Clementine literature (also called Clementina, Pseudo-Clementine Writings, Kerygmata Petrou, Clementine Romance) is the name given to the religious
romance
Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to:
Common meanings
* Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings
* Romance languages, ...
which purports to contain a record made by one Clement (whom the narrative identifies as both
Pope Clement I
Pope Clement I ( la, Clemens Romanus; Greek: grc, Κλήμης Ῥώμης, Klēmēs Rōmēs) ( – 99 AD) was bishop of Rome in the late first century AD. He is listed by Irenaeus and Tertullian as the bishop of Rome, holding office from 88 AD t ...
, and
Domitian
Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavi ...
's cousin
Titus Flavius Clemens) of discourses involving the
Apostle Peter
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
, together with an account of the circumstances under which Clement came to be Peter's travelling companion, and of other details of Clement's family history. The author is sometimes called Pseudo-Clement (as distinct from
Pope Clement I
Pope Clement I ( la, Clemens Romanus; Greek: grc, Κλήμης Ῥώμης, Klēmēs Rōmēs) ( – 99 AD) was bishop of Rome in the late first century AD. He is listed by Irenaeus and Tertullian as the bishop of Rome, holding office from 88 AD t ...
).
Overview
Two versions of this romance have survived: one version is called the ''Clementine Homilies'' (''H''), which consists of 20 books and exists in the original
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
; the other is called the ''Clementine Recognitions'' (''R''), for which the original Greek has been lost, but exists in a Latin translation made by
Tyrannius Rufinus
Tyrannius Rufinus, also called Rufinus of Aquileia (''Rufinus Aquileiensis'') or Rufinus of Concordia (344/345–411), anglicized as Tyrann Rufine, was a monk, historian, and theologian. He is best known as a translator of Greek patristic materia ...
(died 410). Two later epitomes of the ''Homilies'' also exist, and there is a partial
Syriac Syriac may refer to:
*Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic
*Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region
* Syriac alphabet
** Syriac (Unicode block)
** Syriac Supplement
* Neo-Aramaic languages a ...
translation, which embraces the ''Recognitions'' (books 1–3), and the ''Homilies'' (books 10–14), preserved in two
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
manuscripts, one of which was written in the year 411. Some fragments of the ''Clementines'' are known in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
, Armenian and in
Slavonic.
Large portions of ''H'' and ''R'' are almost word for word the same, and larger portions also correspond in subject and more or less in treatment. However, other parts contained only in one appear to be referred to or presupposed in the other. The two works are roughly of the same length, and contain the same framework of romance. ''H'' was considered to be the original by
Neander Neander may refer to:
;Surname
* August Neander (1789–1850), a German theologian and church historian
* Ernst Neumann-Neander (1871–1954), founder of the now defunct Neander motorcycle manufacturer
* Joachim Neander (1650–1680), Calvinist tea ...
,
Baur Baur can refer to:
People
* A. C. Baur (1900–1931), American football player and stock broker
* Alfred Baur, Swiss collector of Asian art
* Eleonore Baur, only woman to participate in Munich Beer Hall Putsch
* Erwin Baur, German geneticist and b ...
,
Schwegler, and others.
Lehmann
Lehmann is a German surname.
Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 75.3% of all bearers of the surname ''Lehmann'' were residents of Germany, 6.6% of the United States, 6.3% of Switzerland, 3.2% of France, 1.7% of Australia and 1.3% of Poland.
In ...
thought the first three books of ''R'' to be original, and ''H'' for the remainder.
Gerhard Uhlhorn Gerhard is a name of Germanic origin and may refer to:
Given name
* Gerhard (bishop of Passau) (fl. 932–946), German prelate
* Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1292–1340), German prince, regent of Denmark
* Gerhard Barkhorn (1919 ...
argued that both were recensions of an earlier book, ''Kerygmata Petrou'' (''Preachings of Peter''), ''R'' having best preserved the narrative, ''H'' the dogmatic teaching.
Whiston,
Rosenmüller,
Ritschl,
Hilgenfeld
Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld (2 June 182312 January 1907) was a German Protestant theologian.
Biography
He was born at Stappenbeck near Salzwedel in the Province of Saxony.
He studied at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin an ...
, and others held ''R'' to be the original.
It is now almost universally held (after
F. J. A. Hort
Fenton John Anthony Hort (1828–1892), known as F. J. A. Hort, was an Irish-born theologian and editor, with Brooke Foss Westcott of a critical edition of ''The New Testament in the Original Greek''.
Life
He was born on 23 April 1828 ...
,
Harnack Harnack is the surname of a German family of intellectuals, artists, mathematicians, scientists, theologians and those in other fields. Several family members were executed by the Nazis during the last years of the Third Reich.
* Theodosius Harnac ...
,
Hans Waitz Johannes Waitz, also Hans Waitz, was a German Biblical scholar specializing in the New Testament Apocrypha and source-critical studies. He was an Evangelical pastor in Darmstadt until 1927, and not to be confused with the Austrian Catholic bishop of ...
) that ''H'' and ''R'' are two versions of an original Clementine romance, which was longer than either, and embraced most of the contents of both. Sometimes ''H'', sometimes ''R'', is the more faithful to the archetype.
Narrative
Within the elaborate philosophical and dogmatic discourse which forms the bulk of both works is
interwoven a story which, when we consider its date, may be described as positively exciting and romantic. It differs slightly in the two books. The narrative is addressed to
James the Just
James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord ( la, Iacobus from he, יעקב, and grc-gre, Ἰάκωβος, , can also be Anglicized as "Jacob"), was "a brother of Jesus", according to the New Testament. He was an early lead ...
, the
Bishop of Jerusalem, and is related in the voice of Clement himself. He begins by detailing his religious questionings, his doubts about immortality, his love for celibacy, and so on. Clement hears at
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
the preaching of a man of Judea who relates the miracles of Christ. Clement defends this speaker from the mob, and follows him to
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
. ''R'' identifies this man as
Barnabas
Barnabas (; arc, ܒܪܢܒܐ; grc, Βαρνάβας), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christian, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Name ...
; in ''H'', Clement likewise sets out for Palestine, but is driven by storms to
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, where he is directed to Barnabas, and there defends him from the mob and follows to
Caesarea
Caesarea () ( he, קֵיסָרְיָה, ), ''Keysariya'' or ''Qesarya'', often simplified to Keisarya, and Qaysaria, is an affluent town in north-central Israel, which inherits its name and much of its territory from the ancient city of Caesare ...
