Ecclesia in africa september 14, 1995 john paul ii. Trinity history of trinitarian doctrines stanford encyclopedia of. Tertullian points out that this isnt how scripture talks about god, and goes on to summarise the teaching of scripture on the persons of the trinity, and their relationship, thereby being the first to explicitly recognise the doctrine of the trinity. To a considerable extent the appeal to augustine rests on a misinterpretation which results from taking in isolation his analogies of the trinity in the human mind, such as the lover, the beloved, and love itself on the trinity 8. With tertullian we have an early voice attributing his basic understanding of the trinity to a scripturallybased tradition handed down in the church. The new bible dictionary goes on to explain that the formal doctrine of the trinity was the result of several inadequate attempts to explain who and what the christian god really is. Especially in the unconfused distinction of the several persons of the blessed. He spoke of three persons father, son and holy spirit coexisting in one substance against praxeas 29. Tertullian again after defending his belief in the trinity notes. Tertullian originator of the trinity tertullian s legend at the end of the second century there were three main centers of church organization in antioch, in alexandria, and in rome.
On your side, however, you must make him out to be a liar, and an impostor, and a tamperer with his word, if, when he was himself a son to himself, he assigned the part of his son to be played by another, when all the scriptures attest the clear existence of, and distinction in the persons of the trinity, and indeed furnish us with our rule. Tertullian is often portrayed as a prescient figure who accurately anticipated the nicene consensus about the trinity. Tertullian quickly took up the task of the written defense of the christian church in a setting in which violent persecution by the state was a recurring reality. Understanding the biblical doctrine of the trinity godhead.
On the holy trinity, doctrinal treatises, moral treatises. In fact, i dont know how you can have biblical, orthodox christianity without it. Hes recognized as a significant thinker and a major contributor to the doctrine of the trinity. But when he is examined against the background of his immediate predecessors. Modalism makes its appearance alongside tertullian s trinitarianism in the 2nd century. He is perhaps most famous for being the oldest extant latin writer to use the term trinity latin trinitas, and giving the oldest extant formal exposition of a trinitarian theology. In various ways has the devil rivalled and resisted the truth. Ad 155240 has something of a mixed reputation in many christian circles. When ye have given them all this instruction, baptize. Similarly, tertullian s fervent defense of the trinity is demonstrative of 2007, 3034. A collection of material ancient and modern about the ancient christian latin writer tertullian and his writings. Tertullian received a thorough education in the knowledge of the romans and the greeks, and he apparently practiced law in rome before his return to. Tertullian, the prominent early apologist who produced the worlds first extensive corpus of latin christian literature was born as quintus septimius florens tertullianus in carthage. Tertullian was born in the ancient city of carthage sometime between 155 and 160 a.
Pdf the significance and impact of tertullian on the. Using the latin words for substance and person, tertullian was one of the earliest to work out the doctrine of the trinity in his apologetic and polemical writings such as against praxeas. Tertullian could be justifying the use of water other than that which comes from a moving source like one would find in a river or pond. Rather than the idea of physical corruption,as was irenaeus view of original sin, tertullian expressed it in legal terms of guilt being imputed onto all humankind.
The moving source or living water is referred to in the didache, now regarding baptism. Tertullian and the heretical origins of the orthodox trinity. He is perhaps most famous for being the first writer in latin known to use the term trinity latin. Perhaps tertullians most widely acknowledged contribution to trinitarian.
T is for trinity and tertullian 5 minutes in church. Remember that the marcionites, modalists, and others claimed support from the. Tertullian, latin in full quintus septimus florens tertullianus, born c. Widely recognized as the founder of western theology he was one of the oldest extant latin writers to propound the formal exposition of a trinitarian theology. He was born in the city of carthage in north africa. Nov 08, 2018 tertullian also believed that christ and the holy spirit are uncreated, having eternally existed within and with god. Tertullian and the dangers of the sectarian mindset.
Nov 28, 2006 tertullian laments in his brief work, adversus praxeas composed circa 210 a. Tertullian s concern was a doctrine known as modalism. The history of parliament trust in the learned trinity of. Early modern, protestant and enlightenment rhetoric against. Nov 08, 2020 tertullian is often portrayed as a prescient figure who accurately anticipated the nicene consensus about the trinity.
