Clement of Alexandria c. 150 to c. 215 · Alexandria Clement strongly agrees:
“We must therefore rescue the gnostic and perfect man from all passion of the soul.”
Stromata
What did the early Christians say about emotions?
They did not agree. Clement of Alexandria, Antony the Great and 4 others would say yes to the statement below. Lactantius, Jerome and 2 others would say no.
- 10On record
- 6Would agree
- 4Would disagree
The statement in the quiz
“The best way to live is free of strong emotions, with only a steady peace inside.”
The quiz puts it in today’s words. Each person below is placed by what they wrote or said. Where their line is clear on its own, it is printed with its source.
You said:
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6 early Christians
Would agree
Your side
Clement of Alexandria c. 150 to c. 215 · Alexandria 
Antony the Great c. 251 to 356 · The Egyptian desert Antony strongly agrees.
On record in Life of Antony, as Athanasius recorded his words.
Martin of Tours c. 316 to 397 · Gaul, today's France Martin strongly agrees:
“No one ever saw him enraged, or excited, or lamenting, or laughing; he was always one and the same: displaying a kind of heavenly happiness in his countenance, he seemed to have passed the ordinary limits of human nature.”
Life of St Martin, as Sulpicius Severus, who knew him, recorded it
Macrina the Younger c. 327 to 379 · Cappadocia Macrina agrees:
“It will therefore be no detriment to our participation in the Good, that the soul should be free from such emotions.”
On the Soul and the Resurrection, as her brother Gregory recorded her words
John Cassian c. 360 to c. 435 · Egypt, then Marseilles Cassian strongly agrees.
On record in Institutes.
Boethius c. 477 to c. 524 · Rome and Pavia Boethius strongly agrees:
“Joy, hope and fear Suffer not near, Drive grief away: Shackled and blind And lost is the mind Where these have sway.”
The Consolation of Philosophy
4 early Christians
Would disagree
Your side
Tertullian c. 155 to after 220 · Carthage Tertullian disagrees.
On record in On the Soul.
Lactantius c. 250 to c. 325 · Nicomedia and Gaul Lactantius strongly disagrees:
“For as water which is always still and motionless is unwholesome and more muddy, so the soul which is unmoved and torpid is useless even to itself.”
Divine Institutes
Jerome c. 347 to 420 · Rome and Bethlehem Jerome strongly disagrees.
On record in Letter to Ctesiphon.
Augustine of Hippo 354 to 430 · North Africa Augustine strongly disagrees:
“And if that is to be called apathy, where the mind is the subject of no emotion, then who would not consider this insensibility to be worse than all vices?”
City of God
What they said
More questions
your turn
Quiz Which early Christian thinks like you? And which would argue with you? See where you would stand on this and 22 more. Start Suggest a correction. Corrections that are applied are recorded in the public changelog.