.
Arrival in Palestine
At Caesarea, Clement hears that the apostle Peter is there and is about to hold a disputation with
Simon Magus
Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in Acts . The act of simony, or paying for position, is ...
. At Peter's lodging he finds Barnabas, who introduces him. Peter invites Clement to accompany him from city to city, on his way to Rome, in order to hear his discourses. Clement (so ''R''; ''H'' credits this duty to Peter himself) sends a report of this to James, from whom Peter has an order to transmit to him accounts of all his teaching.
So far ''H'' 1 and ''R'' 1.1–21; then the two versions differ. The original order may have been as follows: Clement arises at dawn (''H'' 2.1) and finds Peter, who continues to instruct him (2–18, compare ''R'' 2.33 and 3.61). Peter sends for two of his disciples, Nicetas and
Aquila, whom he describes as foster-sons of Justa, the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter was healed by Christ. They had been educated from boyhood by
Simon Magus
Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in Acts . The act of simony, or paying for position, is ...
, but had been converted by Zacchaeus, another disciple of Peter (19–21), whom ''H'' identifies with
Zachaeus the tax-collector.
Aquila
Aquila relates Simon's parentage, his
Samaritan origin, and Simon's claim to be greater than the God who created the world (''H'' 2.22; ''R'' 2.7). Simon (Magus) had been a disciple of
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
, who is represented in ''H'' as the head of a sect of "daily baptizers";
Dositheus having succeeded John, and then Simon supplanted Dositheus (23–4). In ''R'' John the Baptist is not mentioned, and the sect is said to be led by Dositheus. Aquila described the woman, Helena, Simon's traveling companion (in ''R'' she is called the
moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...
– ''R'' 2.12, ''H'' 2.26, Helena might be a punning variation of Selene/Selena), and Simon's purported
miracle
A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...
s (''H'' 2.32, ''R'' 2.10).
Simon claimed that he could make himself visible or invisible at will, pass through rocks as if they were clay, throw himself down from a mountain unhurt, loose himself when bound, animate statues, make trees spring up; throw himself into a fire without harm, appear to have two faces: "I shall change myself into a sheep or a goat. I shall make a beard to grow upon little boys. I shall ascend by flight into the air, I shall exhibit abundance of gold. I shall make and unmake kings. I shall be worshiped as God, I shall have divine honors publicly assigned to me, so that an image of me shall be set up, and I shall be adored as God." (''R'' 2.9.). Next day at noon, Zacchaeus announced that Simon had put off the promised debate (''H'' 2.35–7; ''R'' 2.20–1) and Peter instructed Clement into the evening (''H'' 2.38–53).
Possible Ebionite content
As Fred Lapham notes, a substantial part of the first book of ''R'' (1.27-71) differs from the form and content of the rest of the work.
[Lapham, ''An Introduction to the New Testament Apocrypha'' (London: T&T Clark International, 2003), p. 48] This part of ''R'' consists of three distinct works added to ''R'' either by the compiler or a later editor. These works have been labelled by more recent scholars as follows:
* First comes an account of the creation and the history of Israel down to the Coming of Christ (1.27-42)
* Next is a treatise which deals with the question whether Jesus should be understood as "the eternal Christ", and discusses his priestly and salvatory role (1.44-52). Lapham notes much of this material is similar to canonical works such as the
Epistle to the Hebrews
The Epistle to the Hebrews ( grc, Πρὸς Ἑβραίους, Pros Hebraious, to the Hebrews) is one of the books of the New Testament.
The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Mos ...
and
1 Thessalonians
The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle, and is addressed to the church in Thessalonica, in modern-day Greece. It is likely among th ...
.
[
* Last is a section which many have believed to correspond to the '']Ascents of James
__NOTOC__
The Ascents of James (Greek: ''Anabathmoi Iacobou'') is the title of a lost work briefly described in a heresiology known as the ''Panarion'' (30.16.6–9), by Epiphanius of Salamis; it was used as a source for a polemic against a Jewish ...
'' cited by Epiphanius of Salamis
Epiphanius of Salamis ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He gai ...
(1.53-71). If these scholars are correct, then this section would express a form of Ebionite
Ebionites ( grc-gre, Ἐβιωναῖοι, ''Ebionaioi'', derived from Hebrew (or ) ''ebyonim'', ''ebionim'', meaning 'the poor' or 'poor ones') as a term refers to a Jewish Christian sect, which viewed poverty as a blessing, that existed durin ...
beliefs
Debate between Peter and Simon
Next morning before dawn Peter arouses his disciples (''H'' 3.1; ''R'' 2.1), who are enumerated (''H'' 2.1; ''R'' 2.1). Peter gives a private preparatory discourse (''H'') and then goes out to the public discussion with Simon. Only one day of it is related in ''H'' (3.38–57), but the whole matter of the three days is given in ''R'' (2.24–70; 3.12–30, 33–48). But what ''H'' has omitted here it gives largely, though in a different form, in chapters 16, 17, 18, and partly in 19, as another discussion with Simon in Laodicea. It is clear that ''R'' has the original order. Simon, being worsted, flies in the night to Tyre. Peter determines to follow, leaving Zacchaeus as bishop at Caesarea (''H'' 3.58–72; ''R'' 3.63–6). ''H'' adds that Peter remained seven days longer and baptized 10,000 people, sending on Nicetas and Aquila to stay at Tyre with Bernice, daughter of their stepmother, Justa (3.73). But ''R'' relates that seven other disciples were sent on, while Clement remained at Caesarea for three months with Peter, who repeated in private at night the public instructions he gave during the day; all this Clement wrote down and sent to James. In chapter 75 the contents of the ten books of these sermons as sent to Jerusalem are described.
Tyre
''H'' now makes Clement, Nicetas, and Aquila go on to Tyre. Bernice tells them how Simon has been raising ghosts, infecting the people with diseases, and bringing demons upon them, and has gone to Sidon
Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...
. Clement has a discussion with Simon's disciple Appion (''H'' 5.7 – 6.25). All this is omitted by ''R'', but the same subjects are discussed in ''R'' 10.17–51. Peter goes on northward by Tyre, Sidon, Berytos (Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
), and Byblos
Byblos ( ; gr, Βύβλος), also known as Jbeil or Jubayl ( ar, جُبَيْل, Jubayl, locally ; phn, 𐤂𐤁𐤋, , probably ), is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied between 880 ...
to Tripolis (''H'' 7.5–12). (''R'' adds Dora and Ptolemais (Akko
Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel.
