New "Deep Dive" Podcast Episode 8: A Stromateis of What? (Part 4) Is Pseudo-Basil Epistle 366 Another Lost Letter of Clement of Alexandria

Podcast 8 

Summary 

The text explores the relationship between Clement of Alexandria's writings, specifically the Stromateis, and a letter known as Epistle 366. The author argues that Clement's extensive use of material from other authors, including Valentinus and pagan philosophers, is a characteristic of his writing style and should not be interpreted as direct endorsement. The text then analyzes Clement's use of themes of spiritual bodies, self-mastery, and asceticism in both Epistle 366 and Stromateis, ultimately concluding that Clement likely reused material from his own writings to develop his broader theological vision in the Stromateis. Clement of Alexandria's utilization of Valentinus's writings, despite considering him heretical, reveals a pragmatic and strategic theological methodology. 

Clement, much like he does with pagan philosophers like Plato, extracts useful arguments from Valentinus's work to support his own theological positions, demonstrating the complexity of the intellectual landscape of his time. 

● Clement acknowledges that figures like Valentinus, though considered heretical, possess fragments of truth. 

● His engagement with Valentinus's ideas is not an endorsement, but a calculated utilization of their arguments to bolster his own. 

● This approach, reflecting a broader pattern of eclectic synthesis, highlights Clement's focus on the utility of an argument rather than strict adherence to a particular school of thought. This method is evident in how Clement repurposes material from his own works, demonstrating the fluidity with which he approached and reshaped arguments. For instance, he utilizes a line from Euripides' Bacchae in different contexts to illustrate different theological points. This further suggests that Clement's incorporation of Valentinus's ideas in the Stromateis might be a strategic repurposing of useful theological concepts. Furthermore, Clement's use of Valentinus's writing sheds light on the broader intellectual milieu of his time. 

The presence of Valentinian thought, even if contested, within Clement's work underscores the diversity of early Christian thought and the fluidity of boundaries between orthodoxy and heresy in the 2nd century. It suggests an intellectual environment where engagement with diverse, even conflicting, ideas was common. This engagement, however, was not necessarily aimed at reconciliation or acceptance but often involved the strategic appropriation of ideas to support pre-existing theological positions.