1. Lecture 8: Tertullian and African Christianity in Third Century
Dr. Ann T. Orlando
28 September 2017
Tertullian, North African Christianity

2. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Introduction
Montanists
Forgiveness of sins
Baptism in Early Church
Baptism and Martyrdom Controversies in Third Century African Church
Current Implications
Roman Liturgical Developments
Tertullian, North African Christianity

3. Tertullian, North African Christianity

4. Montanism: Background
Started by Montus and two female disciples: Prisca and Maximillia
Originated in Phrygia in Asia Minor c. 160
Quickly spread around Mediterranean, took strong root in North Africa
Seems to have died out or morphed into other movements (Donatism) by mid-Third Century in North Africa
Tertullian’s later works may be the only Montanists documents extant (On Flight, On Modesty, Against Praxeas)
Tertullian, North African Christianity

5. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Montanism: Beliefs
Believed in continuing Prophecy in Church through the action of Holy Spirit
Prophecy took the form of ecstatic utterances and actions; equal in value to Scripture
Encouraged excessive disciplinary practices
Opposed remarriage after death of spouse
Encouraged active seeking of martyrdom
Once a person was Baptized, and then sinned, they could not be forgiven
Tertullian, North African Christianity

6. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Response of Bishops
Some question as to whether or not to accept the New Prophecy
Admiration for spirituality
Respect and honor for martyrs
But New Prophecy seemed at odds with the importance of Apostolic Succession as guarantor of Truth
Excessive disciplinary practices, including no forgiveness of sins was not accepted by bishops
Condemned by Pope Eleutherius c. 180
Tertullian, North African Christianity

7. Tertullian’s Montanists View
Did not believe in spousal remarriage
Encouraged martyrdom
Did not completely accept authority of bishop
Tertullian held there were three classes of sins
Unforgivable sins: idolatry, apostasy, adultery (No readmittance to Church)
Grave but forgivable sins: murder
Daily sins: anger, evil speech
Broke with Catholic bishop of Carthage (Agrippinus) over forgiveness of sins; felt bishop could not forgive adultery
Tertullian, North African Christianity

8. Tertullian and Bishop of Rome
Tertullian claimed that Pope Eleutherius had approved of the Montanists
Claimed that Pope Victor was led astray by Praxeas to condemn Montanists (Against Praxeas)
Also chastised Pope Victor for forgiving sins of adultery:
I hear that there has even been an edict set forth, and a peremptory one too. The Pontifex Maximus -that is, the bishop of bishops -issues an edict: "I remit, to such as have discharged (the requirements of) repentance, the sins both of adultery and of fornication." On Modesty I
Pontifex Maximus: Tertullian is being sarcastic; this was the term for the pagan high priest in Rome
Tertullian, North African Christianity

9. Controversies About Martyrs
Recall that did not have to die to be a martyr
Suffer for the sake of The Name
Martyrs in life and death were considered heroes of the Church with great personal spiritual power
Popularly believed that they could forgive sins, especially the sin of apostasy
Should the Church encourage martyrdom?
Official stance by most bishops was not to actively seek it, but if pushed, not to deny the faith
Tertullian, North African Christianity

10. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Decian Persecutions
First Empire-wide persecutions promulgated by Emperor Decius, 250
Political instability within Empire
Increased threats from Persia and Northern barbarians
Required that everyone offer sacrifice for the Empire;
Required that everyone show their libellus (little book) or certificate to prove that they offered sacrifice
Required that Christians hand over their sacred books to be burned
Anyone who did not comply was condemned to death as a traitor
Tertullian, North African Christianity

11. Response of Christians
Some fled cities
Some complied
Some bought libelli from others
Some refused to comply and were martyred
A few bishops did hand over the Scriptures to be burned
Tertullian, North African Christianity

12. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Response of Church
Once the persecutions had abated (i.e., when Decius was overthrown as Emperor)
What to do about those who had complied or avoided persecution
Validity of sacraments offered by bishops who had handed over Scriptures
Led to Novation and Donatists Controversies
Tertullian, North African Christianity

13. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Novation
Roman priest, opposed election of Pope Cornelius in 251
Thought Cornelius too lax in re-admitting lapsed (lapsi) Christians back into Church
Set himself up as a rival Pope, drawing support from around Empire, especially from Montanists
Driving force opposing Novation: St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage
Tertullian, North African Christianity

14. Tertullian, North African Christianity
St. Cyprian
Teacher of Rhetoric before his conversion c. 248
Almost immediately, he was elected bishop of Carthage
Tertullian was a major influence on him
During Decian persecutions, he fled Carthage, but remained in contact with the Church there
Martyred in persecutions of Valerian, 257 (as was Novation)
St. Cyprian will be a major influence on the greatest of Western theologians: Augustine
Tertullian, North African Christianity

15. St. Cyprian and Re-Baptism
As noted above, Cyprian accepted lapsed into the Church with appropriate penance
However, he did not recognize the validity of Baptism by heretics or schismatics
This put him in conflict with Pope Stephen; the Roman Church seems to have always recognized Baptism by anyone as long as water and the Trinitarian formula were used
Cyprian thought the orthodoxy and validity of the minister was important in administering the sacrament
Note, Cyprian also opposed the forgiveness of sins by martyrs (libelli martyrum) for the same reason: the validity of the minister
Cyprian, and many others, wanted Christians Baptized by heretics to be re-Baptized
Pope St. Stephen prevailed
Tertullian, North African Christianity

16. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Key Issue at Stake
What is the relationship of the minister to the sacrament?
Does the validity of the sacrament depend on the personal virtue of the minister?
Official Catholic doctrine from the mid-Third Century (and from the beginning in Rome) is:
the validity of the sacrament is independent of the personal spiritual state of the minister
However, this issue continued to be hotly contested; leading to the Donatist movement in North Africa
Tertullian, North African Christianity

17. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Donatism
Started c. 313 in North Africa, named for a Christian Bishop in North Africa who protested the ordination of presbyters by a lapsed bishop
Followers of Montanist and Novatian joined with Donatists to form a schismatic Church, more numerous than the Catholic Church in North Africa.
Wanted the Church to be the ‘Church of the Pure’ especially the ministers
Looked to Tertullian and Cyprian as ‘fathers in faith’
Tertullian, North African Christianity

18. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Preview: Augustine
Born near Carthage, 354
Bishop of Hippo
Augustine rejected the notion of validity of minister need for validity of sacrament
No one is without sin
Efficacy of sacrament depends on intention of recipient
Augustine fought Donatists throughout his life
‘fought’ literally, because they tried to assassinate him
Augustine’s theological understanding and teaching on this became standard in the Church
Tertullian, North African Christianity

19. Back to Tertullian, On Baptism
Note the use of OT images
Discussion of Jesus’ Baptism by John
Discussion of Objections to Baptism
Jesus did not Baptize
Paul did not Baptize
What about holy men and women of OT
Passover best time for Baptism
Tertullian, North African Christianity

20. Tertullian, North African Christianity
To the Martyrs
Addressed to Christians in prison
Holy Spirit in prison with them
World more of a prison
Images of battle and combat
Examples from pagans
Tertullian, North African Christianity

21. Tertullian, North African Christianity
On Prayer
Titles for Jesus
Meditation on “Our Father”
Christ as our daily bread
Relation between debt and sin
How we should pray
Tertullian, North African Christianity

22. Tertullian, North African Christianity
Assignment
Read On Baptism, To the Martyrs, On Prayer
CCC , 1256 (Baptism)
Benedict XVI, General Audience 6 June 2007, St. Cyprian,
Write short paper on Tertullian
Tertullian, North African Christianity