The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...
), omitting Byblos, 4.1.) Peter's discourses to the multitude at Tripolis are detailed in ''H'' (books 8–11), and in ''R'' (three days only, 4–6), with considerable differences. Clement is baptized (''H'' 11.35; ''R'' 6.15). After a stay of three months he goes through Ortosias Orthosias in Phoenicia ( grc, Ὀρθωσία) was a town in the Roman province of Phoenicia Prima, and a bishopric that was a suffragan of Tyre.
History and geography
The city is mentioned for the first time in 1 Maccabees, 15:37, as a Phœnicia ...
to Antaradus (''H'' 12.1; ''R'' 7.1).
Clement's life story
At this point Clement recounts his history to Peter. He was closely related to the emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. Soon after his birth his mother had a vision that unless she speedily left Rome with her twin elder sons, she and they would perish miserably. His father therefore sent them with many servants to Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, but they disappeared, and nothing could be learned of their fate. At last, when Clement was twelve years old, his father himself set out upon the search; and he too was no more heard of (''H'' 12.9–11; ''R'' 7.8–10). In the island of Aradus
''Aradus'' is a genus of true bugs in the family Aradidae, the flat bugs. It is distributed worldwide, mainly in the Holarctic.Larivière, M. C. and A. Larochelle. (2006)An overview of flat bug genera (Hemiptera, Aradidae) from New Zealand, wit ...
, opposite the town, Peter finds a miserable beggar woman, who turns out to be Clement's mother. Peter unites them, and heals the woman (''H'' 12.12–23; ''R'' 7.11–23). ''H'' adds a discourse by Peter on philanthropy (25–33). The party now leave Aradus (Mattidia, Clement's mother, travels with Peter's wife) and go by Balaneae, Palates, and Gable to Laodicea in Syria
Laodicea ( grc, Λαοδίκεια) was a port city and an important colonia of the Roman Empire in ancient Syria, located near the modern city of Latakia. It was also called Laodicea in Syria or Laodicea ad mare. For a short period of time un ...
. Nicetas and Aquila receive them, and hear Clement's story with surprise; they declare themselves to be the twin sons of Mattidia and brothers of Clement, Faustus and Faustinus. They had been saved on a fragment of wreck, and some men in a boat had taken them up.
They had been beaten and starved, and finally sold at Caesarea Stratton to Justa, who had educated them as her own sons. Later they had adhered to Simon, but were brought by Zacchaeus to Peter. Upon hearing this, Mattidia is baptized, and Peter discourses on the rewards given to chastity (''H'' 12; ''R'' 7.24–38).
The recognitions
The next morning Peter is interrupted at his prayers by an old man, who assures him that prayer is a mistake, since all things are governed by nemesis or fate. Peter replies (''H'' 14.1–5; ''R'' names him Nicetas); Aquila and Clement try also to refute him (8.5 – 9.33; compare ''H'' 15.1–5), but without success, for the old man had cast a horoscope
A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...
for himself and his wife, and he explains how it came true. Clement, Nicetas, and Aquila recognize that this man is their father; Peter asks his name and those of his children.
Their mother rushes in, and all embrace in floods of tears. Faustus is then converted by a long series of discourses on evil and on mythology (in ''R'' these appear at 10.1–51; in ''H'' to 20.1–10 and 4.7–6.25, the discussion between Clement and Appion at Tyre; the long discussions with Simon before Faustus in ''H'' books 16, 17 and 18 were in their right place in ''R'' as part of the debate at Caesarea). Simon is driven away by the threats of Cornelius the Centurion
Cornelius ( el, Κορνήλιος, translit=Kornélios; la, Cornelius) was a Roman centurion who is considered by Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the ...
, but first he changes the face of Faustus into his own likeness by smearing it with a magic juice, in hopes that Faustus will be put to death instead of himself. Peter frightens away Simon's disciples by what are simply lies, and he sends Faustus to Antioch to unsay in the person of Simon all the abuse Simon has been pouring on the Apostle there. The people of Antioch in consequence long for Peter's coming, and nearly put the false Simon to death. Peter restores him to his proper form, and thenceforth they all live happily.
Clement's letter
Clement's letter to James forms the epilogue to ''H''. In it, Clement relates how Peter on his death bed gave his last instructions and set Clement in his own chair as his successor in the See of Rome. James is addressed as "Bishop of bishops, who rules Jerusalem, the holy Church of the Hebrews, and the Churches everywhere". To him Clement sends a book, "Clement's Epitome of the Preachings of Peter from place to place". Another letter, that of Peter to James, forms an introduction. The Apostle urges that the book of his teachings not be committed to anyone before initiation and probation. A note follows the letter, relating that James on receipt of the letter called the elders and read it to them. The book is to be given only to one who is pious, and a teacher, and circumcised, and even then only a part at a time.
A form of promise (not an oath, which is unlawful) is prescribed for the reader, by heaven, earth, water, and air, that he will take extraordinary care of the writings and communicate them to no one; he invokes upon himself terrible curses in case he should be unfaithful to this covenant. The most curious passage is: "Even if I should come to acknowledge another God, I now swear by him, whether he exist or not." After the adjuration he shall partake of bread and salt. The elders, on hearing of this solemnity, are terrified, but James pacifies them.
Characters in the Clementine literature
Matthidia
Matthidia is the mother of Clement and the twins Faustus and Faustinus (known in the story as Niceta and Aquila). She is of noble birth and married to Faustus, a relative of Emperor Augustus. When her brother-in-law starts making sexual advances on her, she, wanting to avoid a scandal, decides to leave Rome for Athens with the twins but suffers a shipwreck along the way. She comes ashore on the island of Arados where Peter later recognizes her on the basis of Clement's account. Peter takes Matthidia to her son and later, the whole family is reunited and baptized.
Justa
Justa is the foster mother of Nicetas and Aquila. When the twins are captured and enslaved by pirates after the shipwreck, Justa buys back their freedom and gives them a Greek education. In ''Recognitions'', she is simply described as a Jewish widow. In ''Homilies'', she is a proselyte of Syro-Phoenician origin whose daughter was healed by Jesus (see Mark. 7:24-30).
Early references
It was long believed that the early date of the Clementines was proved by the fact that they were twice quoted by Origen
Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...
. One of these quotations occurs in the ''Philokalia
The ''Philokalia'' ( grc, φιλοκαλία, lit=love of the beautiful, from ''philia'' "love" and ''kallos'' "beauty") is "a collection of texts written between the 4th and 15th centuries by spiritual masters" of the mystical hesychast trad ...
