Why did St. Clement of Alexandria consider faith the beginning of knowledge?

St. Clement of Alexandria considered faith to be the beginning of knowledge because he viewed it as the essential foundation for gnōsis, which he defined as a spiritual and mystical understanding of divine truth.1

While some contemporary orthodox Christians in Alexandria argued that salvation was achieved solely through faith (pistis), Clement sought to bridge the gap between these believers and those educated in the Greek paideia (educational curriculum). He maintained that while faith is the basis of salvation, it is also the starting point for a deeper, intellectual, and spiritual insight. In his theology, gnōsis was not a separate or esoteric path—as claimed by heretical gnostics—but rather an advanced aspect of faith itself. By distinguishing between the "pistic" Christian, who lives according to discipline and law, and the "Christian gnostic," who responds through love and deeper instruction, Clement established faith as the necessary prerequisite for attaining a higher, mystical knowledge of God.1