Douglas Stones Tertullian

Produktbeskrivelse

Certainly this is Tertullian's most important work, written in the year 197 and directed to the rulers of the Roman Empire. Tertullian was born in Carthage in 155 A.D. and there he exercised his profession as a lawyer when, in 193, he converted to Christianity and began to work as a catechist with the Church.His intelligence and solid juridical formation were clearly demonstrated in this work, in which he defends Christians, appealing for their right to religious freedom, before the cruel and persecuting Roman Empire. His arguments are exposed in a logical and polemic way, aiming at convincing the authorities to whom he is addressed, questioning the "justice" applied against Christians, transporting the apologetics from the philosophical to the juridical terrain."With admirable skill, Tertullian censors the in vogue legal processes of the 'Gentile' State Power against Christians: the crime of 'nomem christianum' (='Christian name') is enough to bring condemnation. All criminals are granted the right of defense; Christians are not. To them, torture tries to extract a confession; to Christians, an apostasy. The iniquitous suspicions spread against Christians, Tertullian repels them as lies, exposing in opposition the essential concerning the Christian faith and the life of the communities. In conclusion, he declares Christianity to be a philosophy; but the Gentile philosophers are not obliged, as Christians are, to sacrifice and may even deny the gods with impunity. However, Gentile cruelties will not harm Christians; on the contrary, 'the blood of Christians is like seed that sprouts'".

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