'' of Sts. Gregory of Nazianzus
Gregory of Nazianzus ( el, Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, ''Grēgorios ho Nazianzēnos''; ''Liturgy of the Hours'' Volume I, Proper of Saints, 2 January. – 25 January 390,), also known as Gregory the Theologian or Gregory N ...
and Basil
Basil (, ; ''Ocimum basilicum'' , also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. In Western cuisine, the generic term "basil" refers to the variety also kno ...
(c. 360). Dr. Armitage Robinson
Joseph Armitage Robinson (9 January 1858 – 7 May 1933) was a priest in the Church of England and scholar. He was successively Dean of Westminster (1902–1911) and of Wells (1911–1933).
Biography
Robinson was born the son of a poor vicar ...
showed in his edition of that work (1893) that the citation is an addition to the passage of Origen made by the compilers, or possibly by a later editor. The other citation occurs in the old Latin translation of Origen on Matthew. This translation is full of interpolations and alterations, and the passage of Pseudo-Clement is apparently an interpolation by the translator from the Arian
Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...
''Opus imperfectum in Matt.''
Omitting Origen, the earliest witness is Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian ...
. In his ''Ecclesiastical History
__NOTOC__
Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception.
Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual ...
'', III, xxxviii (AD 325) he mentions some short writings and adds:
:"And now some have only the other day brought forward other wordy and lengthy compositions as being Clement's, containing dialogues of Peter and Appion, of which there is absolutely no mention in the ancients."
These dialogues need not have been the complete romance, but may have been an earlier draft of part of it. Next we find the Clementines used by Ebionites
Ebionites ( grc-gre, Ἐβιωναῖοι, ''Ebionaioi'', derived from Hebrew (or ) ''ebyonim'', ''ebionim'', meaning 'the poor' or 'poor ones') as a term refers to a Jewish Christian sect, which viewed poverty as a blessing, that existed during ...
c. 360. They are quoted as the ''Periodi'' by St. Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is com ...
in 387 and 392 (On Galatians 1:18, and ''Adv. Jovin.'', 1:26). Two forms of the ''Recognitions'' were known to Rufinus, and one of them was translated by him c. 400.
Around 408, Paulinus of Nola
Paulinus of Nola (; la, Paulinus Nolanus; also Anglicized as Pauline of Nola; – 22 June 431) born Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, was a Roman poet, writer, and senator who attained the ranks of suffect consul () and governor of Campania ...
in a letter to Rufinus mentions having himself translated a part or all, perhaps as an exercise in Greek. The ''Opus imperfectum'' above mentioned has five quotations. It is apparently by an Arian of the beginning of the 5th century, possibly by a bishop called Maximus.
The Syriac translation was made before 411, the date of one of the Manuscripts. After this time citations occur in many Byzantine writers, and from the commendation given by Nicephorus Callisti (14th century) we may gather that an orthodox version was current. In the West the translation by Rufinus became very popular, and citations are found in Syriac and Arabic writings.
Origin and date hypotheses
In Schneemelcher's NTA
The traditionally standard edition of the New Testament Apocrypha
The New Testament apocrypha (singular apocryphon) are a number of writings by early Christians that give accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. Some of these writings were cit ...
edited by Wilhelm Schneemelcher
Wilhelm Schneemelcher (21 August 1914, Berlin – 6 August 2003, Bad Honnef) was a German Protestant theologian and expert on the New Testament Apocrypha.
Career
He obtained through Hans Lietzmann a post researching Latin and Greek manuscripts ...
includes a translation and commentary of the Pseudo-Clementines by Johannes Irmscher and Georg Strecker. Strecker places the Homilies as 3rd Century, the Recognitions as 4th Century.
Theories of Baur
Hegelian
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (; ; 27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a German philosopher. He is one of the most important figures in German idealism and one of the founding figures of modern Western philosophy. His influence extends a ...
philosopher and theologian Ferdinand Christian Baur
Ferdinand Christian Baur (21 June 1792 – 2 December 1860) was a German Protestant theologian and founder and leader of the (new) Tübingen School of theology (named for the University of Tübingen where Baur studied and taught). Following Hegel ...
, the founder of the Tübingen School
Ferdinand Christian Baur (21 June 1792 – 2 December 1860) was a German Protestant theologian and founder and leader of the (new) Tübingen School of theology (named for the University of Tübingen where Baur studied and taught). Following Hege ...
of New Testament Higher criticism
Historical criticism, also known as the historical-critical method or higher criticism, is a branch of criticism that investigates the origins of ancient texts in order to understand "the world behind the text". While often discussed in terms of ...
, based some of his theories about the New Testament on the Clementines. In turn, his ideas about the Clementines were based on descriptions by St. Epiphanius of Salamis
Epiphanius of Salamis ( grc-gre, Ἐπιφάνιος; c. 310–320 – 403) was the bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He gai ...
(c. 310–320 – 403), regarding the beliefs and writings of Christian Ebionites
Ebionites ( grc-gre, Ἐβιωναῖοι, ''Ebionaioi'', derived from Hebrew (or ) ''ebyonim'', ''ebionim'', meaning 'the poor' or 'poor ones') as a term refers to a Jewish Christian sect, which viewed poverty as a blessing, that existed during ...
in the 4th century. This Judeo-Christian sect, which thought themselves to be the authentic remnant of the earliest disciples of Jesus, rejected St. Paul as both a false apostle of Christ and an apostate from Torah-observant Judaism. Ebionites asserted that their position also represented the Christianity of the Twelve Apostles. "Paulinism", asserting salvation by faith without works of the law, was thus regarded as a heresy. This Pauline gospel thus caused a schism from the authentic apostolic Jewish Christianity originally headed by James, brother of Jesus
James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord ( la, Iacobus from he, יעקב, and grc-gre, Ἰάκωβος, , can also be Anglicized as "Jacob"), was "a brother of Jesus", according to the New Testament. He was an early lead ...
and Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...
. Baur held that the Clementine references to the notorious Samaritan sorcerer Simon Magus
Simon Magus (Greek Σίμων ὁ μάγος, Latin: Simon Magus), also known as Simon the Sorcerer or Simon the Magician, was a religious figure whose confrontation with Peter is recorded in Acts . The act of simony, or paying for position, is ...
(see ) were actually covert polemics against Paul. In Baur's historical theory, Catholicism resulted from the eventual accommodation necessitated between the Petrine and Pauline factions of the Church, beginning in the late 2nd century. The tradition that Peter and Paul co-founded Rome's Church in the mid-1st-century and were martyred together, is regarded as a fiction.
