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'''Clement of Alexandria''' (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first well-known theologian of the [[Church of Alexandria]]. He was born about the middle of the 2nd century, and died between 211 and 216.

He was not born in Egypt (''Stromata'', i. 1) as his name suggests; rather, Alexandria was his bishopric. Athens is named as his birthplace by the sixth-century Epiphanius Scholasticus, and this is supported by the classical quality of his Greek. His parents seem to have been wealthy pagans of some social standing. The thoroughness of his education is shown by his constant quotation of the Greek poets and philosophers. He travelled traveled in Greece, Italy, Palestine, and finally Egypt. He became the colleague of Pantaenus, the head of the [[Catechetical School of Alexandria]] and the man who likely converted him to Christianity, and finally succeeded him in the direction of the school. His best known pupil was [[Origen]] (who was condemned by the [[Fifth Ecumenical Council]]. During the persecution of Septimius Severus (202 or 203) he sought refuge with Alexander, then [[bishop]] of Flaviada in Cappadocia, afterward of [[Jerusalem]], from whom he brought a letter to [[Antioch]] in 211. After this, he died sometime in the next five years without returning to Egypt.

Thus Clement emphasizes the permanent importance of philosophy for the fulness fullness of Christian knowledge, explains with special predilection the relation between knowledge and faith, and sharply criticizes those who are unwilling to make any use of philosophy. He pronounces definitely against the sophists and against the hedonism of the school of Epicurus. Although he generally expresses himself unfavorably in regard to the Stoic philosophy, he really pays marked deference to that mixture of Stoicism and Platonism which characterized the religious and ethical thought of the educated classes in his day. This explains the value set by Clement on ''gnosis''. To be sure, he constantly opposes the concept of ''gnosis'' as defined by the [[Gnosticism|Gnostics]]. Faith is the foundation of all ''gnosis'', and both are given by [[Christ]]. As faith involves a comprehensive knowledge of the essentials, knowledge allows the believer to penetrate deeply into the understanding of what he believes; and this is the making perfect, the completion, of faith. In order to attain this kind of faith, the "faith of knowledge," which is so much higher than the mere "faith of conjecture," or simple reception of a truth on authority, philosophy is permanently necessary. In fact, Christianity truly is the true a philosophy, and the perfect Christian is the true Gnostic --—but again only "Gnostic according to the canon of the Church," not as in the heretical sect.

Clement lays great stress on the fulfilment fulfillment of moral obligations. In his ethical expressions he is influenced strongly by Plato and the Stoics, from whom he borrows much of his terminology. He praises Plato for setting forth the greatest possible likeness to God as the aim of life; and his portrait of the perfect Gnostic closely resembles that of the wise man as drawn by the Stoics. Hence he counsels his readers to shake off the chains of the flesh as far as possible, to live already as if out of the body, and thus to rise above earthly things. He is a true Greek in the value which he sets on moderation; but his highest ideal of conduct remains the mortification of all affections which may in any way disturb the soul in its career.

According to Clement, though Christ's goodness operated in the creation of the world, the Son himself was immutable, self-sufficient, and incapable of suffering. According to his interpretation, such are the characteristic qualities of the divine essence. Though the Logos is most closely one with the Father, whose powers he resumes in himself, to Clement both the Son and the Spirit are "first-born powers and first created"; they form the highest stages in the scale of intelligent being, and Clement distinguishes the Son-Logos from the Logos who is immutably immanent in God. Because of this [[Photius the Great|Photius]] would later charge that he "degraded the Son to the rank of a creature." Separate from the world as the principle of creation, the Logos is yet in it as its guiding principle. Thus a natural life is a life according to the will of the Logos. Clement has also been accused of [[DoceticismDocetism]] in his teachings on the [[Incarnation]]. According to him, the body of Christ was not subject to human needs. See the following passage from ''Stromateis'' which clearly denies Christ's full humanity:

:''The Word of God, became man just that you may learn from a Man how it may be that man should become god.'' --St. Clement of Alexandria

*[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/clement-stromata-book1.html "The Stromata, or MiscellenariesMiscellanies", by Clement of Alexandria]