Clement of Alexandria: A Project of Christian Perfection

272 Pages·2008·1.36 MB·English

by  Piotr Ashwin-Siejkowski

Clement of Alexandria
This page intentionally left blank
Clement of Alexandria
A Project of Christian Perfection
by
PIOTR ASHWIN-SIEJKOWSKI
PublishedbyT&TClark
AContinuumimprint
TheTowerBuilding,11YorkRoad,LondonSE17NX
80MaidenLane,Suite704,NewYork,NY10038
www.continuumbooks.com
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorby
anymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recordingoranyinformation
storageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers.
Copyright#PiotrAshwinSiejkowski,2008
PiotrAshwinSiejkowskihasassertedhisrightundertheCopyright,Designsand
PatentsAct,1988,tobeidentifiedastheAuthorofthiswork.
Materialreprintedwithpermission:
HenryChadwickandJ.E.LOulton(eds),AlexandrianChristianity:SelectedTranslationsof
ClementandOrigen(LibraryofChristianClassics,2;SCMPress,1954).
UsedbypermissionofWestminsterJohnKnoxPress.
StromateisBooks1 3(trans.JohnFerguson;TheFathersofTheChurch85;
#TheCatholicUniversityofAmericaPress:Washington,DC,1991).
UsedwithpermissionofTheCatholicUniversityofAmericaPress,Washington,DC.
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN 13:HB:978 0 567 03287 4
ISBN 10:HB:0 567 03287 6
TypesetbyDataStandardsLimited,Frome,Somerset,UK
PrintedonacidfreepaperinGreatBritainbyBiddlesLtd,King'sLynn,Norfolk
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations viii
INTRODUCTION 1
1. The Classic Dilemma 3
2. Structure, Methods and Aim of the Present Study 10
3. The Central Theme and its Relevance 13
Part One
Chapter 1
CLEMENTOFALEXANDRIAANDHISBACKGROUND 19
1. Life and Works Re-Examined 19
2. The Catechetical School as Part of Clement’s Puzzle 31
Chapter 2
HELLENISTICJUDAISMANDITSROLEINCLEMENT’SPROJECt 39
1. Moses as the Archetype of Perfection: Philo of Alexandria
and Clement 43
2. The Role of the Metaphor of the High Priest: Philo, Clement
and the Letter to the Hebrews 55
3. The Hebrew Attitude of fo/boj and its Role in Clement’s
Project 68
Chapter 3
PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOLAEINSPIRINGCLEMENT’SPROJECT 79
1. Pythagoras and Plato: Their Influence on Clement’s Ideal 84
2. The Stoics and Philosophical Therapy 93
3. Clement’s Eclecticism as a Hermeneutical Method 100
Chapter 4
ALTERNATIVEHETERO-GNOSTICMODELSOFPERFECTIONIN
CLEMENT’SWORK 109
1. Traditions – Scriptures – Diversity 110
vi Clement of Alexandria
2. Basilides and Valentinus and their Schools in Clement’s
Oeuvre 115
3. The Libertine Groups and the Extreme Ascetic Sects 126
4. Conclusion 141
Part Two
Chapter 5
THEPATHTOPERFECTION 147
1. Becoming a Gnostic 152
2. Becoming a Contemplative Gnostic 165
3. The Climax of Perfection 174
Chapter 6
EKKLESIAGNOSTIKE: THENATURALHABITATOFTHECHRISTIAN
GNOSTIC 189
1. Membership and the Marks of the Church 193
2. The Manifold Functions of the Church 211
CONCLUSION 227
Bibliography 233
General Index 257
Index of Modern Authors 259
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am very grateful to Dr Mark Edwards from Oxford University for his
friendly encouragement and critical suggestions concerning a previous
versionofthisstudy.Hewasmostgenerouswithhistime,providingnot
onlyinsightfulcomments,butalsovaluableeditorialadvice.Iwouldlike
to express my deepest gratitude to my Polish friends from the
Department of History of the University of Warsaw and particularly to
DrPawełJaniszewski.AlthoughImisstheseminarsanddiscussionswith
them, their friendship and knowledge supported me throughout my
research. Thomas Kraft of Continuum was an extremely supportive and
patient editor, and I am very grateful for his confidence in this project.
Finally, I would like to thank to my wife Sarah for her help in
correcting my English, and for her support. It is to her that I wish to
dedicate this book.
ABBREVIATIONS
1 Apol. Justin Martyr, The First Apology
2 Apol. Justin Martyr, The Second Apology
1 Clem. 1 Clement
2 Clem. 2 Clement
1 En. 1 Enoch
2 En. 2 Enoch
Ad Marc. Porphyry, Letter to his Wife Marcela
Adv. haer. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses
Adv. Marc. Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem
Adv. Ruf. Jerome, Apologia adversus libros Rufini
AF Archivio di Filosofia
o¨
ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der r mischen Welt
Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
Ap. John Apocryphon of John
Apoc. Abr. Apocalypse of Abraham
u¨
ARW Archiv f r Religionwissenschaft
Asc. Isa. Ascension of Isaiah
Bapt. Tertullian, De Baptismo
Barn. The Epistle of Barnabas
BDAG W. Bauer, F.W. Danker, W.F. Ardnt and F.W. Gingrich, A
GreekEnglishLexiconoftheNewTestamentandEarlyChristian
Literature (Chicago, 3rd edn, 1999)
C. Ap. Josephus, Contra Apionem
CC Origen, Contra Celsum
E´
CE Chronique d’ gypte
CGL J.M. Robinson (ed.), The Coptic Gnostic Library (Leiden,
1975–99)
CH Corpus Hermeticum
ChH Phillipus Sidetes, Christianike Historia
CI Critical Inquiry
Cod. Photius, The Library of Photius
Comm. John Origen, Commentary on the Gospel according to John
Abbreviations ix
Comp. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Haereticorum fabularum compendium
CQ The Classical Quarterly
De haer. Augustine, De haeresibus
De natura Cicero, De natura Deorum
De vir. Jerome, De viris illustribus
Dem. Irenaeus, Demonstratio apostolicae praedicationis
Det. Philo, Quod deterius potiori insidiari soleat
Deus Philo, Quod Deus sit immutabilis
Dial. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho
Diogn. Epistle to Diognetus
Disc. Epictetus, The Discourses as Reported by Arrian
Ecl. Clement, Eclogae Propheticae
EH Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History
EJ Eranos Jahrbuch
E´
EL tudes de Lettres
Enn. Plotinus, Enneads
Ep. Seneca, Epistulae morales ad Lucilium
Eph. Ignatius, To the Ephesians
Eth. nic. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Ex. Th. Clement, Excerpta ex Theodoto
FHG Fragmenta historicorum graecorum (Paris, 1841–70)
FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und
Neuen Testaments
u¨
FZPhTh Freiburger Zeitschrift f r Philosophie und Theologie
GCS Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten
Jahrhunderte
Gig. Philo, De gigantibus
Gos. Phil. Gospel of Philip
Gos. Thom. Gospel of Thomas
Gos. Truth Gospel of Truth
HE Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia Ecclesiastica
Her. Philo, Quis rerum divinarum heres sit
HJ Heythrop Journal
Hom. Num. Origen, Homily on Numbers
HTR Harvard Theological Review
ICC International Critical Commentary
In Alc. Olypiodorus, In Platonis Alcibiadem commentarii
JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion
u¨
JAC Jahrbuch f r Antike und Christentum
JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies
JHS Journal of Hellenistic Studies
JRS Journal of Roman Studies
JTS Journal of Theological Studies