Tertullian and the Church

Was Tertullian of Carthage a schismatic? How did he view the Church and its bishops? How did he understand the exercise of authority within the Church? In this study David Rankin sets the writings of Tertullian in the context of the early third-century Church and the developments it was undergoing in relation to both its structures and its self-understanding. He then discusses Tertullian's own theology of the Church, his imagery and his perception of Church office and ministry. Tertullian maintained throughout his career a high view of the Church, and this in part constituted the motivation for his vitriolic attacks on the Church's hierarchy after he had joined the New Prophecy movement. His contribution to the development of the Church has often been misunderstood, and this thorough exploration provides a reassessment of its nature and importance.

Thorough overview of Tertullian's writings in their historical context
Close readings of specific passages
Discussion of the most vexed questions of Tertullian scholarship

Reviews & endorsements

Rankin's prose is clear and fluent, which is noteworthy considering that he is peeling away layers of meanings, uses intentions, implications, and the like....after working his way through the book, the reader will realize that Rankin has performed a great service and created not only a detailed analysis but also a valuable sourcebook on Tertullian and the Church. The work will be, I suspect, the book to refer to, the book to contend with, and it definitely should not be neglected by Christian Latin lexicographers." Grant C. Roti, Christianity and Literature

"A provocative and important book." Choice

"...a serious attempt to alter profoundly the accepted assessment of Tertullian....What is especially compelling is his location of Tertullian in the historical context not only of earlier patristic thought but of intellectual and even literary trends within the wider lay, and even secular, community. It is striking how much falls into place once Rankin's core contention is accepted....a valuable contribution to our understanding of the development of Tertullian's thought in many areas and of the relations of the new Prophecy movement to orthodox Catholicism. Anyone seriously interested in the emergence of an institution that was to shape the whole course of medieval European history would be well advised to read this book." Hugh Lawson-Tancred, Canadian Philosophical Review

"Rankin, of Trinity Theological College in brisbane, carries forward into ecclesiology some recent appreciative scholarship on Tertullian. His thesis is clear, important, and closely argued....Rankin has notably contributed to our understanding of Tertullian and the history of ecclesiology." David Efroymson, Theological Studies

"Rankin's analysis of Tertullian's teaching, first about the nature of the Church and then about the clergy and their authority, is valuable not only for the light it throws on this problem of Tertullian's shift in position in the Chruch when he began to defend the value of Montanus's prophecies, but also for its elucidation of the outlook of early Christians regarding these matters." Canadian Catholic Review

"While I expect both his Protestant and Catholic readers will find good cause to keep the discussion alive, I think Raskin has made a significant contribution to the debate itself....Rankin's book almost serves as a source book for the debate over the questions he addresses." Phoenix

"Rankin clearly demonstrates that Tertullian did much to pave the way for the episcopal absolutism of Western Catholicism." Kevin Madigan, Religious Studies Review

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