Contrary view
Throughout the middle of the 19th century this theory, in many forms, was dominant in Germany. The demonstration, mainly by English scholars, of the impossibility of the late dates ascribed to the New Testament documents (four Epistles of St. Paul and the Apocalypse were the only documents generally admitted as being of early date), and the proofs of the authenticity of the Apostolic Fathers and of the use of St. John's Gospel by Justin, Papias, and Ignatius gradually brought Baur's theories into discredit. Of the original school, Adolf Hilgenfeld
Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld (2 June 182312 January 1907) was a Germany, German Protestant theologian.
Biography
He was born at Stappenbeck near Salzwedel in the Province of Saxony.
He studied at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Fri ...
may be considered the last survivor (died 1907). He was induced many years ago to admit that Simon Magus was a real personage, though he persists that in the Clementines he is meant for St. Paul. To ''a priori'' critics it counts as nothing that Simon holds no Pauline doctrine and that the author shows no signs of being a Judæo-Christian. In 1847 Hilgenfeld dated the original nucleus (Kerygmata Petrou) soon after the Jewish war of 70; successive revisions of it were anti-Basilidian, anti-Valentinian, and anti-Marcionite respectively. Baur placed the completed form, ''H'', soon after the middle of the 2nd century, and Schliemann (1844) agreed, placing ''R'', as a revision, between 211 and 230. Other writers dated both ''H'' and ''R'' to between the 2nd and 4th centuries:
* R. 2nd century: Sixtus Senensis
Sixtus of Siena (or Sixtus Senensis) (1520–1569) was a Jew who converted to Roman Catholicism, and became a Roman Catholic theologian.
Biography
He began his career as a Franciscan preacher, speaking throughout Italy. Though he was convicted ...
, Blondellus, Nourri, Cotelerius Jean-Baptiste Cotelier or Cotelerius (born December, 1629, Nîmes; died 19 August 1686, Paris) was a Patristic scholar and Catholic theologian.
Life
His early education was under the personal direction of his father, at one time a Protestant mi ...
, Natalis Alexander, Cave, Oudin, Heinsius, Rosenmüller, Flügge, Gieseler, Friedrich Tholuck
Friedrich August Gottreu Tholuck (30 March 1799 – 10 June 1877), known as August Tholuck, was a German Protestant theologian, pastor, and historian, and church leader.
Biography
Tholuck was born at Breslau, and educated at the gymnasium and ...
, Bretschneider, Engelhardt, Gfrörer.
* R. 2nd or 3rd century: Schröck, Stark, Lumper, Krabbe, Locherer, Gersdorf.
* R. 3rd century: Strunzius (on Bardesanes, 1710), Weismann (17l8), Mosheim, Kleuker, Schmidt (Kirchengesch.)
* R. 4th century: Corrodi, Lentz (Dogmengesch.).
* H. 2nd century (beginning): Credner, Bretschneider, Kern, Rothe.
* H. 2nd century: Clericus, Beausobre, Flügge, Münscher, Hoffmann, Döllinger, Hilgers; (middle of 2nd) Hase.
* H. end of 2nd century: Schröck, Cölln, Gieseler (3rd ed.), Schenkel, Gfrörer, Lücke.
* H. 3rd century: Mill, Mosheim, Gallandi
Andrea Gallandi (born at Venice, 7 December 1709; died there 12 January 1779, or 1780) was an Italian Oratorian and patristic scholar.
Life
He pursued his theological and historical studies under two Dominicans, Daniello Concina, a moralist, a ...
, Gieseler (2nd ed.).
* H. 2nd or 3rd century: Neander, Krabbe, Baur, Ritter, Paniel, Dähne.
* H. 4th century: Lentz.
History of Salvation
Josep Rius-Camps
Josep Rius-Camps (born June 15, 1933, in Esparreguera, Barcelona (Parliament of Catalonia constituency), Barcelona, Spain) is a priest, Biblical studies, biblical scholar and patristic scholar. Professor emeritus of the Faculty of Theology of Cata ...
called the fragment Rec I, 27-74 'History of Salvation' (HS) and proposed its belonging to the B or Original Writing, quite ancient. Rius-Camps' study, however, does not grant to the first part of HS (Rec I, 27-42) the antiquity and independence that practically all researchers accept (although few agree on the limits of the ancient source).
Most scholars date (Rec I, 27-74) it after Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
although a minority (Bardsley, Thomas, Cullmann)
date it around the year 100 in the interwar period. Pedro Giménez De Aragón Sierra considers that must have been written between 96 and 116.
Regarding the claim of HS is not to proclaim the end of the Torah, but to make the Jews see that they can remain Jews by renouncing the sacrifices and admitting the messianic character of Jesus.
With respect to the Gentiles, their goal was to reinterpret the Torah to make it more acceptable to the Gentiles. In the cross-cultural process of constructing the Roman identity, the Judeo-Christians of HS wanted to participate by Judaizing the Empire, for which they yielded a little in their Jewish beliefs, making them more lax. However, it would not be of special interest to the Christian gentiles because they had found other more adequate versions to engender that ideological syncretism between Greco-Roman paganism and Judaism that was the triumphant Christianity. Those other triumphant versions are those of Luke, Paul, Barnabas, Mark and many others who, without rejecting the Torah, the Prophets and the historical books (i.e. the Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
), relativized them through the superiority of a series of scriptures that emerged precisely in the same interwar period in which HS was written (Gospels, Acts, epistles). Even if the ideology of HS was closer to the primitive ideology of the followers of Jesus, that did not make it more suitable than these other scriptures for the world that was being built.
Other opinions
Uhlhorn in his valuable monograph (1854) placed the original document in East Syria. after 150; ''H'' in the same region after 160; ''R'' in Rome after 170. Lehmann (1869) put the source (Kerygmata Petrou) very early, ''H'' and ''R'' i–ii before 160, the rest of ''R'' before 170. In England Salmon set ''R'' about 200, ''H'' about 218. Dr. Bigg makes ''H'' the original, Syrian, first half of 2nd century, ''R'' being a recasting in an orthodox sense. ''H'' was originally written by a Catholic, and the heretical parts belong to a later recension. A. C. Headlam considers that the original form was rather a collection of works than a single book, yet all products of one design and plan, coming from one writer, of a curious, versatile, unequally developed mind. While accepting the dependence on the Book of Elchasai, Headlam sees no antagonism to St. Paul, and declares that the writer is quite ignorant of Judaism. Under the impression that the original work was known to Origen
Origen of Alexandria, ''Ōrigénēs''; Origen's Greek name ''Ōrigénēs'' () probably means "child of Horus" (from , "Horus", and , "born"). ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, ...
