The School of Alexandria

[John Henry]

What do you think about these people e.g. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Caius of Rome.

[Eleventh Doctor]

I've read some Clement of Alexandria, he wrote good things but also held some heretical beliefs. Origen was much the same. What do you think of these people?

[John Henry]

What heretical beliefs?

[Eleventh Doctor]

He didn't believe that God created the universe Ex nihilio.

He also believe that in some way Christ was created.

[John Henry]

Origen's allegorical interpretation got him there - usually (not always) allegorical interpretation can be wrong & dangerous. He believes that the 3 baskets on the baker's head represent the Trinity.

[Eleventh Doctor]

So what do you think of these people?

[John Henry]

I don't know yet. What do you think of Clement of Alexandria?

[Eleventh Doctor]

I was actually referring to Clement when I said He didn't believe that God created the universe Ex nihilio.

[John Henry]

Really, maybe he was too much influenced by Stoic Philosophy. Yet, as I understand Wisdom & 4 Maccabees have Stoic Philosophy (source: Alfred Edersheim "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah".)

[Eleventh Doctor]

Yeah, that's a possibility. Some of the Greek philosophy was good and could be baptized into Christianity but not all of it.

[John Henry]

Philip Schaff says that Origen was very modest in his ideas...I'll give a quote later.

[Eleventh Doctor]

Origen could have been very modest, doesn't make him any less wrong.

[John Henry]

Yes, he probably was the strangest in his ideas. Did you know that he believes that the 3 baskets on the baker's head represent the Trinity?

[Eleventh Doctor]

I had not heard that before