SOURCE: “Literary Work, ” in Clement of Alexandria: A Study in Christian Liberalism, Vol. I, Williams and Norgate, 1914, pp. 178-209.

In the following excerpt, Tollinton examines difficulties Clement faced in his writing and how he dealt with them—by acting positively instead of defensively, by tailoring his writing to the intelligent reader, and by deliberately disregarding style.

During the later years of his residence in Alexandria Clement determined to give his teaching a permanent and written form. It was a natural decision on several grounds. He had lived the life of a student since his early school-days. He had gathered abundant materials. Even within the Church he had the example of many contemporaries who were authors. He had made his home in a city of books and libraries. It is thus no matter for surprise that literary work should have formed a considerable element in the latter half of...