Tertullian to His Wife

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.

These two epistles are unique in that we find Tertullian writing not simply to the Church or Christians in general but to his wife. This is the first example presented where an entire text is dedicated from husband to wife. Tertullian seeks to encourage his spouse towards sanctification after his death. He deals broadly with questions of widowhood, remarriage, and marriage to those outside the church. He uses a fairly straightforward reading of Paul's letters to argue that it is best for women not to remarry, and that those inside the church should only marry other Christians unless they were already married when converted. This is yet another example of Tertullian applying principles of holiness with a fairly straightforward and comprehensive interpretation of the Holy Scriptures to a practical question of daily life.

And now, please enjoy this rendition of Tertullian’s letters to his wife.

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