Clement of Alexandria

The biography and range of interests of Clement of Alexandria were completely different from those of Irenaeus. Apparently, Clement was born in Athens, that is, in a city that has long been famous for its philosophers. His parents were pagans, but Clement, under unknown circumstances, already in his youth converted to Christianity and began to look for a teacher who would give him deeper knowledge in matters Christian faith. After long wanderings, he found a teacher in Alexandria who satisfied his thirst for knowledge. It was Panten, about whom very little is known. Clement remained in Alexandria and after the death of the teacher took the place of the main Christian mentor in Alexandria. In 202, when Septimius Severus was emperor, persecution began, and Clement had to leave the city. Until his death in 215, he traveled throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Syria and Asia Minor.

Alexandria, where Clement spent most of his life, was the outstanding center of intellectual life of the time. Its Museum, or temple of the muses, with its library located there, resembled a modern university in the sense that it was a meeting place for a wide variety of scientists and researchers. Moreover, since Alexandria was also a large shopping center, it brought together not only scientists and philosophers, but also all kinds of charlatans and adventurers. Therefore, in this city, located at the mouth of the Nile, the spirit of syncretism characteristic of that time reigned.

It was in such conditions that Clement studied, therefore, naturally, his thinking bore the imprint of Alexandria. He was not a shepherd like Irenaeus, but rather a thinker and explorer, and his goal was not so much to expound the doctrine of the church - although he shared its faith - but to help those who seek a deeper truth, and to convince cultural pagans that Christianity is not an absurd superstition, as many of them believed.

In the “Admonition to the Hellenes,” Clement shows the essence of his theological method, which consisted in using the thoughts of Plato and other philosophers˸ “I strive to know God, and not only God’s works. Who will help me in my search?.. O Plato, how should I search? God?" Thus, Clement is trying to show his pagan readers that the Christian doctrine is supported by the philosophy of Plato. Thanks to this, pagans could perceive Christianity not as a religion of ignorant and superstitious people.

But Clement referred to Plato not only because he supported his argument with ideas. He was convinced that there was only one truth and that the truth shown by Plato could not differ from the truth revealed in Jesus Christ and in the Scriptures. According to ᴇᴦο, philosophy was given to the Greeks, and law to the Jews. But both lead to the ultimate truth revealed in Christ. Among the Greeks, philosophers played the same role as prophets among the Jews. With the Jews God established a covenant of law, and with the Greeks a covenant of philosophy.

How does Scripture relate to the works of philosophers? At first glance, there is nothing in common between them. But Clement was confident that a careful study of Scripture leads to an understanding of the same truth that the philosophers knew. The point is that Scripture is composed allegorically, or, in the words of Clement, “in the form of parables.” A sacred text can have more than one meaning. The literal meaning should not be rejected. But those who blindly adhere to ᴇᴦο are like children fed on milk and unable to become adults. In addition to the literal meaning, there are other ideas in the text that a truly wise person should reveal.

Clement of Alexandria - concept and types. Classification and features of the category "Clement of Alexandria" 2015, 2017-2018.

Biography

Judging by his full name, Clement was born into a family of Roman citizens (according to Epiphanius, in Athens). The surname Flavius ​​suggests that his ancestors, like Josephus, were participants in the anti-Roman uprising in Judea, captured and pardoned by the emperor Titus and therefore took his family name as a sign of their second birth.

Having reached adulthood, Clement travels around the Mediterranean, studying and experiencing various spiritual traditions. According to Eusebius, in Alexandria, Clement became a listener to the lectures of Panten, a converted Christian and the head of the famous Catechetical School, from which missionaries graduated who converted many peoples from Ireland to Ethiopia to the faith of Christ. Here he becomes a Christian apologist, takes holy orders and writes many of his works, including a significant part of the Stromata. On the one hand, he polemicizes with the teachings of the Gnostics, on the other, with those Christians who perceived with great suspicion “intellectualized Christianity”, enriched with the concepts of pagan philosophy.

Emperor Septimius Severus initiated a persecution of Christians in the year. The catechetical school was closed, and Clement was forced to leave Alexandria, where his place was soon taken by the young Origen. He moved to Palestine, where he found protection and patronage from his student Alexander of Jerusalem. There he died. Due to his closeness to Origen, Clement was not canonized in the Orthodox tradition; the Catholic Church revered him as a saint until 1586.

