Clement of Alexandria was a Christian theologian and teacher who lived during the late second and early third centuries CE in the Roman Empire. His birthplace is uncertain, with Athens, Alexandria, and locations outside the empire all suggested. After extensive travels to study under various Christian teachers, he settled in Alexandria, Egypt. There, he succeeded his teacher Pantaenus as the head of the city's important catechetical school, a role he held from around 190 CE until he fled persecution about a decade later. He likely died between 211 and 215 CE.

His major surviving works form an educational trilogy designed to guide a convert from pagan belief to advanced Christian understanding. These are the Protrepticus (Exhortation to the Greeks), the Paedagogus (The Tutor) on Christian ethics, and the Stromata (Miscellanies), a collection of theological reflections. Other significant surviving works include the homily Who is the Rich Man that is Saved? and notes on Gnostic teachings. Several of his works are lost and known only by their titles.

Clement of Alexandria is a foundational figure for his deliberate effort to synthesize Christian faith with Greek philosophy, particularly Platonism. According to modern scholars, he argued that philosophy could serve as a preparatory education for Christianity, a concept that deeply influenced later theologians. His writings represent one of the first comprehensive programs for Christian education. While firmly opposing what he saw as heresies, he used the language of spiritual "knowledge" (gnosis) to describe the ideal Christian life. His methodological project of creating a Christian philosophy secured his lasting importance in the development of Christian intellectual history.