Clement of Alexandria

Abstract

Clement of Alexandria (150–215) lived and taught in the most lively intellectual centre of his day. This book offers a comprehensive account of how he joined the ideas of the New Testament to those of Plato and other classical thinkers. Clement taught that God was active from the beginning to the end of human history and that a Christian life should move on from simple faith to knowledge and love. He argued that a sequence of three elliptical relations governed the universe: Father and Son, God and humanity, humans and their neighbours. Faith as a fixed conviction which is also a growing mustard seed was joined to Plato's unwavering search for the best reason. The open heaven of prophecy became intelligible through Plato's ascending dialectic. This book will be invaluable in making this outstanding thinker of the early Church accessible to the students of today.

Du Mystère au mysticisme : élaboration d’une mystique de la Parole dans les Stromates de Clément d’Alexandrie

“…», The Studia Philonica Annual 21 (2009), p. 25-47, donne la liste p. 30, n. 17). Toutefois, E. BirnBAuM (The Place of Judaism in Philo's Thought.Israel, Jews and Proselytes, Atlanta, 1996, p. 80, p. 89-90) a montré que Philon varie sur ce point selon l'auditoire auquel il s'adresse et S. D. MAcKie (« Seeing God in Philo of Alexandria ») a expliqué qu'il distingue en réalité trois degrés dans l'initiation(Abr 107,(119)(120)(121)(122)(123)(124)(125)(126)(127)(128)(129)(130)(131)(132). Ainsi, dans l'ascension vers l'Un Existant, les êtres imparfaits auraient nécessairement besoin de l'intermédiaire du Logos, tandis que les parfaits comme Abraham bénéficient d'une vision directe de Dieu Proem 27, QG 4, 2; 4, 5 et 8).…”