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Biography of clement of alexandria
- born in 150, in athens, educated in rhetoric and literature
- converts to christianity
- after 180, succeeds Pantaenus, a christian stoic philosopher
- most prolific, but nothing left
- GOAL: wanted to bring educated classes into the Church - optimistic view of human life, man was fundamentally reasonable
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clement's works
- paedagogus (teacher)
- protrepticus (Exhortation to pagans)
- stromata (miscellanies) - fragmentary... on marriage, and on spiritual perfection exist
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Clement's historicopolitical context
- Severan dynasty (193-235)
- persecutions in north africa (202)
- ---- martyrdom of perpetua and felicitas
- ---- leaves alexandria and goes to jerusalem
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obscurantism v. christian gnosticism
- obscurantism - opposed to possession of human progress, claim ownership of orthodoxy
- gnostics - losing credibility on widely speculative
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clement and gnosticism sympathies
- like gnostic as term
- suggests he might believe in platonic idea of pre-existent soul
- secret knowledge
- emphases journey of the soul
- scripture is allegorical; but suggests historicity
- anti-docetic
- agreed with valentinus that Jesus didn't have normal digestion
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clement and gnosticism, divergences
- rejects extreme dualism
- rejects dismissal of baptismal confession
- rejects pessimistic view of world and of human freewill
- rejects gnostic docetism
- rejects view of christianity as discontinuity
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CREATION: fundamental doctrine (3)
- creation is image of God's providence
- creation as ground of redemption
- creation as virtuous life
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GOD doctrine
- God as one and transcendent
- creator
- apophasis (refusing right to place him in comprehensible)
- trinity: hierarchy of 3 graded beings
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Christ doctrine
- as intimate companion, presence of God
- christ's presence and own perfection polishes our own souls
- christ as teacher of humankind, not just few
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Christian morality as exercise in aesthetics
- christian is characterized by compusre, tranquility, calmness, and peace
- mediating position between licentiousness and hyper-ascetics
- morality as attunement
- grace and nature in christian moral life
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marriage as context for journey
- against extreme ascetism and mystique of sexual continence
- goodness of marriage and marriage relations (as holy as celibacy)
- death not sexuality is extreme affliction of fallen humanity
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