, he is obliged to date it at the end of the 2nd century or the beginning of the third. In 1883 Bestmann made the Clementines the basis of an unsuccessful theory which, as Harnack puts it, "claimed for Jewish Christianity the glory of having developed by itself the whole doctrine, worship, and constitution of Catholicism, and of having transmitted it to Gentile Christianity as a finished product which only required to be divested of a few Jewish husks".
Another popular theory based upon the Clementines has been that it was the Epistle of Clement to James which originated the notion that St. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome. This has been asserted by no lesser authorities than J. B. Lightfoot, George Salmon
George Salmon FBA FRS FRSE (25 September 1819 – 22 January 1904) was a distinguished and influential Irish mathematician and Anglican theologian. After working in algebraic geometry for two decades, Salmon devoted the last forty years of his ...
, and Bright, and it has been made an important point in the controversial work of the Rev. F. W. Puller, "Primitive Saints and the Roman See". It is acknowledged that in St. Cyprian
Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...
's time (c. 250) it was universally believed that St. Peter was Bishop of Rome, and that he was looked upon as the type and origin of episcopacy. Modern criticism has long since put the letter of Clement too late to allow this theory to be tenable, and now Hans Waitz Johannes Waitz, also Hans Waitz, was a German Biblical scholar specializing in the New Testament Apocrypha and source-critical studies. He was an Evangelical pastor in Darmstadt until 1927, and not to be confused with the Austrian Catholic bishop of ...
places it after 220, and Harnack Harnack is the surname of a German family of intellectuals, artists, mathematicians, scientists, theologians and those in other fields. Several family members were executed by the Nazis during the last years of the Third Reich.
* Theodosius Harnac ...
after 260.
Joseph Langen
The Old Catholic
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...
Professor Joseph Langen
Joseph Langen (3 June 1837 – 13 July 1901) was a German theologian and priest, who was instrumental for the German Old Catholic movement.
Langen was born at Cologne, studied at Bonn, and was ordained priest for the Roman Catholic Church in 1 ...
in 1890 elaborated a new theory. Until the destruction of Jerusalem in 135, he says, that city was the centre of the Christian Church. A new pivot was then needed. The Church of the capital made a bold bid for the vacant post of pre-eminence. Shortly after 135 was published the original form of the Clementine romance. It was a Roman forgery, claiming for the Church of Peter the succession to a part of the headship of the Church of James. James indeed had been "bishop of bishops", and Peter's successor could not claim to be more than Peter was among the Apostles, ''primus inter pares''. The Roman attempt was eventually successful, but not without a struggle. Caesarea
Caesarea () ( he, קֵיסָרְיָה, ), ''Keysariya'' or ''Qesarya'', often simplified to Keisarya, and Qaysaria, is an affluent town in north-central Israel, which inherits its name and much of its territory from the ancient city of Caesare ...
, the capital of Roman Iudaea province
Judaea ( la, Iudaea ; grc, Ἰουδαία, translit=Ioudaíā ) was a Roman province which incorporated the regions of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea from 6 CE, extending over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of ...
, also claimed the succession to Jerusalem. The monument of this claim is ''H'', a recension of the Roman work made at Caesarea before the end of the 2nd century in order to fight Rome with her own weapons. (The intention must be admitted to have been closely veiled.) In the beginning of the 3rd century the metropolis of the Orient, Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
, produced a new edition, ''R'', claiming for that city the vacant primacy. Langen's view has found no adherents.
Further scholarship
F.J.A. Hort complained that the Clementines have left no traces in the eighty years between Origen and Eusebius
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian ...
, but he felt obliged to date them before Origen, and placed the original c. 200 as the work of a Syrian Heixaïte. Harnack, in his "History of Dogma", saw that they had no influence in the 3rd century; he dated ''R'' and ''H'' not earlier than the first half of that century, or even a few decades later. All the foregoing writers presupposed that the Clementines were known to Origen. Since this has been shown to be not proven (1903), Hans Waitz Johannes Waitz, also Hans Waitz, was a German Biblical scholar specializing in the New Testament Apocrypha and source-critical studies. He was an Evangelical pastor in Darmstadt until 1927, and not to be confused with the Austrian Catholic bishop of ...
's elaborate study has appeared (1904), but his view was evidently formed earlier. His view is that ''H'' is the work of an Aramaean Christian after 325 (for he uses the word ''homoousios
Homoousion ( ; grc, ὁμοούσιον, lit=same in being, same in essence, from , , "same" and , , "being" or "essence") is a Christian theological term, most notably used in the Nicene Creed for describing Jesus ( God the Son) as "same in b ...
'') and earlier than 411 (the Syriac Manuscript). ''R'' probably after 350, also in the East. But the ''Grundschrift'', or archetype, was written at Rome, perhaps under the syncretistic system of cult in favour at the court of Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...
, probably between 220 and 250. Harnack, in his "Chronologie" (II), gives 260 or later as the date, but he thinks ''H'' and ''R'' may be ante-Nicene. Waitz supposes two earlier sources to have been employed in the romance, the ''Kerygmata Petrou'' (origin in 1st century, but used in a later anti-Marcionite
Marcionism was an early Christian dualistic belief system that originated with the teachings of Marcion of Sinope in Rome around the year 144. Marcion was an early Christian theologian, evangelist, and an important figure in early Christianity. ...
recension) and the ''Acts of Peter'' (written in a Catholic circle at Antioch c. 210). Harnack accepts the existence of these sources, but thinks neither was earlier than about 200. They are carefully to be distinguished from the well-known 2nd century works, the ''Preaching of Peter'' and ''Acts of Peter
The Acts of Peter is one of the earliest of the apocryphal Acts of the Apostles in Christianity, dating to the late 2nd century AD. The majority of the text has survived only in the Latin translation of the Codex Vercellensis, under the title ...
