TERTULLIAN THE AFRICAN THEOLOGIAN : A SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL READING OF TERTULLIAN'S IDENTITIES David E. Wilhite A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2006 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11124 This item is protected by original copyright THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS ST MARY'S COLLEGE TERTULLIAN THE AFRICAN THEOLOGIAN: A SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGICAL READING OF TERTULLIAN'S IDENTITIES A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF DIVINITY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY DAVID E. WILHITE ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND 28 SEPTEMBER 2005 ABSTRACT The following thesis explores the social identities of TertuIIian, a Christian from Carthage who lived from approximately 160 to 220. After exploring the implications of calling TertuIIian an "African Theologian," the introduction interacts with the work done on TertuIIian in the past, concluding that although he was once read Euro-centrically and assumed to be a Roman, explicitly, and a European, implicitly, scholars in recent decades have deconstructed the biographical information of TertuIIian, leaving his African origin as one of the only undisputed aspects of his life. However, while scholars have located TertuIIian within the broader movements of the Roman Empire, few have explored the North African milieu in relation to Tertullian's writings. In order to contribute to this area of scholarship, theories from the discipline of Social Anthropology are accommodated and applied to selections of Tertullian's writings, thereby exploring Tertullian's construction of his own identities. The social theories applied, namely, social identity, kinship identity, class identity, ethnic identity and religious identity, are used heuristically to read the sources from Roman Africa in order to inquire as to the various identities constructed by individuals and groups. Within the social context of Roman Africa, this study establishes the categories of Roman colonizers, indigenous Africans and new elites. The third category, new elites, is actually meant to destabilize the other two, denying any "essential" Roman or African identity. Once the context has been framed, the thesis investigates samples from Tertullian's writings to compare his construction of his own identities and the identities of his rhetorical opponents. In order to interpret Tertullian's social identities, one chapter compares the identities Tertullian constructs in his works Apologeticum and Ad nationes. The similarity of these two tracts allows for an inquiry into TertuIIian's "Other" and the "Other" Tertullian constructs for his audiences. The subsequent chapter applies kinship theory in order to compare Tertullian's ideals with those of Roman kinship and early Christian kinship. Therein, the usual discussion of Tertullian's view of marriage is readdressed by comparing the kinship identities and ideals forwarded in his works Ad uxorem 1 and 2. Closely connected to Tertullian's kinship identity is that of his class identity, and, while his exact status and class may be elusive in historical terms, one can explore his socio-economic ingroup and outgroup as he portrays them in De cultujeminarum 1 and 2. Tertullian's ethnic identity is discussed in a chapter that interprets his works De uirginibus uelandis and De pallio, in which it is suggested that Tertullian establishes boundaries between his own ethnic group and that of Roman colonizers. The last form of identity discussed, religious identity, involves a reinterpretation of TertuIIian's use of the New Prophecy. Therein, Tertullian's religious "Other" is understood to be constructed with not only "psychic" rhetoric, but also with Roman imagery. The overall study finds Tertullian's identities to be manifold, complex and discursive. Additionally, his writings are understood to reflect antagonism towards Romans, including Christian Romans, and Romanized Africans. While TertuIIian accommodates much from (Graeco-)Roman literature, laws and customs, he nevertheless retains a strongly stated non-Roman-ness and an African-ity which have been almost entirely neglected in past studies, and it is this aspect, therefore, which is highlighted in the present thesis. ii DECLARATIONS I, UClv,) G~J i~+~,hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 100,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. Date ";A /J>job