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The Subtlety of Tertullian

The Subtlety of Tertullian THE SUBTLETY OF TERTULLIAN BY ERIC OSBORN To many readers, Tertullian is not a subtle writer. R.B. Tollinton was keen to receive Clement of Alexandria into the Anglo-Saxon tradition; "in his distrust of extremes, in his love of peace, in his reverent and sober piety, he anticipates some of the best characteristics of our race."' On this inaccurate approach, Tertullian would fit easier into the alternative John Bull tradition. His bluntness with Marcion was part of his cultural setting,2 but showed a wicked skill. Against Marcion's bodiless, docetic Christ, he argued that it would be easier to find a man like Marcion without heart and brains, than to find a man without a body (Marc.4.10.16). Apologetic takes its targets separately so that argument against one tar- get may not fit easily with argument against another. This is still evident in modern times where writers may exhibit great diversity in responding to objections within one culture, let alone venturing outside that culture.'i Tertullian successively takes many targets in his sights and acquits himself with such thoroughness that most targets are destroyed. Yet his readers, who admire his respect for contingency, have wondered how it all might fit together. When http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Vigiliae Christianae Brill

The Subtlety of Tertullian

Osborn, Eric
Vigiliae Christianae , Volume 52 (4): 361 – Jan 1, 1998
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 1998 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0042-6032
eISSN
1570-0720
DOI
10.1163/157007298X00236
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

THE SUBTLETY OF TERTULLIAN BY ERIC OSBORN To many readers, Tertullian is not a subtle writer. R.B. Tollinton was keen to receive Clement of Alexandria into the Anglo-Saxon tradition; "in his distrust of extremes, in his love of peace, in his reverent and sober piety, he anticipates some of the best characteristics of our race."' On this inaccurate approach, Tertullian would fit easier into the alternative John Bull tradition. His bluntness with Marcion was part of his cultural setting,2 but showed a wicked skill. Against Marcion's bodiless, docetic Christ, he argued that it would be easier to find a man like Marcion without heart and brains, than to find a man without a body (Marc.4.10.16). Apologetic takes its targets separately so that argument against one tar- get may not fit easily with argument against another. This is still evident in modern times where writers may exhibit great diversity in responding to objections within one culture, let alone venturing outside that culture.'i Tertullian successively takes many targets in his sights and acquits himself with such thoroughness that most targets are destroyed. Yet his readers, who admire his respect for contingency, have wondered how it all might fit together. When

Journal

Vigiliae Christianae – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1998

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