Tertullian
Roman Christian theologian and writer (c. 155 – c. 220)
Tertullian (; Latin: Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus; c. 155 – c. 220 AD) was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature and was an early Christian apologist and a polemicist against what he viewed as heresy, including Gnosticism.
Tertullian was the first theologian to write in Latin, and so has been called "the father of Latin Christianity", as well as "the founder of Western [Christian] theology". He is perhaps most famous for being the first writer in Latin known to use the term trinity (Latin: trinitas).
Tertullian enunciated new theological concepts and advanced the development of early Church doctrine. However, some of his teachings, such as the subordination of the Son and Spirit to the Father, were later rejected by the Catholic Church. Tertullian later joined the Montanist sect, but today most scholars reject the assertion that he left the mainstream church or was excommunicated.
Life
Scant reliable evidence exists regarding Tertullian's life; most knowledge comes from passing references in his own writings.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Tertullian” as roman Christian theologian and writer (c. 155 – c. 220). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as roman Christian theologian and writer (c. 155 – c. 220). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 31, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q174929. VIAF identifies the subject as 100226395. The Library of Congress control number is n79091867. 6 of 13 selected statements include explicit references; 4 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
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Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Tertullian primary sources, Tertullian archive and Tertullian research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Tertullian” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.