Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

Session 1: The Apostolic Age, the Ancient Church, the Apologists, and the Great Tradition 19

3. Tertullian: father of Latin theology, born around 160 at Carthage, became a Christian around 197; actually became disillusioned with the Church and became a defender of Montanism; wrote more than 30 works, the most famous called Apology .

a. Strongly critical of Greek philosophy (saw it as the “parent of heresy”)

b. “What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What accord is there between the Academy and the Church? What have heretics to do with Christians? Our instruc tion comes from the porch of Solomon, who himself taught that the Lord should be sought in simplicity of heart. Away with all attempts to produce a Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic Christianity. . . With our faith we desire no further belief” ( Prescription of Heretics 7).

4. Clement of Alexandria: born into a pagan Greek family in middle of 2nd century; studied philosophy at Alexandria, leaving there during persecution in 202/203, died in Asia Minor before 216; 3 major works

a. Exhortation to the Greeks (a defense of the faith)

b. Tutor (a manual of instruction for new converts)

c. Carpet Bags (or Miscellanies ) (a spiritual teaching on the stages of spiritual formation from faith to knowledge, or “spiritual perception”)

5. Origen: born around 185 in Alexandria; loyal to the Catholic Church throughout his life and appointed as bishop of Alexandria and head of the catechetical school; severely tortured in the Decian persecution (249-251) but remained faithful. He died later of the injuries due to