St. Clement of Alexandria
(C. 150 - 211/216 AD)
Historical Note
St. Clement of Alexandria was born of pagan parents in Athens around the
year 150 AD. The circumstances concerning his conversion are unknown,
but it is supposed that he was attracted to Christianity by the nobility and
purity of its teachings. After his conversion, he traveled throughout
southern Italy, Rome and then the Middle East seeking teachers to advance
his Christian knowledge. In Alexandria, he met up with the celebrated
Pantaenus and became a pupil in his school of catechumens (C. 180).
Eventually, St. Clement was ordained a presbyter and rose to succeed
Pantaenus around the year 200.
After only a brief number of years, St. Clement was forced to flee Egypt in
the face of the persecution of Septimus Severus, making his way to
Cappadocia. There, he met up with his former disciple, Bishop Alexander,
and together they rendered faithful service to the people of the region. In
216, Bishop Alexander writes to Origen and speaks of St. Clement as
having gone to his rest.
St. Clement possessed a broad and noble mind coupled with a sympathetic
and noble character. He was very widely read and remembered much of
what he encountered. No other ancient author knew or quoted as many
pagan and Christian writers as he.
As a writer, St. Clement’s chief aim was to determine the relationship
between faith and reason and to show what philosophy had achieved as a
preparation for the coming of Christian Revelation. Philosophy is the tool
by which the data given through Divine Revelation is to be transformed
into a scientific theology.
St. Clement produced three great works:
 |
 |
 |