
Fourth‘longsequence’ 95
Method.Parable,allegoryanddialectic 96
Clementandthenewcreation 98
Languageofhope.Illocutionaryforce 99
Literaryproblems 101
Conclusion.Historyofideasandchildren’splaypens 103
part ii divine reciprocity
IntroductiontoPartII:Themysteriesoflove,reciprocity
andproliferation 107
5 God beyond God and God within God: The known centre
of the unknown God
111
GodbeyondGod,GodwithinGod,GodbesideGod 111
MiddlePlatonism;MiddlenotMuddle 114
GodbeyondGod.TheunknownGod 122
GodwithinGod.TheknowncentreofGod 126
ThebosomofGodishismind.Delimitationofsubstance 126
TheplaceoftheideasisthemindofGod 129
Conclusion 130
6 God beside God: the ellipse
132
Divinereciprocity.Thefirstellipse 132
Johannineunityandreciprocity 135
Contents ix
Divinesalvation.Thesecondellipse:Godandtheworld 137
Knowledge,reciprocityandphilosophy 142
Onethingasallthings 142
Self-knowledgeandthewaytodeification(paed3.1.1,2) 144
ThehelpofHeraclitus 145
Threeellipses.Father:son;God:world;man:neighbour 147
Wordandspirit 149
part iii faith and salvation
IntroductiontoPartIII 155
PaulandPlato,loversoftruth 157
SalvationandanewWorld 158
7 The Spark and ferment of faith (exc 1.1.3)
159
ThepowerofGodandtheunitingforceoffaith 159
Reciprocityoffaithandknowledge 161
Faithascreativewonder 165
Faithandphilosophy 165
Faithgeneratesknowledge 167
Faithgeneratesvirtue 169
Perfectionoffaith(paed1.6.25–32) 171
Ruleoffaith:canon 172
Traditiontakesoff 175
Universalsalvationbyfaith 178
8 Arguments for faith
182
Faithandphilosophy 182
Preconceptionandhope 184
Choosingtobelieve 186
Hearing,seeingandbelieving 188
ScripturestrongerthanSirens 190
Faithandproof 191
Judgementandcriterion 193
9 Knowledge, sciences and philosophy
197
Paulanduniversalknowledge 197
Philosophyandscience 198
Truthandphilosophy 199
Philosophy,wisdomandgnosis 200
Sciences 203
Dialectic 205