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Protrepticus (Clement)

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The work is, as its title suggests, an exhortation to the pagans of Greece to adopt Christianity, and within it Clement demonstrates his extensive knowledge of pagan mythology and theology. It is chiefly important due to Clement's exposition of religion as an anthropological phenomenon. After a short
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on the basis that its deities are both false and poor moral examples, and he attacks the mystery religions for their obscurantism and trivial rituals. In particular, the worshippers of
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and other rationalist philosophers, on the grounds that they at least saw the flaws in paganism. However, his greatest praise is reserved for Plato, whose
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demons, and he cites several classical sources in support of this second hypothesis. Clement, like many pre-Nicene fathers, writes favourably about
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philosophical discussion, it opens with a history of Greek religion in seven stages. Clement suggests that at first, men mistakenly believed
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of Christ. According to Clement, through conversion to Christianity alone can man fully participate in the Logos, which is universal truth.
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is prominent throughout the narrative, and Clement contrasts his song, representing pagan superstition, with the divine
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to be gods. The next development was the worship of the products of agriculture, from which he contends the cults of
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Homer or Moses?: early Christian interpretations of the history of culture
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arose. Man then paid reverence to revenge, and deified human feelings of
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giving the number of twelve. Finally, men proclaimed other men, such as
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are used as an example of the false cults of Greek paganism in the
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Biography of Clement, with short commentary on the Protrepticus
89: 113: 93: 81: 128: 317: 275: 88:, among others. In the following stage, the poets 127:are ridiculed for their ritual use of children's 466: 407: 198: 196: 338: 212: 210: 208: 70:the Sun, the Moon and other heavenly bodies 414: 400: 377:translated by George William Butterworth, 341:Orphism and Christianity in late antiquity 193: 175: 119:Clement criticizes Greek paganism in the 16:2nd century work of Clement of Alexandria 315: 205: 96:attempt to enumerate the Gods; Hesiod's 20: 467: 273: 395: 296: 143:views of God prefigure Christianity. 339:de Jáuregui, Miguel Herrero (2010). 13: 14: 491: 358: 282:. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. 480:Works by Clement of Alexandria 255: 246: 237: 228: 219: 184: 62: 1: 343:. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 267: 7: 475:3rd-century Christian texts 157: 10: 496: 324:. New York: Ardent Media. 301:. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. 252:de Jáuregui (2010), p. 132 433: 365:Προτρεπτικὸς πρὸς Ἕλληνας 297:Droge, Arthur J. (1989). 278:Late Ancient Christianity 274:Burrus, Virginia (2010). 243:Ferguson (1974), pp. 55–6 164:Protrepsis and paraenesis 49:Προτρεπτικὸς πρὸς Ἕλληνας 48: 383:Harvard University Press 169: 316:Ferguson, John (1974). 379:Loeb Classical Library 261:Sharkey (2009), p. 159 234:Ferguson (1974), p. 50 216:Ferguson (1974), p. 48 108:, deities. Discussing 34: 423:Clement of Alexandria 375:Greek/English edition 320:Clement of Alexandria 225:Burrus (2011), p. 101 53:Clement of Alexandria 24: 202:Droge (1989), p. 131 190:Droge (1989), p. 130 181:Droge (1989), p. 138 59:of the 2nd century. 57:Christian theologian 35: 462: 461: 350:978-3-11-020633-3 331:978-0-8057-2231-4 308:978-3-16-145354-0 289:978-0-8006-9720-4 487: 416: 409: 402: 393: 392: 354: 335: 323: 312: 293: 281: 262: 259: 253: 250: 244: 241: 235: 232: 226: 223: 217: 214: 203: 200: 191: 188: 182: 179: 50: 27:Orphic mysteries 495: 494: 490: 489: 488: 486: 485: 484: 465: 464: 463: 458: 429: 420: 361: 351: 332: 309: 290: 270: 265: 260: 256: 251: 247: 242: 238: 233: 229: 224: 220: 215: 206: 201: 194: 189: 185: 180: 176: 172: 160: 65: 17: 12: 11: 5: 493: 483: 482: 477: 460: 459: 457: 456: 449: 442: 434: 431: 430: 419: 418: 411: 404: 396: 390: 389: 372: 367: 360: 359:External links 357: 356: 355: 349: 336: 330: 313: 307: 294: 288: 269: 266: 264: 263: 254: 245: 236: 227: 218: 204: 192: 183: 173: 171: 168: 167: 166: 159: 156: 146:The figure of 64: 61: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 492: 481: 478: 476: 473: 472: 470: 455: 454: 450: 448: 447: 443: 441: 440: 436: 435: 432: 428: 427:great trilogy 424: 417: 412: 410: 405: 403: 398: 397: 394: 388: 384: 380: 376: 373: 371: 368: 366: 363: 362: 352: 346: 342: 337: 333: 327: 322: 321: 314: 310: 304: 300: 295: 291: 285: 280: 279: 272: 271: 258: 249: 240: 231: 222: 213: 211: 209: 199: 197: 187: 178: 174: 165: 162: 161: 155: 153: 149: 144: 142: 138: 134: 130: 126: 122: 117: 115: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 91: 87: 83: 79: 75: 71: 60: 58: 54: 46: 42: 41: 32: 28: 23: 19: 451: 444: 439:Protrepticus 438: 437: 340: 319: 298: 277: 257: 248: 239: 230: 221: 186: 177: 145: 133:misanthropic 121:Protrepticus 120: 118: 66: 40:Protrepticus 39: 38: 36: 31:Protrepticus 30: 18: 387:Archive.org 385:, 1960 at 63:Description 469:Categories 446:Paedagogus 268:References 141:apophatic 137:Euhemerus 102:Asclepius 453:Stromata 158:See also 125:Dionysus 110:idolatry 106:Heracles 98:Theogony 78:Dionysus 148:Orpheus 74:Demeter 347:  328:  305:  286:  90:Hesiod 170:Notes 152:Logos 114:Plato 94:Homer 45:Greek 345:ISBN 326:ISBN 303:ISBN 284:ISBN 129:toys 104:and 92:and 86:fear 84:and 82:love 76:and 55:, a 37:The 25:The 425:'s 471:: 381:, 207:^ 195:^ 47:: 33:. 415:e 408:t 401:v 353:. 334:. 311:. 292:. 43:(

Index


Orphic mysteries
Greek
Clement of Alexandria
Christian theologian
the Sun, the Moon and other heavenly bodies
Demeter
Dionysus
love
fear
Hesiod
Homer
Theogony
Asclepius
Heracles
idolatry
Plato
Dionysus
toys
misanthropic
Euhemerus
apophatic
Orpheus
Logos
Protrepsis and paraenesis




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