Journal: Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry
Volume: JBTM 08:2 (Fall 2011)
Article: Tertullianism: Tertullian’s Vision Of The New Prophecy In North Africa
Author: Rex D. Butler

JBTM 8:2 (Fall 2011) p. 40

Tertullianism:
Tertullian’s Vision Of The New Prophecy In North Africa

Rex D. Butler

Associate Professor of Church History and Patristics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, a colleague in the Church History department with Dr. Holcomb

Introduction

Historians have long suspected that, after Tertullian embraced Montanism, or the New Prophecy, during the first decade of the third century, he reshaped the movement in North Africa according to his own extreme rigorism. It has been suggested that, although the founders of Montanism in Asia had made ascetic demands on their followers more severe than their Catholic counterparts, Tertullian took those expectations even further in such areas as post-baptismal forgiveness, martyrs’ power of the keys, and voluntary martyrdom.

The difficulty in comparing Montanism in Asia and North Africa lies in the scarcity of primary sources due to Catholic zeal in eliminating what the larger church considered a heretical movement. As a result, most of the oracles and logia from Montanist prophets are preserved only in the polemical writings of anti-Montanists or in Tertullian’s treatises. Tertullian’s interpretations of these oracles and logia, however, may not reflect the tenets of the founders of the movement. Indeed, the oracles and logia quoted by Tertullian may have originated from second- or third-generation Montanists in Carthage and, therefore, may have been influenced directly by Tertullian.

A helpful tool in distinguishing North African Montanism, or “Tertullianism,” from Asian Montanism is the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas. This document records the martyrdom of several catechumens and their teacher in Carthage in 203 and reflects the teachings and practices of Montanism, which arrived in North Africa just a few years earlier. If the Passion is indeed a Montanist document, it can serve as a bridge between Asian Montanism and Tertullian’s vision for the New Prophecy in North Africa.

This research project compares what is known of Montanism in Asia with Tertullian’s Montanist teachings in the areas of post-baptismal forgiveness, martyrs’ power of the keys, and voluntary martyrdom. By examining also what the Passion reflects in these areas, proposals are offered regarding the influence that Tertullian exerted on Montanism in North Africa.

JBTM 8:2 (Fall 2011) p. 41

Montanism And Tertullianism

Montanism, or the New Prophecy as its early proponents and opponents called it, developed in the third quarter of the second century under the leadership of Montanus, a charismatic prophet, and his two female followers, Priscilla and Maximilla. The move...