TERTULLIAN AGAINST PRAXEAS

Trinity and Incarnation, Spring 2019

Patrick Justin Schramm, Sr.

23-Apr-19

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 Development
This paper results from having read Tertullian Against Praxeus three times – the first
reading from the raw .pdf to establish get a feel for the document itself, the second while
deleting the footnotes so that the resulting distillation could be read again the third time
“unbroken” with a complete continuity of the text. However, I first had to
manufacture/render an editable text from the original document that was downloaded as
a .pdf document. The original .pdf document was then rendered into text (Word) format
so that it could be edited and highlighted.

When footnotes are shown in this paper, I am referencing to the attached Word
document titled (Tertullian, Against Praxeas, without footnotes) which is but one sub-
version of the original document. I am providing this document to you as well, to give
you an accurate version (page # ‘s) from which my footnotes were drawn.

I attempted to compose this paper with an overview of the pertinent time period, the two
majors of the article (Tertullian and Praxeas) and then delve into the
religious/philosophical points – counterpoints. It is my objective to give the reader a
historical overview while leaving the main discussion for the paper proper/questions.

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 FOREWARD

Tertullian, born Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus of pagan parentage about 160
A.D., was a native of the Roman province of north Africa (approximately modern
Tunis).1 He underwent training in Greek, Latin and law. All of his knowledge of law,
literature and philosophy was at once enlisted on the side of the Catholicism, a
persecuted religion. Since there were probably more churches in Africa than there were
in Italy at that time and since Christianity also seemed to be more Latin that Greek, the
early Church, no doubt, received a great boost from Tertullian’s presence.

However, “Tertullian’s passions and perfectionism eventually led him out of the church
and into the “purist” separatist sect of Montanus.”2 It is indeed unfortunate that
Tertullian, who staunchly defended the Trinity, was an early proponent of Nicene
doctrine, who assisted in providing a foundation for the Council of Nicea and wrote as
an apologetic, but died a heretic.3

Ironically, little is known of Praxeas, who was probably a Greek, since the name is
Greek and not Latin. His lone distinction is that he was opposed by Tertullian in the tract
of Against Praxeas (Adversus Praxean). As a writer, he appears in list of heresies
appended to (De Praescriptionibus). He was a proponent of Monarchianism which
would make him an adversary of Tertullian. Praxeas misinterpreted divine unity (the
economy) to the point there was no Trinity, but the “Father alone was God, and that all
the experiences undergone by Jesus in His earthly life were undergone by the Father.”
This reduced the other two Persons in the Trinity from individual persons, to a mode.
Praxeas later recanted, but his heresy later re-invented itself as Sabellianism.

At the time of Tertullian and Praxeas, the followers of the Church had a much more
limited pool of writings, observation, research, reflection and history from which to
derive. In fact, at that point, the church was in existence only a little longer than 300
years and was now just dealing with major growing pains of conflicts in teachings and
outright heresies. Tertullian and Praxeas lived a politically and religiously tumultuous
time involving the three (3) major schools of church teaching (Antioch, Alexandria and
Rome) combined with outside influence of Greek and Roman philosophy and with
political underpinnings and pressures thrown in for good measure. Small wonder that
this was a time of great fluidity and challenge to the teachings of the Church. It was out
of this crucible that Catholicism was tempered.

1
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 3
2
The Fathers of the Church, 3rd edition, page 22 of the e-book
3
Foundations of the Catholic faith, Fall, 2017, Combined notes

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 TERTULLIAN AGAINST PRAXEAS
A) What is the argument of the book?
The basic argument between Tertullian and Praxeas regards the existence and unity of
the Three Persons of the Trinity (the economy of The Trinity, peconomia dispensatio)
presented by Tertullian as opposed to Praxeas' contention that it was the Father Himself
who was incarnated in the Virgin, that it was He who was born and suffered, that the
Father is Jesus Christ.

Praxeas violates a basic tenant “in the Catholic faith, the Father is God, the Son is God
and the Holy Spirit is God.”4 There are three persons in one God and the
differentiation/distinction is the relationship between each person (as above, the
economy). Tertullian stated it as “These three are one substance, not one person.”
(Substance also translates as essence and nature.)5 In Praxeas’ view, he mis-ordered
the relationship between The Father and the Son, and in so doing dismisses the Son.

The Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity and Unity, is sometimes Called the Divine Economy,
or Dispensation of the Personal Relations of the Godhead. God is defined as The
Father or The Lord. The Father begets the incarnate Son, who is also The Word or
Logos. The Holy Spirit, or Paraclete, precedes from Jesus, The Son, to sanctify. God
gives power to both Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit always act
in accordance with the will of The Father. The gospels and the Nicene Creed bear out
these relationships and interactions.

