SOURCE: “Arguments for Faith in Clement of Alexandria,” in Vigiliae Christianae, Vol. 48, No. 1, 1994, pp. 1-24.

In the following essay, Osborn examines in turn each of Clement's eight arguments for faith and the resulting philosophical problems.

In the history of ideas, the defence of faith, which is offered by Clement of Alexandria, ranks beside that of Paul who, in Romans 4, sought to prove the primacy of the faith of Abraham over the law of Moses. Paul was supported by the Letter to the Hebrews, which claimed that not only Abraham, but all the notables of Jewish scripture were persons of faith. Yet faith found its first principle and perfection in Jesus. For Clement, just as the law was a paidagogos to the Jews, so philosophy was a paidagogos to the Greeks to bring them to Christ. In the second century, both paidagogoi were unhappy at their compulsory retirement, especially...