REL 1350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Montanism, Gnosticism, Tertullian
Document Summary
It has been said with truth that a perfect historian of secular events will never be found, how much less hope can we entertain that the vast field of ecclesiastical history will ever find a really successful explorer. (1) John de soyres" statement is never more true than when applied to the. The main problem that scholars find when discussing this subject is the shortage of information, and the biased nature of the existing sources. Tertullian (c. 153-225 ad) is virtually the only writer to support the montanist movement. Following his conversion to montanism late in life he was condemned by later writers. The seven books against the church in defence of montanism that he wrote have, sadly, been lost, leaving us with incidental references gleaned from his other works. (2) About twenty montanist prophecies have been preserved by epiphanius,(3) writing in the fourth century, but his objectivity in their selection is open to question.