Teaching

• Clement substantiates the need for philosophy for the Church. He writes that God himself gave philosophy to the Hellenes as a tool for knowledge of God. For the Hellenes, philosophy was an alternative to the Mosaic Law and the prophetic inspiration of the ancient Jews. Prophecies and philosophizing are not equivalent, although they complement each other: they prepare the soul for the truth, for the knowledge of the Logos. In other words, philosophy is necessary as an intellectual fence of divine revelation. Clement strongly criticizes the views of those who believe that philosophy is empty worldly wisdom, which causes only heresies and confusion in souls. The Hellenes, without any Revelation, came to the realization of the existence of one God - the First Cause and Limit of the Universe, for God is the only source of knowledge.
• Clement was the first to clearly pose the problem of the relationship between faith and reason as a way to overcome ancient skepticism. Faith is the direct perception of knowledge. This is what we perceive as the premises of a syllogism. However, this is not mere self-evidence or intuition. Faith is an act of choice, an act of constructing one’s own attitude of consciousness, for which a person is responsible. With the help of faith, a person is able to simulate a future situation, which allows him to protect himself from many troubles. The intensification of faith produces hope, through which Clement proves the superiority of the religious life. Pagans believe in many gods who are in a state of permanent conflict with each other. You can’t please all the gods, so a pagan develops phobias. He doesn't know where the danger comes from. The life of atheists is also full of troubles because they do not expect bounties from the Lord. Only a religious person understands that behind the external chaos of phenomena there is a transcendental personality who gave us existence, that life here is only a preparation for eternal life, that the meaning of life is in the afterlife, which represents the limit of bliss. With such an attitude, you can easily overcome all the hardships of life here.
• Following Philo of Alexandria, Clement defines God negatively, that is, with the help of negations. The goal of the believer is to know God - in “gnosis”, that is, mystical and spiritual knowledge. He contrasts this higher understanding of God with moral and legal knowledge, following the letter of Scripture, with which most Christians are content.
• Clement introduced into theology the concepts of “heavenly city” and “earthly city,” which were later developed by St. Augustine. He also agreed with Augustine on the issue of the admissibility of an uprising against an impious and godless government (such as, for example, the uprising of the Jews against Pharaoh).
• Clement diverges from the prevailing view among early Christians about the sinfulness of wealth. In his opinion, wealth in itself does not in any way affect the salvation of the soul, because property can be disposed of in both good and bad ways. “Scripture does not require us to renounce property, but to renounce excessive attachment to property.”

Essays

A number of Clement’s works have not survived and are known about them from the words of other authors:

• from Eusebius of Caesarea:
  • book “About Easter”;
  • dialogues “On Fasting” and “On Slander”;
  • the word of exhortation “On patience, or to the newly baptized”;
  • essay “Church Rule, or Against the Judaizers.”
• for other authors - “On Providence”.

Notes

Editions of the works of Clement of Alexandria

• Clementis Alexandrini. Stromata // Patrologiae cursus completes. Series Graeca. P., 1857. T.VIII-IX.
• Greek Texts of the Works: Volume I (1905) Volume II (1906).

« Teacher»:

• Clement of Alexandria. Teacher. / Per. N. Korsunsky. Yaroslavl, 1890. 348 columns.
• Clement of Alexandria. Teacher. / Per. N. Korsunsky, per. Chapter 10 Part II G. Chistyakova. M., Educational and information ecumenical center ap. Pavla, 1996.

« Protreptic»:

• An exhortation to the pagans. / Per. N. Korsunsky. Yaroslavl, 1888.
• Clement of Alexandria. An exhortation to the Gentiles. / Per. A. Yu. Bratukhina. St. Petersburg, Publishing house RKhGI, 1998. 208 pp.
  • 2nd ed. St. Petersburg: Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2006. (with the appendix of the treatise “Which Rich Man Will Be Saved” translated by N. Korsunsky)
• In the series “Loeb classical library” some works were published under No. 92 (Exhortation to the Hellenes. Salvation of the Rich Man. To the Newly Baptized (fragments); see online)

« Stromata»:

• Stromat book one. / Per. archim. Arsenia. Voronezh, 1868. 180 pp.
• Stromata. / Per. N. Korsunsky. Yaroslavl, 1892. 944 stb.
• Clement of Alexandria. Stromata. / Prep. text, trans., prev. and comm. E. V. Afonasina. In 3 volumes. St. Petersburg, Oleg Abyshko Publishing House, 2003. Vol.1. Book 1-3. 544 pp. T. 2. Book. 4-5. 336 pp. T. 3. Book. 6-7. 368 pp. (Library of Christian Thought Series. Sources (review)
• "Stromata", Book VII: Greek text and English translation (1902)

Other writings:

• Clement of Alexandria. Which of the rich will be saved? / Per. N. Korsunsky. [Yaroslavl, 1888] M., 2000. 64 pp.
• Extracts from Theodotus (§ 1-26). / Per. A.I. Sagardy. // Christian reading, 11, 1912. pp. 1290-1302.
• Extracts from the works of Theodotus and the so-called Eastern school of the time of Valentine. / Per. E. V. Afonasina. // Valentin's School: Fragments and Evidence. St. Petersburg: Aletheya, 2002. pp. 172-219.
• Fragments of Lost Work Eclogae Propheticae// Ancient Gnosticism. Fragments and Evidence. St. Petersburg, 2002.