4
The Blessed Trinity and Our Christian Vocation, The Didache Series, Semester Edition, Chapter 2, page 58
5
The Blessed Trinity and Our Christian Vocation, The Didache Series, Semester Edition, Chapter 2, page 61

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B) What is the book trying to do or argue, and does it do it?
The major objectives of Tertullian’s writing is to:
1) Establish the Holy Trinity and the proof/reasoning behind it’s existence
2) Show the economy of the Holy Trinity
3) Thereby refuting the teachings of Praxeas

Tertullian, the Father of Latin Christianity, uses a strong combination of Scripture, logic
and philosophy, sometimes in a repetitious manner or, at least, repeated multiple times
within his treatise. In Scripture, he uses a heavy foundation of writings from both the Old
and New Testaments, including from “the very beginning.” Among the books cited are:
Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Job, Isaiah, Wisdom, Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. From the number of quotations cited, it is apparent that the Book of John was
an important guide to Tertullian.

He also employs what I consider an almost “circular” form of logic whereby he

“encircles” the argument and then turns it back in upon itself. The other party is then led
to either an inescapable conclusion or they have been put in a position where there is
only one conclusion – and that is Tertullian’s. Given that he has studied both Greek and
law, undoubtedly the influence of Greek philosophy is probably also a tenet of his
writing. That Tertullian was intelligent, relentless, aggressive, direct and displayed little
tact were traits that assisted him win the debate.

When viewed in retrospect, to say that Tertullian Against Praxeus accomplishes the
goal of establishing the Trinity and the unity of the Three Persons is an understatement.
It is regarded as “one Tertullian’s most important works.”6 “It was Tertullian who first
used the Latin word Trinitas (Trinity) to describe God.”7 This writing is also the earliest
surviving formal statement of the doctrine of the Trinity8. Besides laying waste to
Praxeas’ teachings, in Tertullians’ time, this particular treatise offered a tool that
countered Docetism and Montancould. The tenets would also be used to defend against
of the larger heresies after Tertullian’s death – Arianism, Neo-Arianism (denial that
Jesus was co-equal or co-eternal with the Father) and Subordinationism all of which
challenged either the Holy Trinity or the nature of the persons within the Trinity. Other
aspects of his work can be seen through the accomoplishments of the Council of Nicea
(325) which culminated with it’s definitive position to defeat Arianism, issue the doctrine
on the Holy Trinity and compose the Nicene Creed. It is no small feat that Tertullian
wrote this work over one hundred years before the Council of Nicea convened.

Due to the times in which he lived, Tertullian Against Praxeus, a formative and definitive
study on the Holy Trinity and the Persons within it, was probably more valuable to the
scholars of his day since it was a tool in the actual fight against the heresies. Since that
time, other writings and insights were compiled, so Tertullian Against Praxeus is now
viewed in more developmental and historical aspects.
6
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 1
7
The Fathers of The Church, 3rd Edition, page 96 of e-book
8
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 1

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C) Who would want to read this book and why?
Certainly, we are blessed to live in era in which our Roman Catholic faith has a solid
foundation from two thousand years of Church history including oral tradition, written
history (influenced by Divine Revelation), the Apostles, the martyrs, Church Fathers,
Ecumenical Councils, synods, the succession of Popes and the magisterium. We have
at our disposal a wealth of knowledge and writing (salvation history) including the Bible,
Epistles, encyclicals, The Vulgate, The Didache and others.

Church teachings develop through three (3) pillars of development:

1) Scriptures
2) Tradition
3) Church’s Magisterium

The church in her teachings, life and worship (liturgy) perpetuates and hands on all that
She believes. The words of the Holy Father witness to their living tradition. Therefore,
we have a considerable “Deposit of Faith” from two thousand years of teaching, records
and theological assemblies that assures Catholicism’s development of a “mature
religion.”

At first, I thought that my paper would be suitable material for a relative newcomer to the
faith or a Catechumen. After much research, reading and reflection, I do not believe
that I can make that statement without caveat. Tertullian takes on many issues, some in
a very complex manner, in this single paper. His logic may pose a challenge to discern,
especially when this crosses multiple points. The Catechumen or neophyte Catholic
would have to be an extraordinary individual - highly motivated, dedicated, deeply
discerning and organized to gain the full relevance and benefit of this subject matter.

Therefore, I believe Tertullian Against Praxeas should be read and studied by a person
that has been exposed to a fair amount of Scripture and have a reasonable amount of
Theological study. Any less and they would probably not have a sufficient amount of
knowledge to deal effectively with and comprehend the subject matter. Because of the
many aspects that it addresses which have direct tie-in back to the Trinity/Three
Persons, this writing has great value to the Trinitarian student. In any event, the
prospective reader wishing to tackle Tertullian Against Praxeaus must be armed with
patience and thoroughness for this endeavor. [For more specifics, please refer to my
following answers in D) Is the book well written and clear?]

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D) Is the book well written and clear?
The answer to this question could be a dual answer, with relation to either time/era or
scholastic perspective.

While there is no doubt that Tertullian is an eloquent and effective defender of the
Trinity, he does not write with a style for the “faint of heart” for those unwilling to work at
it. First, Tertullian quotes Scripture, both from the New Testament and the Old
Testament very liberally throughout this particular writing. That “he is the earliest Latin
writer to quote Scripture with any freedom” is apparent from the beginning as Tertullian
places a large percentage of his argument on quoted Scripture. In fact, in “Tertullian
Against Praxeas,” there are several instances where he uses the same Scripture to
defend multiple points. If one chooses to cross reference to any great extent while
reading this document, it will be a laborious process indeed.

