In the turbulent centuries that followed the apostolic age, the revered name of Clement of Rome acquired a weight far beyond his authentic voice. As the memory of his genuine letter to the Corinthians faded from the Roman Church—along with the knowledge of Greek that once made it accessible—his name was gradually affixed to a host of later writings. These works, both orthodox and heretical, sought legitimacy by claiming apostolic roots, and in doing so, they substituted Clement’s historical authority with literary invention. Yet these pseudo-Clementine writings, for all their dubious authorship, remain of enduring significance: they reflect the theological anxieties, moral aspirations, and ecclesiastical developments of the second and third centuries, illuminating a formative period in the life of the early Church.
I. The So-Called Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Among the earliest of these spurious writings is a text long mislabeled as a second epistle from Clement to the Corinthians. Previously known only in fragmentary form—twelve chapters preserved in an abridged tradition—this work came to light in its entirety in 1875, when Philotheos Bryennios discovered a manuscript containing all twenty chapters.
In truth, it is not an epistle at all, but a homily, the oldest extant post-apostolic sermon. Addressed to “brothers and sisters,” its voice is earnest but stylistically inferior to Clement’s authentic epistle. Internal evidence suggests a composition date between A.D. 120 and 140, likely originating from Corinth itself—thus explaining its connection with the earlier epistle in ancient manuscripts.
The homily exhorts its hearers to live out their faith with courage and constancy, especially in the face of persecution. It contends with early Gnostic denials of the resurrection, affirming instead a bodily hope and calling Christ both “God” and “Judge of the living and the dead.” The writer reflects upon the moral transformation wrought by the gospel:
“We were deficient in understanding, worshipping stocks and stones, gold and silver and brass, the works of men; and our whole life was nothing else but death… Through Jesus Christ we have received sight, putting off by his will the cloud wherein we were wrapped. He mercifully saved us… He called us when we were not, and willed that out of nothing we should attain a real existence.”
Though lacking literary polish, the homily breathes the spirit of faith and moral resolve, offering valuable insight into the post-apostolic church’s battle for orthodoxy and hope.
II. The Encyclical Letters on Virginity
A further pair of writings, discovered by J. J. Wetstein in the library of the Remonstrants at Amsterdam and published in 1752, consists of two Syriac treatises known as the Encyclical Letters on Virginity. These texts, dating from a manuscript written in A.D. 1470, commend the ascetic life and provide spiritual guidance to celibates of both sexes.
In their contents, one finds the emerging idealization of virginity and the growing influence of ascetic theology, which was foreign to the apostolic ethos but became increasingly dominant in the second century. These letters, while bearing Clement’s name, reflect a different spirit—a spiritual rigor more in line with later monastic ideals than with the Pauline affirmation of marriage.
Roman Catholic apologists such as Villecourt and Möhler have sought to defend their Clementine origin. Yet critical scholarship—especially from Mansi, Hefele, Alzog, and Funk—places their composition in the late second or early third century. Even Lightfoot, while respectful, assigns the works to this later period and notes that Eusebius makes no mention of them. Their significance lies not in apostolic authority but in tracing the Church’s shift toward institutionalized asceticism.
III. The Apostolical Constitutions and Canons
Another body of literature attributed to Clement includes the Apostolical Constitutions and the Canons, a sprawling compilation of ecclesiastical rules and liturgical forms. The so-called Liturgy of St. Clement—revered in the Eastern tradition—is embedded in the eighth book of this collection.
These documents are pseudonymous, a deliberate effort to backdate evolving ecclesiastical structures and rituals to the apostolic age. Though not truly Clementine, they shaped the canon law and liturgical practices of later Christendom. Their legacy would endure in both East and West, influencing councils, clerical hierarchy, and worship for centuries.
IV. The Pseudo-Clementines: Homilies and Recognitions
Of even greater literary scope are the Pseudo-Clementines, a cycle of twenty homilies grounded in Ebionitic theology—eventually reworked into a Catholicized form known as the Recognitions. These writings present Peter as the primary apostolic figure, in debate with Simon Magus, and depict Clement as a philosophical inquirer who is converted through the apostles’ teaching.
The original homilies represent a Jewish-Christian theology that elevates the Law and downplays the divinity of Christ, offering a rival vision to Paul’s gospel. Later redactors sought to purify them of heresy, resulting in the Recognitions, which gained popularity in some Catholic circles as edifying literature.
Though historically untrustworthy, these texts illuminate the diversity and conflict of early Christian theology, where questions of authority, identity, and doctrine remained intensely contested.
V. The Five Decretal Letters and the Isidorian Forgeries
The most audacious of the pseudo-Clementine attributions are the Five Decretal Letters, placed at the head of the notorious Isidorian collection. Two of these forgeries—addressed to James the Lord’s Brother—are older than the rest and date from the second or third century. The remaining three were fabricated by the pseudo-Isidore between A.D. 829 and 847, forming the bedrock of one of the greatest literary forgeries in medieval history: the Isidorian Decretals.
These forgeries served a clear purpose—to buttress the absolute authority of the Roman pontiff. The first epistle to James purports to record Peter’s appointment of Clement as his successor, along with instructions on ecclesiastical order. The second epistle discusses liturgical regulations, including the administration of the Eucharist and the proper arrangement of church furnishings.
Curiously, the Homilies portray a very different hierarchy. In them, James of Jerusalem is elevated above Peter of Rome, who is required to give account to James and submit his sermons for approval. This inversion of ecclesiastical rank suggests either an anti-Roman origin or a deeply fragmented view of apostolic authority in the communities that produced these writings.
The Legacy of the Pseudo-Clementine Literature
Despite their spurious nature, the writings attributed to Clement after his death played a critical role in shaping the Church’s imagination. They became tools of theological instruction, ecclesiastical control, and even political ambition. Whether extolling virginity, codifying church law, or legitimizing papal primacy, these texts reflect the Church’s struggle to define its identity in the post-apostolic era.
To the modern reader, they are best approached not as reliable history, but as spiritual and institutional mirrors—reflecting the hopes, fears, and ambitions of a Church growing into the structures and dogmas that would define Christendom for a thousand years. In the pseudo-Clementine corpus, we hear not the voice of Clement, but the many voices of early Christianity contending for a legacy they could not fully claim.
