Theological Term of the Week: Tertullian

Tertullian
A native of Carthage who was the “first great Christian writer in the Latin language.”1 He lived from 160-255.

• From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. H. Needham:

Tertullian was one of the most warlike spirits ever to enlist in the army of Christ; his hawkish, fire-breathing personality perfectly expressed the uncompromising hostility of the North-West African Church towards the pagan society of the Roman Empire. He was also a talented, many-sided theologian, with a gift for winging his piercing thoughts with bold, colourful and dazzling words. In the period 196-212, he produced a series of extremely important Christian writings … .

Learn more:

1. Got Questions: Who was Tertullian?
2. Theopedia: Tertullian
3. Christian Classics Ethereal Library: Tertullian
4. Gerald Bray: Holiness and the Will of God: Perspectives on the Theology of Tertullian
5. Gerald Bray: Tertullian and the Early Church (audio)
6. Michael Haykin: Tertullian and Constantine (audio)

Related terms:

• Ambrose of Milan
• Apollinarius
• Athanasius
• Augustine of Hippo
• Basil of Caesarea
• Cappadocian fathers
• Columba
• Cyril of Alexandria
• Gregory of Nanzianzus
• Gregory of Nyssa
• Gregory the Great
• Hilary of Poitiers
• Irenaeus of Lyons
• Jerome
• John Chrysostom
• Justin Martyr
• Maximus the Confessor
• Monica
• Nestorius
• Origen
• Patrick
• Pelagius
• Sabellius
• Venerable Bede, The

Filed under Christian History

1From 2000 Years of Christ’s Power by N. R. Needham.

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