Recepcja ideałów helleńskich w nauce Klemensa Aleksandryjskiego

Abstract

There is no doubt that Clement of Alexandria’s attitude towards the Hellenic culture is a positive one. However, too little attention has been so far paid to his declaration that anything that is useful should be berrowed from the whole culture (Strom., II 4, 1). From this statement it follows that his attitude towards the values present in the Hellenic culture is eclectical. Consequently, Clement approved of some of the values but he decidedly rejected some other ones. In the Hellenic culture he first of all saw an irreplacable tool for evangelization, aid in preparation to the faith and in Christian self-improvement as well as in fight against heresies. Among the many values functioning in the Hellenic culture he paid special attention to the ideal of kalokagathia, paideia, apatheia, homoiosis and mesotes. Clement was extremely skillful in accepting and assimilating into the Christian teaching those values - represented by various philosophical trends - that were compatible with Christ’s teaching. What is original in Clement’s model of Christian self-improvement is that he stressed the need of broadly understood education which was not duly appreciated in the world of Christianity in those times and which is not ruled out by the Gospel and is recommended by the documents of Vatican Council II.