Literature

• Karsavin L.P. Holy fathers and teachers of the church. M., 1994.
• Skvortsev K. Philosophy of the Fathers and Teachers of the Church. Kyiv, 1868.
• Filaret, Archbishop of Chernigov. Historical teaching about the fathers of the church. St. Petersburg, 1859.
• Tikhon (Klitin P.S.) Teacher of Clement of Alexandria. Kharkov, 1866.
• Mirtov D. P. Moral teaching of Clement of Alexandria. St. Petersburg, 1900. 7+230 pp.
• Mirtov D. P. The moral ideal according to Clement of Alexandria. St. Petersburg, 1900.
• Sagarda A. I."Hypotypos" by Clement of Alexandria. St. Petersburg, 1913.
• Afonasin E. V. Philosophy of Clement of Alexandria. Novosibirsk, 1997. 126 pp.
• Savrey V. Ya. The Alexandrian school in the history of philosophical and theological thought. M.: KomKniga, 2006. 1008 pp. pp. 303-418.

Links

• Russian translations of essays on the website krotov.info.
• A. I. Sagarda prof. Clement of Alexandria “Extracts from the writings of Theodotus and the so-called Eastern teachings of the times of Valentine” // Christian reading. - 1912. - No. 11.
• A. I. Sagarda prof. “Hypotypos” of Clement of Alexandria // Christian reading. - 1913. - No. 9.

Categories:

• Christian theologians
• Personalities in alphabetical order
• Born in 150
• Died in 215
• Ancient Greek philosophers
• Christian philosophers of Ancient Rome
• Philosophers of the 2nd century
• Alexandria Theological School
• Saints by alphabet
• Saints of the One Church
• Saints
• Christian saints of the 3rd century

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• Sextus Empiricus

Thomas Aquinas

See what “Clement of Alexandria” is in other dictionaries: CLIMENT OF ALEXANDRIA - (Clemens Alexander rinus) Titus Flavius ​​(d. before 215), Christ. theologian and writer. He strove for a synthesis of Hellenic culture and Christianity. faith, without feeling deep contradictions between the two ideological worlds to which he belonged. Relig. ideal K.A.... ...

See what “Clement of Alexandria” is in other dictionaries: Philosophical Encyclopedia - CLIMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (Κλήμης) (c. 150 after 215 AD), a prominent representative of Greek patristics, who played a significant role in the assimilation by Christianity of the ancient philosophical heritage. Full name Titus Flavius ​​Clement (Τίτος Φλαύιος... ...

Clement of Alexandria Ancient philosophy - Clement of Alexandria, Klemens Aleksandrinos, c. 140 approx. 215 n. e., Greek philosopher. He was probably born in Greece and received a good rhetorical and philosophical education there. In Alexandria he appears as a follower of Pantheus,... ...

Clement of Alexandria Ancient writers - (? until 215) Greek philosopher, head of the Christian school in Alexandria It is impossible, on the basis that it is natural for a person to laugh, to make everything a subject of laughter. And a horse, which naturally neighs, does not neigh at everything. How can the righteous... ...

Clement of Alexandria Consolidated encyclopedia of aphorisms - (Clemens Alexandrinus) Titus Flavius ​​(d. before 215), Christian theologian and writer. Born into a pagan family and received a universal philosophical and literary education; acted in Alexandria as a free Christian teacher, then fled from... ...

Clement of Alexandria Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies - Titus Flavius ​​(? before 215), Christian theologian and writer who strived for a synthesis of Hellenic culture and Christian faith; head of the Alexandria Theological School. Main works: “Protreptic” (“Admonishing Word to the Hellenes”), “Teacher”... ...

And the Stoics; was initiated into the pagan mysteries.

Out of love for knowledge, he began to study Judaism and Christianity and, convinced of the superiority of the latter, was baptized already in mature age, listened to different places the best Christian teachers and, having met Panten in Alexandria, remained with him, and when Panten went for a missionary purpose to India, he was elected instead of him, in the city, to the position of chief mentor and head of the Alexandria Catechetical School, with elevation to the rank of presbyter. His student, in particular, was St. Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem.

Information about Clement of Alexandria is reported by Eusebius, Jerome, Epiphanius, Cyril of Alexandria and Photius. More detailed studies about him - Tillemont, Fabricius, Cellier, also in Mehler's "Patrology"; presentation and criticism of his doctrines - in Freppel ("Cours de l"éloquence Chrétienne", P., 1865), V. F. Pevnitsky ("Proceedings of the Kyiv Theological Academy"), Dmitrevsky ("Alexandrian School", Kazan, 1884), Livanov "Clement of Alexandria and his works" (in "Orthodox Review", 1867).

The name of Clement of Alexandria, a teacher of the Church, until the end of the 16th century was listed among the names of saints in the Roman Martyrology on December 4, but was removed from there during the next editing of the martyrology under Pope Clement VIII. There is no data on the Orthodox veneration of Clement of Alexandria as a saint.

