Le patriarche biblique Abraham en tant que figure archétypique dans l’oeuvre de Clément d’Alexandrie

Clement of Alexandria gives the figure of Abraham a prominent place in his work. He owes most of his vision of the intellectual and religious journey of the biblical patriarch to Philo of Alexandria. Abraham’s example is invoked in several debates. The patriarch is both the archetype of the proselyte from paganism and the model of the believer who wishes to progress from faith to gnosis. This paper offers an analysis of the various facets of this character in the Clementine corpus. This study will, I hope, contribute to an understanding of the central role of biblical figures in Clement’s thought.