Tertullian
(C. 155/160 - 240/250 AD)
Historical Note
Tertullian’s full name was Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus. He was
born of pagan parents in Carthage just after the mid second century AD.
His father was a Roman officer stationed in North Africa.
As a youth, Tertullian’s life was not virtuous but it was laborious. He read
intensely and studied whatever he could lay his hands upon. He became a
lawyer of considerate repute, and after his conversion (c.193 AD) he
employed his talents for the service and defense of Christianity. We do not
know the circumstances of his conversion but we do know that it was
sincere and thorough.
Tertullian was married and according to St. Jerome was an ordained priest,
though this is still in dispute as there is nothing in his writings to indicate
this. Tixeront-Raemers date his ordination towards the year 200.¹
Nevertheless, his writings were widely known, read and quoted simply for
their genuine excellence. He was the first great Latin Father and the pioneer
of the African school that reached its climax in St. Augustine.
Tertullian was a born fighter with an energetic mind and iron will. He
fought continuously for what he believed to be right and good, waging
incessant war against heresy and paganism. Unfortunately, he lacked
moderation and tended to exaggeration, making Christian morality
impracticable. His firmness often descended into stubbornness, a telltale
sign of pride.
Tertullian’s greatest works include the Apology and the Demurrer Against
the Heretics. In the former he defends Christianity against the unjust legal
measures taken against it and makes his famous declaration that “The
blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” In the latter he makes a
1
Handbook of Patrology (1946), p. 110.
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