Exhortation to the Heathen
The Protrepticus stands as Clement of Alexandria's bold invitation to the pagan intellectual elite of late second-century Alexandria to abandon their philosophical and religious traditions for Christianity. Written around 190-200 CE, this "exhortation" emerged from one of antiquity's great cosmopolitan centers, where Greek philosophy, Egyptian mystery religions, and emerging Christian theology intersected in sophisticated urban culture. Clement, himself a convert from paganism and head of Alexandria's influential catechetical school, crafted this work as the first volume of a planned trilogy addressing different stages of Christian formation.
The treatise systematically dismantles pagan religion and philosophy not through ridicule but through careful argumentation that reveals their internal contradictions and moral failures. Clement demonstrates remarkable familiarity with Greek literature, philosophy, and mystery religions, quoting extensively from Homer, Plato, the Stoics, and various religious traditions. He argues that whatever truth these systems contain finds its fulfillment in Christ, whom he presents as the true Logos—the divine reason that Greek philosophers sought but never fully grasped. The work's most striking feature is Clement's sophisticated cultural engagement; rather than rejecting pagan learning wholesale, he shows how it serves as a "schoolmaster" leading to Christ, much as Paul had argued about the Jewish law.
The Protrepticus established a template for Christian apologetics that would influence centuries of missionary and theological work. Its method of finding stepping stones to the gospel within existing cultural forms became foundational for Christian engagement with non-Christian thought. The work demonstrates how early Christianity could be both uncompromising in its claims and generous in its cultural appreciation.
Who should read this: Students of early Christian apologetics and anyone interested in how Christianity first engaged seriously with sophisticated pagan culture will find this essential reading. Those seeking simplistic answers or anti-intellectual approaches to faith should look elsewhere—Clement demands readers comfortable with complex philosophical argumentation.