Jerry moon, the trinity, chapter, trinity and antitrinitarianism in seventhday adventist history, p. In response to a heresy about the godhead, tertullian wrote against praxus, which for the first time used the word trinity to describe the godhead. Though tertullian made great and lasting contributions to a wide scope of catholic doctrines trinity, christology, ecclesiology, sacratmental theology, etc, he always had a tendency towards severity and rigorism. Tertullian summarises what scripture has to say on the relationships in question, and invents the term trinity to describe them. Both of his parents were pagan, and his father was a centurion. Tertullian s willingness to break away from the established church and join a sect is an example of the hallmark characteristic of what can be called the sectarian mindset. Sep 30, 2020 tertullian has been called the father of latin christianity. This is the view that there is only one person in the godhead.
In tertullian s day, christians lived in a polytheistic environment and, consequently. Tertullian the center for early african christianity. Theevolutionofthedoctrineoftrinityinearly christianity. Trinity trinitas, which has become so characteristic a feature of christian theology since his time 509 new nouns. This tendency sadly drew him into a rigorist heretical sect called the monanists around 210 ad. A formulation and defense of the doctrine of the trinity. The didache is a document that was produced in the early 2nd century. That one, individual god fills the role of the father, son, and holy spirit in much the same way that one actor can play three roles in the same movie.
Tertullian s allegiance to the new prophecylater known as montanism has often been connected only to his advocacy of ascetic discipline, and has been considered irrelevant to his treatment of doctrine. The ideal which tertullian sought outside the church proved to be a mirage. God is the trinity, which consists of three persons. Tertullian the word trinity is not found in the bible, and, though used by tertullian in the last decade of the 2nd century, it did not find a place formally in the theology of the church till the 4th century. The language used in the church writings was greek. Tertullian declares that the rule of faith is unchangeable, but discipline is progressive. However, it must be stressed that tertullian did not believe that christ eternally existed as the son, but became the son when god emitted him, or brought him forth, from within his own being to become the agent of creation. A trinitarian theology of family csu research output charles. To deal with these problems the church fathers met in a. Early church fathers christian classics ethereal library. When the nicene formulary is praised, says harnack it is always of athanasius that we think. Usa, 1985, 5784 and 142 and geoffrey dunn, tertullian routledge press.
Tertullian was never recognized as a saint by the eastern or western catholic churches. Adventists are aware of the sabbath deception but most are totally ignorant of the trinity deception. Tertullian s ideas had a direct impact on men like athanasius and augustine as well as other church fathers and the councils they. However, the biblical doctrine of the trinity does not rest on one verse of scripture, but is found throughout the old and new testaments. Tertullian at the close of the 2nd century, but received wide currency common use in intellectual discussion and formal elucidation clarification only in the 4th and 5th centuries. Monarchianism and origens early trinitarian theology. Arianismthe belief that the son is a sort of lesser god, while the father is the only true godrears its head in the early 4th century.
Tertullian is almost always thinking practically and functionally, in terms of role and action, and rarely abstractly. Sermon on the mount, harmony of the gospels, homilies on the gospels. Christian literature on trinity and family, and specific concerns about any. There are also a number of lost works, and a number of spurious works which have passed under his name at one time or another approximate english translations of the titles are attached, but the usage varies so much that texts will be referred to using the usual latin titles. How christianity spread to the ends of the earth is tbn s sixpart documentary series chronicling the gospels spread from 12 apostles in jerusalem over 2,000 years ago to a major presence on every continent today. His apology, addressed to the governors of the roman provinces, is notable for its skillful legal argumentation as well as for the glimpses it affords into the life of the early. The book had been preceded by a greek writing on the same subject.
