Tertullian on Fasting

Tertullian, the founder of Latin Christianity and a man of great intellect, was born in Carthage to a proconsular centurion sometime around A.D. 145. He was likely educated in Rome as an expert in law and joined the Church around 185, becoming a presbyter in 190. His writings profoundly influenced Augustine and Cyprian who, in turn, provided inspiration to the Reformers in Europe and in the Anglican Church. 

In his later years Tertullian embraced Montanism, a movement, labeled a heresy by the Church, which claimed to have further revelation from the Holy Spirit, held to a strict moral code, and elevated female prophets. Tertullian perhaps embraced this because he was discontent with the orthodox church of his day and found the uncompromising morality of Montanism appealing. Despite this, he is recognized as the founder of Latin Christianity and an incredibly influential Christian thought leader and writer.

This text provides the most insight so far into Tertullian’s beliefs following his support for the Montanists. As in everything he exhibits a strong sense of morality and an understanding that the Christian life is marked by asceticism, continence, and self-denial. In somewhat of a reversal he is forced to defend Montanist practices against the charge of heresy. 

The issue appears to be that he and the Montanists held to a very extreme schedule of fasting. The way the Tertullian describes their asceticism, it is as though going to prison would provide no change in material comforts. While we only have Tertullian’s side of the argument here, perhaps the central question is one of authority: Tertullian’s camp argued that their practices were necessitated by Scripture, whereas much of the rest of the Christian world viewed such fasting as voluntary. In many ways this question remains a tension in Christianity today: how should the authority of Scripture combined with the revelation of the Holy Spirit guide the church's faith and practice?

And now, please enjoy this rendition of Tertullian’s On Fasting

If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.