Unveiling the Great Mysteries: Clement of Alexandria’s Vision of Spiritual Ascent
The Great and Lesser Mysteries
In Stromateis V.4.19.1—20.1, Clement alludes to the great mysteries but does not explicitly reveal their contents. He emphasizes that “the Mysteries are not shown just to anybody, willy-nilly, but only after certain purifications and prior instructions.” This recalls his statement in Stromateis IV.1.3.1–4, where he describes “the lesser mysteries” as “preliminary purifications and explanations” necessary before one can access “the true gnostic science of nature” and “the great mysteries.” The great mysteries, then, are those that follow these initial purifications and explanations.
The Divine Chorus
Clement’s phrase “stand outside the divine chorus” (ἔξω θείου χοροῦ ἵστασθαι) is drawn from Plato’s myth of the chariot, which describes how souls experience true reality between incarnations (Phaedrus 246d–248c). To understand what it means to stand inside this chorus, one must consider Plato’s larger context. Plato describes the “many blessed sights and many ways hither and thither within the heaven, along which the blessed gods go to and fro attending each to his own duties.” He adds that “whoever wishes, and is able, follows, for jealousy must stand outside the divine chorus.”
The Cosmic Dance
Christoph Riedweg and Elizabeth Belfiore suggest that the divine chorus denotes the revolving cosmic dance of the stars, which Plato believed to be the gods. Human souls can join this cosmic dance if they are able. Plato describes how the gods, when going to a feast and banquet, proceed steeply upward to the top of the vault of heaven. The “chariots of the gods” make this journey with ease, but the chariots of human souls struggle because one of their two horses tends to pull them downward. Souls that have nourished their wings through virtue and have become immortal through philosophy eventually reach the top and pass outside the dome of heaven into “the region above the heaven,” where they stand on the back of the fixed sphere and gaze upon the forms.
The Path to the Great Mysteries
Clement’s use of this Platonic imagery serves to illustrate the soul’s journey towards the divine. The great mysteries, then, involve a similar ascent, where the soul, purified and instructed, progresses through stages of spiritual development, eventually participating in the divine chorus and beholding the ultimate truths. This journey is not merely intellectual but requires a profound transformation of the soul, achieved through rigorous spiritual discipline and philosophical understanding.
Scott Brown's Insights
Scott Brown’s analysis sheds light on how Clement intertwines Platonic and early Christian mystical traditions to convey the process of spiritual ascent. Brown highlights the importance of purification and prior instruction as prerequisites for accessing the great mysteries, emphasizing the depth and complexity of Clement’s mystical theology.
For those interested in exploring these themes further, Scott Brown’s paper Behind the Seven Veils, I: The Gnostic Life Setting of the Mystic Gospel of Mark offers an essential resource. Brown meticulously examines Clement’s cosmology and soteriology, providing readers with a comprehensive perspective on the spiritual ascent envisioned by early Christian mystics.
Conclusion
Clement of Alexandria’s teachings on the great mysteries and the divine chorus offer a rich and detailed vision of spiritual ascent. By connecting Platonic and Christian mystical traditions, Clement provides a structured journey toward the highest forms of knowledge and union with the divine. Scott Brown’s insightful analysis helps us appreciate the depth and complexity of Clement’s mystical theology, offering valuable insights into the hidden mysteries of early Christian spirituality. For a thorough exploration of these profound ideas, Brown’s paper is an invaluable guide.
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