Signature of candidate, I was admitted as a research student in September 2003 and as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D. in May 2004; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2003 and 2005. Date ') /1j/ et Signature oi candidate, I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Ph.D. in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date.1.t FJ 1Ano' Signature of supervisor, In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker. Date ''')..)11/0t Signature of candidate, iii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii DECLARATIONS iii CONTENTS iv ABBREVIATIONS vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: TERTULLIAN 1HE AFRICAN THEOLOGIAN 1 1.1 Introduction > Rereading Tertullian 1.2 Tertullian and Africa in Historical Theology 7 1.2.1 What constitutes African Theology? 1.2.2 The "Beginnings" of African Theology 1.2.3 The Aim of African Theology 1.2.4 The Methods of African Theology 1.2.5 The Parameters of African Theology 1.2.6 Is Tertullian an African Theologian? 1.3 Tertullian's Biography: Past Scholarly Understandings 21 1.3.1 Tertullian's Name 1.3.2 Tertullian's Birth 1.3.3 Tertullian's Father 1.3.4 Tertullian's Education 1.3.5 Tertullian's Occupation 1.3.6 Tertullian's Conversion 1.3.7 Tertullian's Ordination 1.3.8 Tertullian's Schism 1.3.9 Tertullian, Beyond the "Facts" 1.4 Conclusion 35 CHAPTER TWO CONTEXTUALIZING TERTULLIAN: IDENTITY THEORIES IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2.1 Introduction - Tertullian the Tunisian? 37 2.1.1 Postcolonial Anthropology 2.1.2 Social Anthropology - Past. Purpose and Method 2.1.3 Anthropology and History 2.2 Applied Theories 48 2.2.1 Social Anthropology and Social Identity 2.2.2 Kinship Theory and Kinship Identity 2.2.3 Class Theory and Class Identity 2.2.4 Ethnicity Theory and Ethnic Identity 2.2.5 Anthropology of Religion and Religious Identity 2.3 Conclusion 84 iv CHAPTER 1HREE THE AFRICAN CONTEXT OF TERTULLIAN: SOCIAL IDENTITIES AND ROMAN AFRICA 3.1 Introduction - Roman Africa and African Romans 86 3.1.1 Romanization in Africa 3.1.2 Colonization of Africa 3.1.2.1 Romanization of Africa 3.1.2.2 Africanization of Rome 3.2 Applied Theories 97 3.2.1 Roman Studies and Social Identity 3.2.2 Kinship and Kinship Identity 3.2.3 Class and Class Identity 3.2.4 Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity 3.2.5 Religion and Religious Identity 3.3 Conclusion 145 CHAPTER FOUR THE CHRISTIAN CONTEXT OF TERTULLIAN: SOCIAL IDENTITIES AND NORTII AFRICAN CHRISTIANS 4.1 Introduction - Christianization of Roman Africa 149 4.2 Applied Theories 155 4.2.1 Social Identities and North African Christians 4.2.1.1 Roman Colonizers and Christians 4.2.1.2 Indigenous Africans and Christians 4.2.1.3 New Elites and Christians 4.2.2 Kinship Identities and North African Christians 4.2.3 Class Identities and North African Christians 4.2.4 Ethnic Identities and North African Christians 4.2.5 Religious Identities and North African Christians 4.3 Conclusion 188 CHAPTER FIVE SOCIAL IDENTITIES AND TERTULLIAN 196 5.1 Social Identities inAd nat jones 201 5.2 Social Identities inApologeticum 208 5.3 Social Identities in Comparison 211 CHAPTER SIX KINSHIP IDENTITIES AND TERTULLIAN 6.1 Kinship in Ad uxorem 1 219 6.2 Kinship in Ad uxorem 2 225 CHAPTER SEVEN CLASS IDENTITIES AND TERTULLIAN 7.1 Class in De cultu feminarum 1 232 7.2 Class inDe cultu feminarum 2 235 v CHAPTER EIGHT ETHNIC IDENTITIES AND TERTULLIAN 8.1 Ethnicity and Tertullian's Ethnic Boundaries 239 8.2 Ethnicity in De pallio 246 CHAPTER NINE RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES AND TERTULLIAN 9.1 African Christian and Roman Non-Christian Religious Identities 256 9.2 African Christian and Roman Christian Religious Identities 265 CHAPTER TEN CONCLUSIONS 278 BIBLIOGRAPHY General 286 Ancient Authors 332 vi ABBREVIATIONS General M American Anthropologist AE American Ethnologist AJA American Journal of Archaeology AJAH American Journal of Ancient History AJP American Journal of Philology ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325 AQ Anthropological Quarterly ARA Annual Review of Anthropology AT Anthropology Today BMCR Bryn Mawr Classical Review CA Cultural Anthropology CAJ Cambridge Archaeological Journal CCSL Corpus Christianorum Series Latina Cl Classical Journal CLAnt Classical Antiquity ChUP Chicago: Chicago University Press CPh Classical Philology CQ Classical Quarterly CrA Critique of Anthropology CSL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum