O martírio gnóstico segundo Clemente de Alexandria

Abstract

In the first three centuries of Christianity, martyrdom was a sensitive theme, but also one that had always been part of the identity and mission of the Church, despite its complexities in a context of persecution. It was, in fact, a controversial issue for the early Church, since Gnosticism put the authenticity of cruel martyrdom, as a wish for eternal life, into question. As an answer, Clement of Alexandria developed a systematic vision on the concept of martyrdom by using a gnostic key. The present thesis aims to explore the definition of Gnostic Martyrdom in Clement of Alexandria through the analysis of the doctrine exposed in the fourth book of Stromatas. After a first part of a more historical and contextualizing nature, about the experience and concept of martyrdom in general during its author’s period and environment, it is studied the conception of Gnosticism on the theme, based on Clement’s own statements. Finally, we looked into his answers and propositions, which opened the way to a new and long-lasting appreciation of Christian martyrdom.

Date of Award	14 Apr 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Isidro Lamelas (Supervisor)