Tertullian

He died in Carthage to 220.

Theology and moral

At the end of the ^second century and beginning of ^III , Tertullian inaugurated Christian literature in Latin language and with it begins a theology in that language. In his general audience on 30 May 2007 , the Pope Benedict XVI in the series of catechesis he delivered normally at its hearings, made a communication on this Father of the Church , "whose work bore fruit decisive it would be unforgivable to undervalue . The pope insisted on the essential theological contributions contained in the writings of Tertullian, in particular written character apologetics , which are the most famous. They show, he said, two main intentions: to refute the serious charges of pagans against the new religion and spread the Gospel message through dialogue with the culture time. The Pontiff stressed, about the Holy Trinity : "Furthermore, Tertullian takes an enormous step in the development of Trinitarian dogma : it gave us the Latin language adequate to express the great mystery, introducing the terms "substance "and" three persons ". Similarly, he also developed much language that correctly expresses the mystery of Christ , the Son of God and true man . "

Marcel Simon (The Civilization of Antiquity and Christianity, Paris , 1972 ) states that:

"The contribution of Tertullian in the Christological and Trinitarian controversies is important. Its findings are similar to more than one point to those later formulate the major councils Eastern. It affirms the unity of God. It is not divided but is distributed digitally in 3 separate people in a trinity that does not compromise the unit. Each person in the trinity, being of the same substance is God. The Christ is both God and man, composed of two substances united without confusion, in one person. But besides these aspects strictly speculative, certain other aspects of the thought of Tertullian reflected the mentality of legal Romans and his own legal background. It emphasizes concepts such as merit and satisfaction. Moral rectitude of his conduct is the man of merit in God's eyes. Conversely, if it does evil, he becomes a debtor to God and owes satisfaction. Although past Montanist heresy, Tertullian is really the founder of Latin theology and helps give it vis--vis theology Greek , some of its original features. "

Criticism of vanity

In De cultu feminarum (From the ornament of women), Tertullian recalls that "at the forefront of the century pumps are always necessarily the gold and silver. But after all what are they? land a little brighter because, painfully torn from the mines by hand slaves , sentenced to death, she was drenched with sweat and tears. He therefore qualifies as a crime "on one side, gold, silver, gems, precious fabrics, on the other, the care provided to the intemperate hair , the skin , and all parties the body that attract attention. "

This opposition to what he considers absurd earned him a reputation for misogyny , as also its position on the woman as chief of the fall of man in sin will not change.

Reviews

Nicolas Malebranche , in a famous passage from his book In Search of Truth , Tertullian criticizes the excesses of the imagination. It thus grants him "more memory than trial, greater penetration and breadth of imagination, penetration and breadth of mind" ( In Search of Truth, the second book, part 3, ch. III ). Malebranche, however, rather admiring of the Apology of Tertullian and his prescription, seen especially in the book of the coat, the expression of this trick What's minds in the throes of a disordered imagination.

Quotes about Tertullian

"We do not know the circumstances of his conversion. It must have been provoked, like all acts of his life, his passionate logic. As soon as he saw the truth, he delivered them body and soul, without care, without compromise. It was an extremist and minority. He did not prevailing, that a pact with the century. His mind reveled in the absolute, his temperament in the fight. With this admirable pamphleteer, armed to the controversy as one and not giving them whole. A Berber converted, but who under the Christian veneer, kept all the passions, all the intransigence of any indiscipline Berber. "

- Charles-Andre Julien , History of North Africa (1951), Payot, 2001, p.226

Works

• Ad martyrs
• Apologetic
• Nations
• To my wife
• A Scapula, proconsul of Africa
• Cons Marcion
• Against Jews
• Cons Valentinians
• Against the eternity of matter
• Cons shows
• Praxeas or cons on the Trinity
• The flesh of Jesus Christ
• The soldier's crown
• Leak during the persecution
• Of monogamy
• Patience
• Of Penance
• Of prescription
• Of modesty
• The resurrection of the flesh
• From the Soul
• Of idolatry
• Lord's Prayer
• The ornament of women
• Shows
• Baptism
• Fasting, psychic or Against
• Mantle
• The veil of the virgins
• Exhortation to Chastity
• The scorpiaque
• Evidence of the Soul
• Treaty against heretics

References

Bibliography

Works

• Ernest Evans , De carnis liber Resurrectione (Treatise on the Resurrection), ed. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, 1960

Study

• Serralde Vincent and Andre Huard , The Berber ... Light of the West, ed. New Latin editions, Paris , 1990 ( ISBN 9782723302395 )

External Links

• Works in French translations
• Tertullian on the biographical dictionary Imago Mundi
• Full text of the Apology
• Tertullian's works : text with concordances and frequency list
• Catechesis of Benedict XVI
• (La) Migne Patrologia Latina (Documenta Catholica Omnia)

• Christianity portal
• Berbers portal