Essays

In three works that form a kind of trilogy - in the "Admonition to the Gentiles" (λογος προτρεπτικός), "Stromata" (στρωματεΐς - carpets) and "Teacher" (παιδάγωγυς), Clement examines paganism, with its science and education ("Exhortation") , Christianity, in its relationship to paganism and philosophy ("Stromata") and in itself ("Teacher"), thus creating a theory of mutual agreement between faith and knowledge, religion and science.

At the end of the 2nd century. Christian church strengthens and new tasks arise for Christian theology. Christianity no longer just needs to defend itself from paganism, Judaism and other religions - the task of disseminating and promoting the teachings of Christ arises. There is a need to systematize Christian theology.

At this time, theologians appeared who laid the foundations of church-Christian philosophical thought. These are Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Minucius Felix, Lactantius, etc. We will get acquainted with the teachings of the first three - those who largely contributed to the formation of future Christian philosophy.

Clement of Alexandria (150-215) was born in Alexandria, a Roman province in northern Africa. For the first time he tried to combine philosophy with Christianity and develop Christian philosophy itself. Clement, following Philo of Alexandria, repeated that philosophy is the handmaiden of theology. For the first time he poses the problem of the relationship between philosophy and religion, faith and reason. He considers philosophy and religion not to contradict each other, but to complement each other. Christianity, in his opinion, combined ancient Greek philosophy and the Old Testament.

The Lord, by His Providence, leads all humanity to salvation through Jesus Christ. But He leads all nations differently. The people of Israel - by giving them the Law through Moses, and the peoples of Europe - by giving them philosophy. Therefore, Socrates is for the Greeks what Moses is for the Jews.

The disadvantage of ancient Greek philosophy was that it treated religion with distrust and contempt. And the disadvantage of the Jewish religion is that it abhorred philosophy. Christianity surpasses all these forms of knowledge in that it unites both the religion given through the Old Testament prophets and the philosophy through which the ancient Greeks also came to know God, whom, as the Apostle Paul said, they, without knowing it, worshiped.

Clement does not agree with those who believe that faith makes knowledge unnecessary, but he also denies the position of the Gnostics, who argued that there is some special knowledge that makes faith unnecessary. For Clement, philosophy is “a priceless treasure, to the acquisition of which we must devote all our strength.”

Clement also sees an element of philosophizing in the Gospel in the phrase: “Seek and you will find.” It is necessary to seek the truth, and this is only possible through philosophizing. Reason is not given to people by chance, and since it has thought as its object, and knowledge of the truth as its goal; and we must seek by philosophizing and reflecting.

Clement says that philosophy is true and false. False is sophistry, materialistic philosophy, etc. True philosophy teaches about God and man, about how man can return to God. There is one truth, but there are many paths to it. The ancient Greeks were given the light of reason, through which they came to the knowledge of truth. Both the light of reason and the Law, which was given to the ancient Jews, have the same source - the Logos.

Faith and reason do not contradict each other. In sciences based on reason, there is subordination. The lower sciences lead to philosophy, and philosophy leads to theology. Philosophy is obligatory for the theologian, since it puts into his hands an instrument of argument, a method of argument, to preach and defend Christianity.

In a dispute with the Gnostics, Clement denies their approach to the problem of the relationship between faith and reason. He says that the relationship between faith and reason is harmonious. Every human ability (both faith and reason) is necessary. Faith has some advantage, it opens up the objects of knowledge, it is simpler, easier, because all people have faith. It is given ready-made, and in knowledge there is always an element of faith. A person takes many positions on faith as unprovable - this is what the ancients talked about. Either from books, or from other people, or as a hypothesis - in any case, all our rational knowledge is based on some provisions in which a person simply believes. However, faith as a foundation is not sufficient, because on this foundation there must be some kind of harmonious building, built with the help of rational arguments. Therefore, faith and reason do not exclude, but complement each other. Faith is the foundation of knowledge, and rational knowledge is the walls erected on this foundation. Walls without a foundation are destroyed, but a foundation without walls is not a building. This means that without faith there is no knowledge, and knowledge of faith is empty.

Both faith and knowledge are manifestations of the same general ability - rationality. Therefore, the ideal of every Christian is to achieve precisely this rationality, which Clement calls true gnosis, absorbing both rational knowledge and Christian faith. Christian gnosis is the same Christian faith, brought to understanding through intellectual, rational comprehension. And in this understanding of the relationship between faith and reason, Clement of Alexandria stands at the beginning of the tradition that Augustine, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, and other Christian theologians would later adhere to.

How can a person know God? How can one understand that which is above all and unknowable? Clement shared the ancient principle that like is known by like. Therefore, if a person can cognize God, then somehow he has the divine nature within him. But since God surpasses man in everything, the process of knowing God is an endless process and unattainable within one human life. Therefore, revelation is necessary for true knowledge. That is why there are two forms of religion: the natural knowledge of God and the religion of Revelation, which, in particular, was given to ancient Israel. The Christian religion combines natural religion and revealed religion and is therefore the true and final religion.

