THE “MINOR” WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the so-called minor writings of Clement of Alexandria, one of the greatest leaders of the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Special attention is given here to the characteristics of the following works: Excerpta ex Theodoto; Eclogae Propheticae; Salvation for the Rich; Hypotyposes; On Easter; Canon of the Church, or Against Judaizers; Exhortation to Endurance, or To the Newly Baptized. The author of his paper attempts to trace in the above-mentioned works Clement of Alexandria’s continuous efforts to assert Christianity. These efforts were most vivid in his large philosophical and literary trilogy based on Stromata. Through characterizing Clement of Alexandria’s “minor” writings, the author comes to the conclusion that Clement’s intellectualism had an Orthodox tinge, while certain efforts to resort to the Ancient heritage indicated his willingness to combine the pagan past with the Christian present. Moreover, the article suggests that Clement’s “minor” works reflect his desire to move away from Christian Orthodoxy. This is most clearly manifested in Salvation for the Rich, where the most important Christian dogma about the need to reject material wealth is supplemented with the thesis that it is not the material things, but their unrighteous use and the person’s lust for possessions that is detrimental to the human soul. In addition, the author pays special attention to the issue of intellectual relations between Clement and pseudo-Gnostics. For instance, in Excerpta ex Theodoto Clement discusses with pseudo-Gnostics the questions of the truth of faith and the origin of the world and God.