Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Note on the text and list of abbreviations
- 1 Simplicity and perfection
- 2 The puzzle: Athens and Jerusalem
- 3 The paradox: credible because inept
- 4 Strife of opposites and faith as recognition
- 5 Antithesis in one God: ‘Against Marcion’
- 6 Trinity and christology
- 7 Prayer and the bible
- 8 Mankind's two natures and a sordid church
- 9 Argument and humour: Hermogenes and the Valentinians
- 10 Promise of laughter, judgement of hell: apocalyse and system
- 11 Ethics of conflict
- Conclusion
- Select bibliography
- Subject index
- Citations from Tertullian
- Citations from the Bible
6 - Trinity and christology
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 November 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Note on the text and list of abbreviations
- 1 Simplicity and perfection
- 2 The puzzle: Athens and Jerusalem
- 3 The paradox: credible because inept
- 4 Strife of opposites and faith as recognition
- 5 Antithesis in one God: ‘Against Marcion’
- 6 Trinity and christology
- 7 Prayer and the bible
- 8 Mankind's two natures and a sordid church
- 9 Argument and humour: Hermogenes and the Valentinians
- 10 Promise of laughter, judgement of hell: apocalyse and system
- 11 Ethics of conflict
- Conclusion
- Select bibliography
- Subject index
- Citations from Tertullian
- Citations from the Bible
Summary
The influence of Tertullian's account of the trinity has been variously assessed. It has been claimed that through Novatian, whose work (according to Jerome) was an epitome of Tertullian, and through Hosius, Tertullian triumphed at Nicaea and the homoousion went on. Indeed, in Tertullian ‘we first find the accurate definition and technical terms that passed over into Catholic theology, winning prompt acceptance in the West and securing when the time came – the grudging but certain approval of the East’. This is an impressive claim; but ideas rarely enjoy such unambiguous triumph.
Tertullian's achievement may even be embarrassing in a climate of anti-trinitarian debate. Through him and other theologians, it is wrongly claimed that Christians lost their belief in God as ‘one without further qualification’, for the understanding of trinity requires such ‘well informed and highly sophisticated powers of thought’ that many Christians are effectively tritheist rather than monotheist. Today, ‘the contrast between the apparent simple clarity of Jewish and Muslim monotheism and the apparent complexity of Christian monotheism remains a stumbling-block to Christianity's detriment’. Tertullian was aware of the difficulty here raised (Prax. 3.1); but he insisted that trinity was the way to one God.
TRINITY A NEW FAITH IN ONE GOD
Trinity is never a mere multiplication of heavenly beings; there must be one God. Trinity is the faith of the gospel.
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- Information
- Tertullian, First Theologian of the West , pp. 116 - 143Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1997