"Be holy" : the social context of purity in the Pedagogue of Clement of Alexandria

Abstract

Purity was one of the most fundamental social values in ancient Mediterranean society. In ancient literature, we frequently read about someone or something being pure or impure. However, the available research on purity and pollution in the writings of the Church Fathers are at best extremely sketchy. Even well known scholars on the topic of honour and shame in Mediterranean society seldom refer to purity as a social value in their quest to try to understand the socio-cultural ideas of the ancient near East. This fact emphasises the need for further research on the topic of honour and shame, especially in the writings of the Church Fathers. In this article, it is argued that purity and pollution indeed are important social values in the Pedagogue of Clement of Alexandria.