Clement of Rome
d. c. 99 · Rome
Bishop of Rome
Awaiting theological review
In one sentence
An early bishop of Rome whose letter to the church in Corinth is one of the oldest Christian writings outside the New Testament.
Why this person matters
His letter shows the church of Rome caring for another church and insisting on order and continuity in its leadership, a generation after the apostles.
Irenaeus (c. 180) lists him as the third bishop of Rome after Peter — after Linus and Anacletus — and says he had seen the apostles and heard their preaching.
The Letter to the Corinthians (1 Clement) is usually dated around AD 96. It urges the Corinthians to restore presbyters who had been removed from office.
Tradition venerates him as a martyr. Some early writers identified him with the Clement Paul mentions in Philippians 4:3; this cannot be confirmed.
Historical context
Rome under the emperor Domitian; Christians were a small, suspected minority.
Key ideas
- Leaders appointed in succession from the apostles
- Unity and peace in the community
- An early witness to the martyrdom of Peter and Paul (1 Clement 5)
Why they still matter
One of the earliest witnesses to how the first Christians understood authority and continuity with the apostles.
Before
- —
Contemporary
- Ignatius of Antiochd. c. 107–110
After
- Justin Martyrc. 100 – c. 165
- Letter to the Corinthians (1 Clement)
- Early Christian source
- Historical context
- Tradition
Statements are labelled by source. Early Christian sources are named where known; dates before the 4th century are often approximate.