Clement of Alexandria’s Paedagogus contains advice for new Christians in the second to third century on how to conduct their lives appropriately. By drawing on scripture and classical philosophy and medicine Clement proposes a moderate asceti- cism which seeks to control the body but also to respect it. He addresses the question of how a Christian should live in pagan society, and how individual Christians of different backgrounds should behave in order to promote the flourishing of the Christian com- munity. Underlying his advice is his understanding of the person as a plasma, with both body and soul created by God.