Secondly, there is the nature of the languages he uses. He wrote in both Greek, the
language of the most highly educated, and Latin, the predominant language. The net
result, even after having been translated from Latin, the reading and, particularly
understanding, are still taxing. He was both an early Church Father and an “early
forerunner of a succession of Christian laymen,”9 thus, he was writing more specifically
to highly skilled and educated contemporaries. While “to him we owe the first
formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity; to him we owe a great part of the Christian
Latin vocabulary,” scholars now find that “compiling a Lexicon” may be “one of the most
urgent requirements of Latin study.” All of the preceding makes it even more arduous
since the reading and understanding of his works “is a task of extreme difficulty at times
to ascertain precisely.”10 A. Souter concludes “There is no Latin writer for whose
study an exhaustive concordance or special lexicon is so necessary.”11

Thirdly, the reader must be very diligent in their reading to decipher if Tertullian is
speaking to the reader or to/at Praxeas. If one is not careful, then there easily could be
the opportunity to make an incorrect conclusion/reasoning and argue against the
economy/Trinity, not for it. This is particularly true when reading about the appearance
of God in the Old Testament. God is not supposed to be seen – “No one can see My
face and live.”12 But there are also other instances of God appearing directly to man.
Tertullian maintains this is actually the appearance of Christ, The Word, not God,
Himself. God is still supposed to be invisible. I had never before been exposed to this
concept until I read Tertullian Against Praxeas and taken this course. Especially since
this was a new viewpoint, it caused me considerable confusion and I had to re-read the
passage to understand it. An issue such as this could be the source of real trouble for
those either not intimately versed in Scripture or who may not have had the opportunity
to attend a class such as this.

9
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 3
10
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 4
11
Tertullian against Praxeas, page 2
12
Exodus, 33:20

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E) Does the book relate to a current trend, issue or topic in this
course? If so, what and how?
Absolutely affirmative to all of the above. One has to look no further than the descriptive
title of our course: The Trinity and The Incarnation. Even under our course description
states: “This course presents the mystery of the Triune God revealed in the mission of
Christ and the gift of the Spirit.” Several key facets are identified within this single
statement: Triune God, Christ and Spirit. In Tertullian Against Praxeas, the Three
Persons are presented forcefully, dynamically and without equivocation.

The Blessed Trinity and Our Christian Vocation, The Didache Series, Semester Edition,
Chapter 2, Understanding the Trinity, deals with the following general questions13:
God’s revelation of Himself throughout history
Attributes of God
What is meant by one God in Three Persons?
How did God reveal Himself as a Trinity of Three Persons?
How did the Apostle and the early Church Fathers develop the Christian
understanding of the Blessed Trinity and defend Christian beliefs against
the heresies of their day?
What were some mistaken beliefs about the Trinity?

The Trinity, An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God, Gilles Emery, O.P.,
also deals with aspects of Tertullian Against Praxeas in dealing with:
The Revelation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (gospel texts, doxology, teachings)
Three “Persons” or Hypostases” (one nature or substance, Three distinct Persons)
Doctrinal Synthesis on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (not blended, but distinct)

The Catholic Catechism also defines the Holy Trinity throughout:

Paragraph 234 (Mystery),
Section II, The Revelation of God as Trinity
Paragraph 253 (dogma)
Paragraph 267 (Inseparability)

Tertullian Against Praxeas contains points which touch on all of the study documents
listed above. In hindsight, it was beneficial for me to have been exposed to those
documents before attempting to read this tract. I do not think I would have had enough
“concept” to deal with Tertullian’s arguments, therefore, it would not have benefited my
as much. Other course work on the heresies was important, too. Even though the major
heresies were named differently, they all had error in compositions usually points back
to either one of the Persons of the Trinity or the Trinity itself.

13
The Blessed Trinity and Our Christian Vocation, The Didache Series, Semester Edition, Chapter 2, page 45

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F) Key themes in the book:
Because of the numerous points and issues within Tertullian Against Praxeas, it may be
advantageous for both brevity and illustrative purposes to use bullet points rather than
full fledged explanations:
 Separation of the Three Persons
 Order of the monarchy with the Father as the head
 Relationship between the Father and the Son (One cannot be Father without the
Son, nor can the Son be called this without The Father).
 Christ as Word (Logos)
 Establishing Father/Son/Holy Spirit through use of the Rule of Faith by allegories
in projections of nature:
o Shrub/root/fruit
o Source/river/channel
o Sun/ray/recipient
 Conservation of the economy
 Bible speaking of three Persons
 Bible showing three persons speaking
 Father begetting Son with the Holy Spirit (Paraclete) proceeding from the Son.
 Co-use of some names
 Unity of divinity

All pertain to the Three Persons of the Trinity, how they interrelate and how they are
indivisible. These proofs/rebuttals are contained in numerous Scriptures, are irrefutable
and supported by Ecumenical Councils and the Ecclesia.