Clement of Alexandria

The Christian church has endured struggles to remain dominant throughout history. Following the resurrection of Christ, many other religions appeared and quickly gained traction. Within Christianity itself, lied different beliefs all disputing each other. Through this internal fight for dominance, blossomed early church theologians. These theologians conveyed a fresh set of ideals that forever transformed the beliefs in the church. Many of which fought for their specific beliefs and reinforced them with biblical foundations. Among these was the theologian Clement of Alexandra who represented that perfectly. His teachings changed the church for the better and brought light to the hidden darkness of heresy. Throughout his life, Clement influenced the early church and in turn effected the beliefs still held by the church today.

Clement of Alexandria was born circa 150 A.D. in Athens, Greece. Not many details or specifics are known about his life other than his influence on the early Christian church. Most of the information we do know came from his own writings or those of Eusebius. “Clement studied first in Athens and then traveled to Italy, Syria and Palestine to seek further instruction.” (Marcovich, 1995) Eventually he made his way to Alexandria where he led the famous catechetical school and library because his studies had surpassed those of his instructors. Clement was an important author and theologian who flourished during the end of the second century A.D. and the beginning of the third. Clements teachings came during the time of the Gnostics and often rivaled their beliefs. He focused of the world of God and the allegorical interpretations of scriptures. (Jefford, 2012) His beliefs lead him to the true idea of gnostic, ...

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Works Cited

ANF. (n.d.). Exhortation to Heathen. In ANF, Exhortation to Heathen (pp. 171-206). ET.

Clement. (2nd Century-3rd Century A.D.). Protreptikos pros Hellenas. In Clement, Protreptikos pros Hellenas.

Foakes-Jackson, F. (1891). Early Church Theologian: Clement. In F. Foakes-Jackson, The History of the Christian Church from the Earliest Times to AD 461 (p. 64; 135; 148; 177; 178). Cambridge: J. Hall and Son.

Green, B. (2010). Clement. In B. Green, Christianity In Ancient Rome: The First Three Centuries (p. 65). T and T Clark International.

Jefford, C. N. (2012). Clement of Alexandria. In C. N. Jefford, Apostalic Fathers (p. 180). Baker Publishing.

Marcovich, M. (1995). In M. Marcovich, Protrepticus (p. 34). Leiden Brill: Vigiliae Christianae.

Schaff, P. (1819). An Introduction to Clement of Alexandria. In Fathers of the Second Century (pp. 166-175).