Tertullian of Carthage was the earliest Christian writer to argue against abortion at length, and the first surviving Latin author to consider the unborn child in detail. This book is the first comprehensive analysis of Tertullian’s attitude towards the foetus and embryo. Examining Tertullian’s works in light of Roman literary and social history, Julian Barr proposes that Tertullian's comments on the unborn should be read as rhetoric ancillary to his primary arguments. Tertullian’s engagement in the art of rhetoric also explains his tendency towards self-contradiction. He argued that human existence began at conception in some treatises and not in others. Tertullian’s references to the unborn hence should not be plucked out of context, lest they be misread. Tertullian borrowed, modified, and discarded theories of ensoulment according to their usefulness for individual treatises. So long as a single work was internally consistent, Tertullian was satisfied. He elaborated upon previous Christian traditions and selectively borrowed from ancient embryological theory to prove specific theological and moral points. Tertullian was more influenced by Roman custom than he would perhaps have admitted, since the contrast between pagan and Christian attitudes on abortion was more rhetorical than real.

Abortion remains the most contested political issue in American life. Poll results have remained surprisingly constant over the years, with roughly equal numbers supporting and opposing it. A common perception is that abortion is contrary to Christian teaching and values. While some have challenged that perception, few have attempted a comprehensive critique and constructive counterargument on Christian ethical and theological grounds.Margaret Kamitsuka begins with a careful examination of the churchs biblical and historical record, refuting the assumption that Christianity has always condemned abortion or that it considered personhood as beginning at the moment of conception. She then offers carefully crafted ethical arguments about the pregnant womans authority to make reproductive decisions and builds a theological rationale for seeing abortion as something other than a sin.

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An updated look at one of the most crucial issues of our time! Infused with compassion and grounded in science, Alcorn's guide takes a hard look at tough questions, including "What makes life meaningful?" and "Is abortion really a women's rights issue?" His clear presentation of the facts provides welcome insights for pro-choicers and pro-lifers alike.

Tertullian (c. AD 160 - 225) was one of the first theologians of the Western Church & ranks among the most prominent of the early Latin fathers. His wide-ranging literary output offers a valuable insight into the Christian Church at a crucial stage in its development.

Who was Tertullian, and what can we know about him? This work explores his social identities, focusing on his North African milieu. Theories from the discipline of social/cultural anthropology, including kinship, class and ethnicity, are accommodated and applied to selections of Tertullian’s writings. In light of postcolonial concerns, this study utilizes the categories of Roman colonizers, indigenous Africans and new elites. The third category, new elites, is actually intended to destabilize the other two, denying any “essential” Roman or African identity. Thereafter, samples from Tertullian’s writings serve to illustrate comparisons of his own identities and the identities of his rhetorical opponents. The overall study finds Tertullian’s identities to be manifold, complex and discursive. Additionally, his writings are understood to reflect antagonism toward Romans, including Christian Romans (which is significant for his so-called Montanism), and Romanized Africans. While Tertullian accommodates much from Graeco-Roman literature, laws and customs, he nevertheless retains a strongly stated non-Roman-ness and an African-ity, which is highlighted in the present monograph.

Over one million unborn children are intentionally aborted every year in North America. Voiceless and helpless, their blood cries out. Will those of us who serve as pastors and preachers respond from our pulpits? Silence is not an option. We cannot keep quiet while thousands of our neighbors, made in the image of God, are being led to the slaughter every day. But neither should we condemn and vilify those who are complicit in their deaths. A truly pro-life pulpit ministry opposes the injustice of abortion with truth, courage and understanding. Tears mingled with hope, overflowing with grace. After all, the Christian faith is rooted in the good news of a Messiah who was once an embryo. Nine months before he was born, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and for the next forty weeks he lived and grew in the womb of an unwed teenaged mother. He is at the heart of our preaching, and this book will show you how to confront the sin of abortion by proclaiming the God who became abortable in order to save sinners.