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.

This first book in a four part series includes the writings of one of the first true theologians. This first volume is more of a treaty on Apologetics, the defense of the Christian faith, and brings to view the idea of the apology, the use and end results of idols, along with many other pieces of theology that we in the church should be making a part of our theology even in today's world. Even though the writings are nearly two thousand years old, the relevance is becoming more and more clear in today's world where false teaching is flourishing and thriving.

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.

This second volume in a four book series of the writings of Tertullian focuses on the teachings of a heretic named Marcion. This work mainly shows the error of Marcion's theology and the gnostic basis of the teaching. Although we no longer have many of the original teachings of the first and second century Gnostics we are able to use works like this to try and piece them together. Tertullian was adamant in showing the error of the Gnostic way of using the Bible and adequately shows the heresy that lies within the fabric of Gnostic thought that made it so dangerous. Now in larger print!

The third part in this series is often referred to as the ethical piece of teaching and rightly so as it focuses on the steps to take to be closer to God and what disciplines are right within that journey. Many people expect God to immediately respond to their needs and to immediately answer prayers the way they want to and Tertullian responds to such misconceptions by showing us how we should be responding to God and to the world around us. The walk with the Lord is a patient and steady one and this work proves that having the determination to see it through is well worth the time and effort to the end.

This is a new release of the original 1930 edition.

A major reappraisal of the theology of the second-century Christian thinker, Tertullian.