Clement of Alexandria was in many ways close to Plato - in his understanding of God as an infinite Being, having the same nature as the human soul. It is quite possible that Clement took this understanding from his Jewish predecessor, Philo of Alexandria. From him he took the allegorical method of interpretation and explanation of Holy Scripture. In particular, Clement interprets God’s creation of the world from non-existence as Plato speaks about it in the dialogue “Timaeus”: creation from some disorder, from chaos.

Clement sees the second hypostasis of the Holy Trinity - Jesus Christ - both as the Son of God, and as the Logos, and as the energy emanating from the Father, uniting in this vision both Stoic, Platonic, and Philonian elements. Thus, Clement of Alexandria laid the foundations for the harmonious coexistence of the Christian religion of Revelation and pagan philosophy.

(Early Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria and the doctrine of reincarnation)

The doctrine of reincarnation is extremely painful for modern Christianity subject. There has long been debate about whether this teaching was present in early Christianity. Typically, supporters of the orthodox, “correctly glorifying” doctrine in these disputes refer to the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils and the works of the “Fathers of the Church.” But to reconstruct the beliefs of early Christians and, in particular, to answer the question whether there was a doctrine of reincarnation in early Christianity, one must turn not to the sources of the 4th-7th centuries. AD, (as church apologists do), but to analyze the texts created in the first two centuries of this religion. The main writings of this period are, of course, the texts of the New Testament, but their consideration is beyond the scope of this work. This article is dedicated to brief analysis only one text of that time - the treatise "Stromata" ("Carpets"), written by one of the largest theologians of early Christianity - Clement of Alexandria.

Titus Flavius ​​Clement spent most of his life (approximately 150-215 AD) in Alexandria, Egypt, where he headed the catechetical school. In addition to training in the basics of the Christian faith before baptism, this school also taught secular disciplines, including ancient philosophy. After his death, some early Christian writers called Clement a saint, but he was not included in the Orthodox calendar. Clement of Alexandria wrote several works, the Stromata being the most significant of those that have survived to this day. In this treatise, the apologist sets out both the foundations of the Christian faith and the beginnings of gnosis - a secret oral tradition coming from Jesus Christ Himself.

By the time of Clement, a gap had already formed in Christianity between Gnosticism and the emerging orthodoxy. Clement took a special position in this confrontation: he quite harshly criticizes the “false knowledge” of various Gnostic schools, but at the same time tries to acquaint the reader with the foundations of true gnosis - a special oral tradition preserved in the Church by a select few. According to the apologist, this gnosis was not included in the canonical writings of the New Testament - the Gospels and the Epistles of the Apostles. “...The highest knowledge, passed on from generation to generation, without the mediation of any special scriptures and communicated to a few of the apostles before all others, has come down through succession to us.”. He does this deliberately fragmentarily and incomprehensibly. “I will go through some things here with silence or hints. But of these things I will dwell on some in more detail, while I will remind you of others by their name alone.” Reason: unpreparedness of most readers for the secret knowledge of mystical Christianity: “And I deliberately omitted some things, even those that came to mind, for fear of writing down what I was careful not to talk about... for fear of misleading my listeners and earning the reproach that, as the proverb goes, I give a sword to a baby ». One aspect of this secret oral knowledge is the doctrine of reincarnation, which Clement communicates briefly, “in a hint,” and can only be understood by a trained reader.

But first it must be said that Clement of Alexandria was a supporter of the doctrine of the pre-existence of souls. According to him, the immortal center of man does not arise at the moment of conception, but much earlier, even in the Kingdom of God. This immortal principle, which Clement calls the soul, and is now commonly called spirit, turns out to have fallen into this world and after death he has a chance to return to his heavenly fatherland. The doctrine of the pre-existence of souls was anathematized in V Ecumenical Council in 553. For Clement, who lived four centuries before this council, the pre-existence of the spiritual core of man was self-evident, and he spoke about this many times in the pages of the Stromat.

“We were created and brought into this world in order to be faithful fulfillers of the commandments, if only we want to inherit salvation.”. According to this statement of Clement, people were created outside of this world into which they were specially “introduced.”

The doctrine of pre-existence is contained in the following words of the apologist: “Although our days on this earth end in death, they nevertheless form part of life flowing into eternity.”. Earthly lives are not the beginning, but some kind of fragment - a “part” of an infinitely longer existence. End "flowing into eternity" life because "...beings now mixed with the material world will return to their original state".

Polemicizing with the Valentinians - Gnostic heretics, Clement reproaches them: “ ...They (archons - A.L.) should have known about the blissful state awaiting man in the Pleroma. In addition, they, without a doubt, knew that man represents the likeness of his prototype... and that the soul of man cannot perish.”

