Eucharistic Sacrifice According to Tertullian of Carthage: a New Perspective
Eucharistic sacrifice is attested in Christian sources as early as the Didache and the writings of Justin Martyr. This aspect of eucharistic theology - the oblation of the bread and the cup - has been judged by most scholars to be virtually universal in the thought of early Christianity. The finding...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2026
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| In: |
Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2026, Volume: 80, Issue: 2, Pages: 144-159 |
| Further subjects: | B
Eucharistic sacrifice
B Patristics B North Africa B Eucharist B Tertullian of Carthage B Prayer |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Eucharistic sacrifice is attested in Christian sources as early as the Didache and the writings of Justin Martyr. This aspect of eucharistic theology - the oblation of the bread and the cup - has been judged by most scholars to be virtually universal in the thought of early Christianity. The findings of this article suggest that Tertullian of Carthage is an important exception to the otherwise virtually unanimous witness to the theology of eucharistic sacrifice in the Ante-Nicene period. The standard passages used to defend eucharistic sacrifice are examined, and it is argued that at each point, the seat of sacrifice for the African theologian is occupied exclusively by prayer and good works, not the eucharist. Prayer is even seen to substitute for the eucharist in traditionally eucharistic contexts. Tertullian's views in this respect are explained as an attempt to completely dissociate his Christianity from the caricatures created by his Roman opponents. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0720 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Vigiliae Christianae
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700720-bja10118 |
