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Clement of Alexandria

An Introduction to Clement of Alexandria
This course is the first in a series of short courses aiming to introduce some of the major figures from Early Church history to a wider audience, especially to those with no previous background in the subject.
Clement (c.150-214 AD) lived and worked in one of the most important cultural, religious and trade centres of the ancient world. The eclectic religious and philosophical atmosphere of Alexandria had given rise to various unorthodox Christian sects (collectively known as the gnostics), and Clement’s opposition to such groups form a major theme in his writings.
A second major theme in Clement’s work is his determination to show that Christianity is not alien to the highly prized Greek culture and philosophy of the day. Instead, Clement presented the teachings of Christ to his educated audience as the supreme philosophy.

A third theme present throughout his works is the highly ascetic character of early Christianity which led, within 100 years of his death, to the flowering of monasticism in the Egyptian desert.
Course Outline
This course touches on all of these topics and will be divided into three sessions with short refreshment breaks in between. The first two sessions will be delivered in a traditional teaching format, but the format of the third session will be slightly different.
Merely learning about Clement of Alexandria, carries with it the danger of failing to recognise his intense personal engagement with Christ. The third session will therefore provide us with an opportunity to engage on a more personal level with some of the ideas, metaphors and analogies used by Clement when discussing the spiritual life.
A number of selected passages from his works (along with suitable handouts) will be suggested as potential “catalysts” for your own spiritual journey. Time and space will be given for you to chew over these extracts on the day.
Please note: Tea & coffee (and nice biscuits) will be provided during the breaks, but you will need to make your own arrangements for lunch.
Who is the course aimed at?
Anyone who’s read this far and is still interested. You don’t have to be a vicar!
Do I need to know any history/theology?
Absolutely not! The course assumes a complete lack of previous knowledge, experience or study. Although naturally this wouldn’t do any harm.
Speaker
Russell Jefford has been fascinated with the Early Church period for a number of years - an interest which led to him recently taking an MA in Patristics (Early Church history) at King’s College London.
He sees much in the writings of the Early Church Fathers (especially the Eastern Fathers) which is inspirational and of relevance to contemporary Christianity. This course is one of a series attempting to spread that inspiration further afield.

This course is currently scheduled for the following dates/locations:
None! Sorry, this course is not in the calendar for the immediate future. If you'd like to lobby for it to be repeated, please use the Get in Touch form.

Suggestions for further reading
See the Reading Room section of the website for:

Inspirational extracts from some of Clement of Alexandria's works
Books about Clement of Alexandria
Books containing his work in English translation