Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus: “Fiery” Father of the Church
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus: “Fiery” Father of the Church
Tertullian is one of the most quotable, and often misquoted, Church Fathers. As a polemicist, Tertullian uses his gift for delivering the penetrating phrase that lingers in the memory long after the context or controversy that he addressed has been forgotten. He is described as someone who "laminated fusion of arguments and scriptures in a way which breaks new ground." He is a person with a distinct personality who is known as the first Latin theologian who is well known in the West. He is an innovator who made his own way of saying things by using the common words and arranging them in such a way that it suits well to everybody 's inner disposition with conviction. He is also "the most prolific of the Latin Fathers. Of the fiery and rugged temperament, he is by nature a rebel and would hardly have fitted happily into any milieu." He wrote a number of works, which manifest his seemingly undesirable personality, yet came out to be productive in the realm of theology and history of the church. One of those writings is Adversus Hermogenem, a doctrinal and polemical writing against the Gnostic and painter named Hermogenes. In that work, he defended vigorously the doctrine of creation which Hermogenes interpreted in a heretical manner. In this paper I will discuss the argument between these two ancient personalities who throw from every possible points, different ways of thinking about opposing factors; God and matter, theology and philosophy, and science and scripture. Tertullian was born probably between years 150 and 160. "He was from the province of Africa, from the city of Carthage where his father was a proconsul centurion." He grew up in a pagan family. He was born a member of the educated classes, and clearly gained a good education. A rigorist in his moral code, he grew more and more extreme
Tertullian is one of the most quotable, and often misquoted, Church Fathers. As a polemicist, Tertullian uses his gift for delivering the penetrating phrase that lingers in the memory long after the context or controversy that he addressed has been forgotten. He is described as someone who "laminated fusion of arguments and scriptures in a way which breaks new ground." He is a person with a distinct personality who is known as the first Latin theologian who is well known in the West. He is an innovator who made his own way of saying things by using the common words and arranging them in such a way that it suits well to everybody 's inner disposition with conviction. He is also "the most prolific of the Latin Fathers. Of the fiery and rugged temperament, he is by nature a rebel and would hardly have fitted happily into any milieu." He wrote a number of works, which manifest his seemingly undesirable personality, yet came out to be productive in the realm of theology and history of the church. One of those writings is Adversus Hermogenem, a doctrinal and polemical writing against the Gnostic and painter named Hermogenes. In that work, he defended vigorously the doctrine of creation which Hermogenes interpreted in a heretical manner. In this paper I will discuss the argument between these two ancient personalities who throw from every possible points, different ways of thinking about opposing factors; God and matter, theology and philosophy, and science and scripture. Tertullian was born probably between years 150 and 160. "He was from the province of Africa, from the city of Carthage where his father was a proconsul centurion." He grew up in a pagan family. He was born a member of the educated classes, and clearly gained a good education. A rigorist in his moral code, he grew more and more extreme
Bibliography: De Labriolle, Pierre. History and Literature of Christianity from Tertullian to Boethius. Translated by Herbert Wilson, with introductory foreword by Cardinal Gasquet. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., 1924 McSorley, Joseph Osborn, Eric. Tertullian, First Theologian of the West. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Rankin, David. Tertullian and the Church. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Timothy, H.B. The Early Christian Apologists and Greek Philosophy: Exemplified by Irenaeus, Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria. The Netherlands: Van Gorcum, Assen, 1972. St. Jerome. On Illustrious Men. Translated by Thomas P. Halton. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1999. Von Campenhausen, D.D., Hans. The Fathers of the Latin Church. Translated by Manfred Hoffman. London: Adam & Charles Black, 1964.