Tertullian: Robb Moser
Genesis to Revelation Bible Blogs
Tertullian (155–220 AD) was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage and is widely regarded as the”Father of Latin Christianity”. He was the first major theologian to write extensively in Latin, fundamentally shaping the vocabulary and thought of Western theology.
Key Contributions & Theology
The Trinity: He was the first Latin writer to use the term trinitas (Trinity) and defined God as “one substance, three persons” (una substantia, tres personae).
Christology: He pioneered the doctrine that Jesus Christ is one person with two natures—divine and human.
Apologetics: His most famous work, Apologeticus, defended Christians against Roman persecution, arguing for religious freedom and debunking myths about Christian rituals.
Famous Quotes:
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (often summarized from his writing).
“What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”—expressing his skepticism toward using pagan Greek philosophy to interpret Christian scripture.
Life and “Heresy”
Born to pagan parents in Carthage, Tertullian likely received a rigorous education in law and rhetoric before converting to Christianity in his 30s or 40s. He was known for a severe, uncompromising moral rigorism.
Later in life (207 AD) his dissatisfaction with what he saw as the moral laxity of the mainstream church led him to join Montanism, a prophetic and ascetic movement. Because he died as part of this “heretical” sect, he is one of the few major early Church Fathers who has never been canonized as a saint.
Major Extant Works
Apologeticus: A legal defense of Christianity addressed to Roman magistrates.
Adversus Marcionem: A five-volume polemic against the heretic Marcion, defending the unity of the Old and New Testaments.
De Baptismo: The earliest surviving treatise on the subject of baptism.
Adversus Praxean: Where he most clearly articulates his early Trinitarian views.