Other evidence in favor of pre-existence: “...Peter, seeing his wife being led to execution, rejoiced at her call to the higher villages and her return home.”. “Home” is the place of the initial origin of souls, here the “higher villages” are called, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven (in the synodal translation the “Kingdom of Heaven” is used, but the Kingdom of Heaven is more correct option- A.L.). It follows that souls existed in a blissful state, and then for some reason “fell” from their heavenly home into this world stricken with sin and suffering. Accordingly, the salvation of souls is deliverance from this world and their restoration to their original state.

Christians of the 1st century AD they professed restoration (in Greek: apokatastasis) - the salvation of all people without exception “at the end of time” and even the union with God of “all creation.” (See Gospels: Mark 9:49; Matthew 18:14; John 1:9, 3:17, 6:3, 12:32; Apostolic Epistles: Rom 5:18, 11:32; 1 Cor 15:28; 2 Cor 4:19; Eph 1-10; Col 1:19-20; 1 Tim 2:3-4; Heb 2:9, 11:15). Clement also taught about the restoration of souls: “...Only those of them (souls - A.L.) who, by their closeness to God, were “pure in heart” will be restored to the contemplation of the Invisible”. But “only” refers to this earthly life, which (as will be said below) can be repeated many times. And in the end everyone will be saved: “...He (Christ - A.L.) cares about everything without exception. This is also consistent with His being, for He is the Lord of the universe and the Savior of all people, and not just some of them.”

From the idea of ​​pre-existence it follows that the life of the soul does not begin at the moment of conception and must end with restoration in the Kingdom of Heaven. But most people are not “pure in heart” righteous people, so how can they return to their “heavenly homeland”? Will they be forgiven and receive bliss “just like that”, without being ready for it, and without even believing in God? No, salvation requires free will, as Clement also wrote about: God “by encouraging free choice... it inspires those who choose a good life and gives them the strength to independently complete the path to salvation”. There is only one option left: in order to be saved, everyone needs to live several lives in different incarnations, during which they will reach the level of necessary spiritual perfection.

This also follows from another statement by Clement on the topic of restoration-apocatastasis: “The purpose of birth is learning and knowledge, and the purpose of death is subsequent restoration.”. People are born to learn gnosis, that is, to gain spiritual experience and after death to restore themselves to the Kingdom of Heaven. But very few acquire spiritual experience sufficient for salvation in one life. This means that most people will not be able to achieve restoration in one life, and a new attempt at spiritual learning awaits them - during a new incarnation on earth.

But Clement of Alexandria does not limit himself to indirect references to Clement of Alexandria (d. before 215. reincarnation, he directly describes it. The apologist’s first statement on this topic turns out to be deliberately “dark.” “...As for the question: does the soul pass from one body to another and what is the participation of the demon in this, then we will discuss these subjects at another time.” It seems that the apologist is avoiding a clear answer, positive or negative, to his own question. However, if he had been an opponent of the doctrine of reincarnation, nothing would have prevented him from directly stating this.

Moreover, this short remark, in fact, contains an acknowledgment of reincarnation. Clement reports that demons play some role “at this” - the posthumous return of the soul to earth in a new body. Consequently, Clement recognizes reincarnation, but it occurs due to otherworldly forces hostile to man. Reincarnation turns out to be evil and man’s goal is to interrupt his birth in a world of suffering and separation from God.

This is fully consistent with the early Christian understanding of salvation, the purpose of which was to deliver man from life in this world-“age.” The Apostle Paul wrote that the Savior “gave Himself... to deliver us from this present evil age”. (Gal 1:4). Since we will all inevitably die, deliverance from the “age” - life in this world and salvation turns out to be the cessation of new incarnations. Instead of being born in a world of suffering, the soul - the eternal beginning of man - passes into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is precisely what the demons, who exist at the expense of the human souls enslaved by this century, prevent.

What exactly is the role of the demon during reincarnation is not directly explained in the Stromata. But we can learn this from the most important Gnostic text - the Apocrypha of John. According to him, a soul that does not know the path of salvation and has not freed itself from “deeds of wickedness” will experience the following after death: “And after she leaves (the body), she is given to the authorities, those who descended from the archon, and they shackle her and throw her into prison (the body - A.L.) and circle her (in the circle of reincarnations - A.L.) until she awakens from oblivion and achieves knowledge.”. “Power” here refers to otherworldly evil forces that influence the human soul and give rise to passions - the “engine” of sin. The manifestations and actions of authorities are diverse, but they unite into a certain force that gives rise to evil. Her personification is usually called Satan (in Hebrew “adversary”, “contradictory”) or the devil (in Greek “slanderer”). The first generations of Christians and supporters of the Gnostic tradition called the source of evil “archon,” which translated from Greek means “prince,” “ruler.” Thus, they emphasized its most significant property for a person: to hold the human soul in its power. Archon Satan dominates this world and is its “holder” - in Greek, cosmocrator (Eph. 6:12). Moreover, the archon is, as it were, the sum of the “powers” ​​generated by him. Christ called the master of the world and the enemy of man precisely the archon - “prince” (see John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11), and the Gnostics also called Satan.