'', of which fragments still exist. These are quoted by many early writers, whereas the supposed sources of the Clementines are otherwise unknown and therefore probably never existed at all. A long passage from ''De Fato'' of Bardesanes
Bardaisan (11 July 154 – 222 AD; syr, ܒܪ ܕܝܨܢ, ''Bardaiṣān''), known in Arabic as Ibn Daisan (ابن ديصان) and in Latin as Bardesanes, was a Syriac-speaking Assyrian or ParthianProds Oktor Skjaervo. ''Bardesanes''. Encyclopædia ...
occurs in ''R'' ix, 19 sqq. Hilgenfeld
Adolf Bernhard Christoph Hilgenfeld (2 June 182312 January 1907) was a German Protestant theologian.
Biography
He was born at Stappenbeck near Salzwedel in the Province of Saxony.
He studied at the Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin an ...
, Albrecht Ritschl
Albrecht Ritschl (25 March 182220 March 1889) was a German Protestant theologian.
Starting in 1852, Ritschl lectured on systematic theology. According to this system, faith was understood to be irreducible to other experiences, beyond the scope ...
, and some earlier critics characteristically held that Bardesanes used the Clementines. Merx, Waitz, and most others hold that R. cites Bardesanes directly. François Nau
François Nau (13 May 1864 at Thil – 2 September 1931 at Paris) was a French Catholic priest, mathematician, Syriacist, and specialist in oriental languages. He published a great number of eastern Christian texts and translations for the firs ...
and Harnack are certainly right, that R. has borrowed the citation at second hand from Eusebius.[Præp. Evang., vi, 10, 11–48, AD 313]
Eunomius
''R'' is certainly post-Nicene, as Waitz has shown. But we may go further. The curious passage ''R'' iii. 2–11, which Rufinus omitted, and in which he seemed to hear Eunomius
Eunomius ( el, Εὐνόμιος Κυζίκου) (died c. 393), one of the leaders of the extreme or "anomoean" Arians, who are sometimes accordingly called Eunomians, was born at Dacora in Cappadocia or at Corniaspa in Pontus. early in th ...
himself speaking, gives in fact the doctrine of Eunomius so exactly that it frequently almost cites the ''Apologeticus'' (c. 362–3) of that heretic word for word. (The Eunomian doctrine is that the essence of God is to be unborn, consequently the Son Who is begotten is not God. He is a creature, the first-born of all creation and the Image of God. The Holy Ghost is the creature of the Son.) The agreement with Eunomius's of 381–3 is less close. As the Eunomian passage was found by Rufinus in both the recensions of Clement known to him, we may suppose that the interpolation was made in the original work by a Eunomian about 365–70, before the abridgment ''R'' was made about 370–80. (The word ''archiepiscopus'' used of St. James suggests the end of the 4th century. It occurs in the middle of that century in some Meletian documents cited by Athanasius
Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...
, and then not until the First Council of Ephesus
The Council of Ephesus was a council of Christian bishops convened in Ephesus (near present-day Selçuk in Turkey) in AD 431 by the Roman Emperors, Roman Emperor Theodosius II. This third ecumenical council, an effort to attain consensus deci ...
, 431.)
The generation of the Son
''H'' has also a disquisition on the generation of the Son (xvi, 15–18, and xx, 7–8). The writer calls God and , and both Mother and Father of men. His idea of a changeable God and an unchangeable Son projected from the best modification of God has been mentioned above. This ingenious doctrine enables the writer to accept the words of the Nicene definition, while denying their sense. The Son may be called God, for so may men be, but not in the strict sense. He is ''homoousios to Patri'', begotten ''ek tes ousias'', He is not or . Apparently He is not , nor was there a time when He was not, though this is not quite distinctly enunciated. The writer is clearly an Arian
Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God t ...
who manages to accept the formula of Nicea by an acrobatic feat, in order to save himself. The date is therefore probably within the reign of Constantine (died 337), while the great council was still imposed on all by the emperor, about 330.
But this is not the date of ''H'', but of the original behind both ''H'' and ''R''; for it is clear that the Eunomian interpolator of ''R'' attacks the doctrine we find in ''H''. He ridicules and , he declares God to be unchangeable, and the Son to be created, not begotten from the Father's essence and consubstantial. God is not ''masculo-femina''. It is clear that the interpolator had before him the doctrine of H. in a yet clearer form, and that he substituted his own view for it (R. iii, 2–11). But it is remarkable that he retained one integral part of ''Hs theory, viz., the origin of the Evil One from an accidental mixture of elements, for Rufinus tells us (''De Adult. libr. Origenis'') that he found this doctrine in ''R'' and omitted it. The date of the original is therefore fixed as after Nicea, 325, probably c. 330; that of ''H'' may be anywhere in the second half of the 4th century. The Eunomian interpolator is about 365–70, and the compilation of ''R'' about 370–80.
Authorship
The original author shows a detailed knowledge of the towns on the Phoenicia
Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...
n coast from Caesarea to Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
. He was an Arian, and Arianism
Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...
had its home in the civil diocese of the Orient. He uses the '' Praeparatio Evangelica'' of Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christia ...
(written about 313). In 325 that historian mentions the dialogues of Peter and Appion
Flavius Strategius Apion Strategius Apion (died between 577 and 579) was a patrician and jurist of the Byzantine Empire, and the sole Roman consul of the year 539. He was a member of the wealthy and prominent Apion family of Oxyrhynchus, Egypt..
...
as just published — presumably in his own region; these were probably the nucleus of the larger work completed by the same hand a few years later. Citations of Pseudo-Clement are by the Palestinian Epiphanius, who found the romance among the Ebionite
Ebionites ( grc-gre, Ἐβιωναῖοι, ''Ebionaioi'', derived from Hebrew (or ) ''ebyonim'', ''ebionim'', meaning 'the poor' or 'poor ones') as a term refers to a Jewish Christian sect, which viewed poverty as a blessing, that existed durin ...
s of Palestine; by St. Jerome
Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is com ...
, who had dwelt in the Syrian desert and settled at Bethlehem; by the travelled Rufinus; by the ''Apostolical Constitutions
The ''Apostolic Constitutions'' or ''Constitutions of the Holy Apostles'' (Latin: ''Constitutiones Apostolorum'') is a Christian collection divided into eight books which is classified among the Church Orders, a genre of early Christian litera ...
'', compiled in Syria or Palestine. The work is rendered into Syriac before 411. The Arian author of the ''Opus imperfectum'' cited it freely. It was interpolated by a Eunomian about 365–70. All these indications suggest an Arian author before 350 in the East, probably not far from Caesarea.
