What is Tertullian best known for?
Tertullian has been called “the father of Latin Christianity” and “the founder of Western theology”. Tertullian originated new theological concepts and advanced the development of early Church doctrine. He is perhaps most famous for being the first writer in Latin known to use the term trinity (Latin: trinitas).
What is theology according to Tertullian?
Under the influence of Stoic philosophy, Tertullian believes that all real things are material. God is a spirit, but a spirit is a material thing made out of a finer sort of matter. At the beginning, God is alone, though he has his own reason within him.
What is the meaning of Tertullian?
Definitions of Tertullian. Carthaginian theologian whose writing influenced early Christian theology (160-230) synonyms: Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus. example of: theologian, theologiser, theologist, theologizer. someone who is learned in theology or who speculates about theology.
What happened Tertullian?
Even the Montanists, however, were not rigorous enough for Tertullian. He eventually broke with them to found his own sect, a group that existed until the 5th century in Africa. According to tradition, he lived to be an old man. His last writings date from approximately 220, but the date of his death is unknown.
What did Tertullian write?
He also wrote the first Christian book on baptism, De baptismo; a book on the Christian doctrine of humanity, De anima (“Concerning the Soul”); essays on prayer and devotion, De oratione (“Concerning Prayer”); and a treatise directed against all heresy, De praescriptione haereticorum (“Concerning the Prescription of …
Who was Tertullian in the third century?
The North African theologian and apologist Tertullian (ca. 160-ca. 220) was the founder of Latin Christian theology. The first major Christian writer to use the Latin language, he gave to Latin Christian thought a decidedly legal stamp.
Who started the Trinity?
The first defense of the doctrine of the Trinity was in the early 3rd century by the early church father Tertullian. He explicitly defined the Trinity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and defended his theology against “Praxeas”, though he noted that the majority of the believers in his day found issue with his doctrine.
Is Tertullian considered a church father?
Tertullian. Tertullian (ca. 150-225), classified as one of the early church fathers, was a notable early Christian apologist . He was born in the city of Carthage in North Africa. Both of his parents were pagan , and his father was a centurion. Tertullian received a thorough education in the knowledge of the Romans and the Greeks,…
Where was Tertullian born?
Tertullian (/tərˈtʌliən/), full name Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, c. 155 – c. 240 AD, was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa.
Who was Tertullian Catholic?
Updated February 05, 2019 Tertullian was an early Christian apologist , theologian, and moralist from Carthage , North Africa. Zealous and articulate, Tertullian was highly educated in the fields of law, rhetoric, literature, Greek, and Latin.
When did Tertullian die?
Tertullian, Latin in full Quintus Septimus Florens Tertullianus, (born c. 155, /160, Carthage [now in Tunisia ]—died after 220, Carthage), important early Christian theologian , polemicist, and moralist who, as the initiator of ecclesiastical Latin, was instrumental in shaping the vocabulary and thought of Western Christianity.