Clement describes the process of reincarnation as a punishment for sins: “But vicious people, who do not want to force themselves to do anything, who have increased their bad inclinations and have since been unable to control them, having been abandoned by the hand that supports them, rush there and ships, deprived of divine support, agitated by a storm of passions, and, finally, are thrown to the ground".

According to the apologist, after death, all people try to pass through the otherworldly “space” that separates the soul and the Kingdom of Heaven, where the forces of Satan operate. Christian mystics and Gnostics taught about the ascent of the soul through the kingdom of “the prince of the power of the air” (as defined by the Apostle Paul, Eph. 2:2). Vicious people, according to Clement, fall under the influence of the “storm” of their own passions and are cast down to earth for a new incarnation. The passions, in turn, are generated by the demons mentioned by the apologist, or, as the Gnostics called them, “powers.” These “powers,” which gave rise to passions during earthly life, are revealed to the soul after death in the form of frightening images. And “turbulent by the storm of passions,” the sinner’s soul, which during life did not care about acquiring virtue and spiritual experience, cannot break through “the barrier standing in the middle” (Eph. 2:14), created by Satan. Cast down to earth, she, still separated from God, begins life in a new image.

But returning to earth does not mean the end of the salvation process. Each life enriches the reincarnating spiritual being (which Clement prefers to call "man"), and he gradually ascends to God. “Differing in the manner of change, and in time, and place, and dignity, and inheritance, and service, each of these saving changes gradually leads a person to remain near the Lord in eternal contemplation... So, the point of saving truth is that each opportunities to constantly improve. The weaker ones are also raised to a better and lasting good - in accordance with their structure. After all, everything virtuous immediately (after death - A.L.) passes into better abodes, and the reason for this is the autocratic choice with which the soul is endowed. And admonishing punishments - both through the angels listening (to God), and through the many different preferences (of the good), and through the final judgment - by the goodness of the all-seeing great Judge, they force those who have reached the point of insensibility to repent.”

So, “images” - personalities generated by reincarnation, differ in the time and place of their existence on earth, “dignity” - social status, “service” - tasks of spiritual growth, and “inheritance” - level spiritual development. Living life-incarnations, the soul makes “many different preferences for the good,” gradually accumulates virtues in itself and ascends, through incarnations, “constantly to the better.” As a result, having reached the required level of spiritual perfection, the soul moves to the “best abodes” of the Kingdom of Heaven. “And for souls who worked daily on their improvement and perfection through the cultivation of good qualities and the increase in righteousness, they (virtues - A.L.) appoint the best abode as a worthy reward...”.

Moving from one “image” to another, the soul not only overcomes its tendency towards evil, which arose as a result of the fall, but also fulfills a series of roles assigned to it by God in this world. " Flawlessly fulfilling the drama of life,” the one that God determines for him, knows what he must do and what he must endure.”. It follows that the incarnation is the fulfillment by each person of his special role in “this world.” Beginning with the most primitive and sinful roles in the drama of life, the soul inevitably ends its ascent with the “role” of a saint. Clement states that “free from fears, having reached the limit of earthly perfection, not needing further purification, having completed all ministries, including saints and performed among saints, righteous souls receive the honors and rewards they deserve”.

In addition to the social role, each “image”-person also performs a special “service”, the purpose of which is to increase the spiritual level of the soul and atone for its “debts” accumulated over past incarnations. And in order to achieve salvation, you need to go through all the necessary reincarnations and complete all the necessary “services”. But what frees us from a long and painful series of “ministries”-incarnations is the knowledge and grace that Christ established on earth. With the support of His Spirit (see Phil. 1:19), man consciously strives to overcome the power of sin and escape from “this evil age.” “By raising the soul to... perfection, it (knowledge-gnosis - A.L.) frees it from the need to purify itself in a different way, relieves it from various ministries.” Without gnosis, a person is also saved, but “in a different way” - by going through the suffering of earthly lives, forcing a person to make “many different preferences for the good”.

In fulfilling their “roles” and “ministries,” people go through approximately the same stages of spiritual ascent. They find themselves in solidarity with each other in all the joys and sorrows, sins and virtues of earthly life. The fate of everyone turns out to be just a step in the “stairway to Heaven” that all other people have gone through, are going through or will go through. Each soul, having gone through suffering, will return to the Pleroma. This ascent through various “images” and “services,” according to Clement, saves everyone, even “those who have reached the point of insensibility.” Thus, the contradiction is resolved: how can the salvation of all occur (as Christ spoke about many times) if only a few people strive for it? Only through reincarnation.

