Clement of Alexandria

The philosopher who argued Christianity was the "true philosophy."

Head of the Catechetical School of Alexandria, Clement was a Christian theologian who embraced Greek philosophy wholeheartedly, arguing that Plato and the Stoics were divinely inspired precursors to Christ—that philosophy was God's "schoolmaster" preparing the Greeks, just as the Law prepared the Jews.

Verified Facts

• Unlike Tertullian's hostility to philosophy, Clement fully embraced it, writing: "Philosophy was necessary to the Greeks for righteousness, until the coming of the Lord. And now it assists towards true religion as a kind of preparatory training."
• His major works—the Protrepticus, Paedagogus, and Stromata—form a systematic trilogy aimed at converting educated Greek pagans by presenting Christianity as the fulfillment and perfection of Platonic philosophy.
• He taught at the famous Catechetical School of Alexandria, the earliest known institution of Christian higher learning. His most famous student was Origen, who would become the most brilliant (and controversial) theologian of the early church.
• He controversially taught that wealthy Christians could be saved, writing "Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?"—arguing that Jesus's command to sell everything was metaphorical, not literal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & Further Reading

• Wikipedia: Clement of Alexandria
• Stanford Encyclopedia: Clement

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