The simple, indeed, i will not call them unwise and unlearned, who always constitute the majority of believers, are startled at the dispensation of the three, on the ground that the very rule of faith withdraws them. Tindals tracts on the trinity prefigured the religion of nature that he later. In the movie, to kill a mocking bird, tom robinson, a black man, is accused of. Newest tertullian questions christianity stack exchange. Michel rene barnes, latin trinitarian theology, in the cambridge companion to the trinity, ed. Tertullian also held the belief that that trinity is found in scripture. Tertullian, cyprian, augustine, and jerome mention it. Thus christ is spirit of spirit, and god of god, as light of. Sometimes his aim has been to destroy the truth by defending it. May 29, 2018 tertullian the north african theologian and apologist tertullian ca. T is for trinity and tertullian 5 minutes in church history. We simply take them for granted, but we should be thankful to tertullian for his work.
Model for human relationships the trinity, as a dynamic communion of persons who dwell together in love and unity, acts as a model of how we are to love one another and work to build unity and communion among all peoples. Jul 14, 2015 according to one analysis, tertullian coined 509 new nouns, 284 new adjectives, and 161 new verbs in the latin language. This verse accurately states the doctrine of the trinity that god is one. On the trinity excerpts from his work, against praxeas chapter i. The trinity in creation inspiration and the trinity the trinity and.
How do we get to one yaweh elohim to 3 persons on substance god. William reeves, prefaced his edition of justin martyr, tertullian. Furthermore, he engages polemically with praxeas on the basis of scripture, expounding a plethora of verses from the gospel of john. The antimanichaean writings, the antidonatist writings. Journey through centuries and continents, exploring christianitys arrival and. Tertullian reframed ideas about original sin and baptism. Tertullian, often called the father of the trinity for being the first person to use the latin trinitas, wrote in a. Sep 25, 20 but it was tertullian who gave us the designations of old and new testaments. Commentary on what the early christians believed about the. A historical and literary study oxford university press. Simply stated the doctrine of the trinity teaches us that there is only one god and. The christian doctrine of the trinity was at the cutting edge of medieval thought.
In like manner the trinity, flowing down from the father through intertwined and connected steps, does not at all disturb the monarchy, while it at the same time guards the state of the economy. It is believed to be a paraphrasing of tertullian s prorsus credibile est, quia ineptum est which means it is certain because it is impossible, consistent with an antimarcionite context. Homilies on the gospel of john, homilies on the first epistle of john, soliloquies. The first individual to come up with god as persons was the first century greek philosopher, philo of alexandria. In tertullian s day, christians lived in a polytheistic environment and, consequently, were extraordinarily sensitive to any doctrine that might be construed as a. Barnes, rereading augustines theology of the trinity, in the trinity. Tertullian is widely regarded as having originated the expression credo quia absurdum est i believe because it is absurd and the phrase. Tertullian 150225 was the first to speak of god as a trinity, and as three persons in one substance.
Sample paper formal understanding and explaining the. Jan 02, 2020 tertullian was ordained a presbyter in the church at carthage, north africa, and began writing books addressing the issues facing the church of his day. Tertullian has left us 31 extant treatises, all in latin. Knowledge of the life of tertullian is based almost wholly. Feb 05, 2019 for example, tertullian wrote of the trinity as three persons in one substance. The first major christian writer to use the latin language 1, he gave to latin christian thought a decidedly legal stamp. The trinity is an active god, a god of communion and not of isolation, calling us to do the same. The catholic rule of faith expounded in some of its points. In against praxeas, tertullian explains the trinitarian doctrine and how it has been evident since the apostolic age. Oct, 2020 with tertullian we have an early voice attributing his basic understanding of the trinity to a scripturallybased tradition handed down in the church. Ebook pdf, this textbased pdf or ebook was created from the html. Pdf the significance and impact of tertullian on the early. In his treatise against praexas, he defends and articulates trinitarian belief, insisting on continuity between his defense of the paraclete and the older rule of faith. Though conservative, he did originate and advance new theology to the early church.
Tertullians trinity where did trinity get invented. But that tertullian is in reality the father of the orthodox doctrines of the trinity and of the. This supplementary document discusses the history of trinity theories. Biblical commissions document the interpretation of the bible in the church. Tertullian originated new theological concepts and advanced the development of early church doctrine. Shortly afterwards tertullian published his largest extant work, five books against marcion. Tertullian, jerome, augustine, origen, cyprian, and atha.
868 1298 1566 1185 1254 152 1457 1077 4 84 1647 805 1275 625 430 879 3 1659 1507 187 1541 26 1517 140