But, having reached the Kingdom of Heaven, the man-spirit continues his gradual ascent into blissful otherness. Clement repeatedly describes this ascent. “...Pious people, drawn by the Holy Spirit, will move: some into the first monastery, others into the next, and so on until the very last.” “Saints and those ranked among other saints, perfect among perfect ones, they come from best places to the best, where they indulge in the contemplation of divine things... and contemplate the Divinity clearly and distinctly, as if in sunlight, never becoming satiated with this contemplation.” “It (gnosis - A.L.) easily leads the soul to that which is akin to the soul, to the divine and holy, and, enlightening with its light, leads a person along the steps of mystical perfection until, purified from the slightest filth, he is elevated will be in the highest abodes of peace, where he will learn to contemplate God “face to face” consciously and with full understanding... And those who have achieved the utmost possible perfection for those living in the flesh, passing on (after death - A.L.), as befits them , for the better, rush through the holy seventh (seven “heavens” of the Pleroma, levels of blissful otherness - A.L.) into the Father’s courtyard, truly the Lord’s dwelling, and become there an abiding and eternal light...”.

The doctrine of reincarnation set out by Clement in the Stromata contradicts the traditional church dogma of salvation. According to him, after death, the “image” - the personality, the “I” - receives a reward or punishment. Righteous people go to heaven, where they remain in constant bliss. Sinners (the vast majority of them) go to hell, and also forever. Orthodox Christianity says nothing about the posthumous fate of the soul - a “particle of God” or a “similarity to the Prototype”.

Is it really possible that the “image of God,” which is the bearer of all people, including unrepentant sinners, goes to hell forever after death?

Another question: if we recognize reincarnation, then each new “image”, new personality, as it were, cancels and crosses out all the previous ones. Are they really dying? Then why should the “image” person strive for salvation, since only some part of him will continue to exist, which has no direct relation to the “I”? Clement of Alexandria does not give a detailed description of the posthumous fate of the “image” personality, but distinguishes it from the soul - the “particle of God.”. « “The ten parts of the human being are: body, soul, five senses, productive force, mental or spiritual ability.” Thinking ability

", which is, as it were, the basis for the personality-"I", according to the apologist, is separate from the soul. What, according to the apologist, happens to the “image” after death? Clement of Alexandria does not report the posthumous fate of the “I” personality. But his views can be reconstructed from one of the few statements about the posthumous future of man.“What has been said about sleep can also be said about death. Both states represent the self-deepening of the soul; death is his complete image, a weakened sleep"

Of course, here I am complementing the laconic and cautious statement of Clement, who did not want to divulge the secrets of gnosis. But the basis for such a reconstruction is the texts of early Christian mysticism. In particular, the Gospel of Thomas, one of the earliest texts of Christianity, reports about the soul’s preservation of all the images generated by it. “Jesus said: When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see the images that happened before you - they do not die, and are not (no longer born - A.L.) - how great (surprise - A.L.) will you endure?(88th Logia). From the words of the Savior it follows that “images”-persons do not cease to exist after physical death, but they no longer come into the world for a new life. Their posthumous fate is immersion in the inner universe of the soul.

Is this the final dive? The doctrine of the salvation of all - apokatastasis, emanating from Christ Himself, testifies that it is not. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me”(John 12:32). Clement of Alexandria also preached universal salvation when he described the ascent of the soul along the ladder of spiritual perfection. The “image” personality, who has reached its peak, relieves the entire chain of its predecessors from suffering. The saint who saves himself, the last in the relay of incarnations, resurrects all the “images” that preceded him and elevates them to the eternal kingdom of God.

Notes
1. See my work “Messages from the Evil Age...”, magazine “Light. Nature and Man", No. 5, 2002.
2. Pleroma - in Greek “fullness”, an area of ​​blissful existence that contains all the “facets” of divine perfection. The pleroma consists of various eons - “ages”, levels of manifestation of God. Clement and other “church” Gnostics taught about eight levels of the Pleroma: “the holy seventh and the father’s court”; other Gnostic schools proclaimed 12 or 30 aeons. The pleroma in orthodox Christianity is usually called the “Kingdom of Heaven” (more correctly, the Kingdom of Heaven).
3. According to the apocrypha, in addition to reincarnation, there is also hell - to punish the most sinful souls. Those souls who have learned the path of salvation and followed virtue are not “thrown into another flesh” after death, and they no longer return to this world.
4. “Authorities”, as well as “beginnings”, “powers”, “dominations” - designated the spiritual enemies of man in the early Christian teaching. They are often mentioned, in particular in the letters of the Apostle Paul. But already at the end of the 2nd century AD. These terms disappear from the texts of orthodox Christianity and are replaced by “demon,” borrowed from the mysticism of ancient paganism. This can only be explained by the rejection of gnosis by orthodoxy. The term “demon” is also used by Clement.
5. This Gospel was discovered in 1945 among Gnostic texts, which are usually called the “Nag Hammadi library” after the place of discovery. Now most researchers of the Gospel of Thomas date its writing around the middle of the 1st century. n. e., earlier than the canonical Gospels of the New Testament (see, for example, the works of J. Crossan and H. Kester). In my opinion, this text was written from the words of Jesus during His earthly ministry (approximately 28-31 AD. See my work “On the Dating of the Gospel of Thomas. Gnosticism and the Preaching of Jesus.”