“Assuming the Mask of Humanity.” Clement of Alexandria’s Dramatic Understanding of the Two Natures of Christ

Creedy, Edward

Abstract

In the ninth century, Photios of Constantinople accused Clement of promoting a deficient ‘docetic’ christology in his now-fragmentary Hypotyposes. This provoked a debate that continues to dominate discussion of Clement’s theological understandings; whether or not his extant christological comments constitute a proto-orthodox position, or reveal the influence of docetism. This paper argues that Photios’ accusations have been something of a red herring, and the subsequent debate has obscured Clement’s actual christological position. His own thoughts are most clearly articulated in Book Ten of his exhortatory Protrepticus, as Clement presents a christological explanation through the language and metaphor of ancient drama. Christ is described as assuming the mask of humanity and performing the drama of salvation, and Clement leans on a wider contemporary understanding of the relationship between mask (προσωπεῖον) and actor to present this complex doctrine to his readership. Through a focus on this presentation, this paper will offer a solution to a debate that has troubled scholars for over a millennium, and which has blinkered our understanding of Clement’s Christian project more broadly.

Citation

Creedy, E. (online). “Assuming the Mask of Humanity.” Clement of Alexandria’s Dramatic Understanding of the Two Natures of Christ. The Journal of Theological Studies, https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flae087

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 29, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jan 13, 2025
• Deposit Date: Oct 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 20, 2025
• Journal: The Journal of Theological Studies
• Print ISSN: 0022-5185
• Electronic ISSN: 1477-4607
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jts/flae087
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2949624