The author, though an Arian, probably belonged nominally to the Catholic Church. He wrote for the heathens of his day, and observed the stiff and often merely formal '' disciplina arcani'' which the 4th century enforced. Atonement, grace, sacraments are omitted for this cause only. "The true Prophet" is not a name for Christ used by Christians, but the office of Christ which the author puts forward towards the pagan world. He shows Peter keeping the evening agape
In Christianity, agape (; ) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a deep and profound sacrificial love tha ...
and Eucharist
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...
secret from Clement when unbaptized; it was no doubt a Eucharist of bread and wine, not of bread and salt.
Iamblichus
The great pagan antagonist of the 3rd century was the neo-Platonic
Neoplatonism is a strand of Platonic philosophy that emerged in the 3rd century AD against the background of Hellenistic philosophy and religion. The term does not encapsulate a set of ideas as much as a chain of thinkers. But there are some ide ...
philosopher, Porphyry; but under Constantine his disciple Iamblichus
Iamblichus (; grc-gre, Ἰάμβλιχος ; Aramaic: 𐡉𐡌𐡋𐡊𐡅 ''Yamlīḵū''; ) was a Syrian neoplatonic philosopher of Arabic origin. He determined a direction later taken by neoplatonism. Iamblichus was also the biographer of ...
was the chief restorer and defender of the old gods, and his system of defence is that which we find made the official religion by Julian (361–3). Consequently, it is not astonishing to find that Simon and his disciples represent not St. Paul, but Iamblichus. The doctrines and practices repelled are theurgy
Theurgy (; ) describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action or evoking the presence of one or more deities, especially with the goal of achieving henosis (uniting wi ...
, astrology, divinations, miracles, and claims to union with the Divine, which characterized the neo-Platonism of 320–30. It is not against Marcion but against Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
that Pseudo-Clement teaches the supremacy of the Creator of all. He defends the Old Testament against the school of Porphyry, and when he declares it to be interpolated, he is using Porphyry's own higher criticism. The elaborate discussion of ancient history, the ridicule cast on the mythology of the Greeks, and the philosophical explanations of a higher meaning are also against Porphyry. The refutation of idolatry is against Iamblichus.
Late 4th century
It is perhaps mere accident that we hear nothing of the Clementines from 330 until 360. But about 360–410 they are interpolated, they are revised and abridged in ''H'', yet more revised and abridged in ''R'', translated into Latin, translated into Syriac, and frequently cited. It seems, therefore, that it was the policy of Julian which drew them from obscurity. They were useful weapons against the momentary resurrection of polytheism, mythology, theurgy, and idolatry.
References
*
Notes
Bibliography
Drawn from the 1908 ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' and 1911 ''Jewish Encyclopedia''
;1804–1880
*BUSSELL, The Purpose of the World-Process and the Problem of Evil in the Clementine and Lactantian Writings in Studia Biblica (1806), IV;
*SCHLIEMANN, Die Clementinen (1844);
*HILGENFELD, Die Clem. Recogn. und Hom. nach ihrem Ursprung und Inhalt (Jena, 1848); Kritische Untersuchungen über die Evangelien Justins, der Clem. Hom. und Marcions (Halle, 1850);
*UHLHORN,'' Die Hom. und Recogn. des Clemens Romanus'' (Göttingen, 1854);
*LEHMANN, ''Die clementinischen Schriften'' (Gotha, 1869)
*An English translation of the Recognitions, by the REV. T. SMITH, D. D., will be found in the Ante-Nicene Library. III, and of the Homilies, ibid., XVII (Edinburgh, 1871–72).
*LIPSIUS, ''Quellen der römischen Petrussage'' (1872) and ''Apokr. Apostelgeschichte'' (1887), II;
*SALMON in Dict. Chr. Biog. (1877);
;1881–1908
*LANGEN, ''Die Clemensromane'' (Gotha, 1890):
*FUNK in ''Kirchenlexikon''. (1884);
*BIGG, ''The Clementine Homilies'' in ''Studia Biblica'' (Oxford, 1890), II;
*W. CHAWNER, Index of noteworthy words and phrases found in the Clementine writings in Lightfoot Fund Public. (London, 1893);
*HORT, Clementine Recognitions (lectures delivered in 1884; pub. London, 1901);
*MEYBOOM De Clemens Roman (1902);
* A. C. Headlam, ''The Clementine Literature'' in Journ. Theol. Stud. (1903), III, 41;
*CHAPMAN, ''Origen and Pseudo-Clement'' in JTS, III, 436;
*HILGENFELD, ''Origenes und Pseudo-Clemens'' in ''Zeitschr. für Wiss. Theol.'' (1903), XLVI, 342;
*PREUSCHEN In HARNACK, ''Gesch. der altchristl. Literatur'' (1893), I, 212; and II, Chronologie, 518;
* Waitz, H., ''Die Pseudoclementinen in Texte und Unters.'', New Series, X, 4;
*CHAPMAN, The Date of the Clementines in Zeitschr. für Neu-Test. Wiss. (1908).
;Modern sources
*Johann Irmscher and Georg Strecke
The Pseudo-Clementines
in Wilhelm Schneemelcher
Wilhelm Schneemelcher (21 August 1914, Berlin – 6 August 2003, Bad Honnef) was a German Protestant theologian and expert on the New Testament Apocrypha.
Career
He obtained through Hans Lietzmann a post researching Latin and Greek manuscripts ...
New Testament Apocrypha
The New Testament apocrypha (singular apocryphon) are a number of writings by early Christians that give accounts of Jesus and his teachings, the nature of God, or the teachings of his apostles and of their lives. Some of these writings were cit ...
.
*
*F. Stanley Jones, “The Pseudo-Clementines: A History of Research,” SCe 2 (1982): 1–33; 63–96.
*F. Stanley Jones, An Ancient Jewish Christian Source on theHistory of Christianity. Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.27 – 71, SBL Texts andTranslations 37, Christian Apocrypha Series 2 (Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1995),1–38
*Nicole Kelley, Knowledge and Religious Authority in the Pseudo-Clementines, Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2/213 (Tübingen: MohrSiebeck, 2006), 17–27
*Jonathan Bourgel
"The Holders of the "Word of Truth": The Pharisees in Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions 1.27–71,"
''Journal of Early Christian Studies'' 25.2 (2017) 171–200
External links
*The Clementine Homilies (English translation
Ante-Nicene Christian Library, Vol. XVII, T & T Clark, 1852
*John Chapman article in 190
*Kaufmann Kohler article in 191
Jewish Encyclopedia: Clementina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clementine Literature
Christian anti-Gnosticism
Ancient Christian controversies
2nd-century Christian texts
Christian terminology
Petrine-related books
Jewish Christian literature