About the soul

Tertullian's work “On the Soul” (58 chapters, 210-213) is the first book on Christian psychology. The work is directed against philosophers, gnostics, physicians and natural scientists and contains research: 1) about the essence of the soul, its properties and powers (chap. 4-22); 2) about the origin of the soul (chap. 23-35); 3) about the development of the soul, especially about its relationship to evil (chap. 36-49); 4) about the fate of the soul after death (chap. 50-58). In the introduction (chapters 1-3) Tertullian talks about philosophical theories regarding the soul and argues that only Christianity can answer all questions about it. Tertullian distinguishes between natural and supernatural powers of the soul; the faculty of knowledge and will belongs to the natural essence of the soul, and the moral distinction must be derived from free will. He attributes to the soul a certain corporeality: it is a substance in a certain form of being (chapter 7). On the question of the origin of the soul, Tertullian preaches traditionalism. In his opinion, the soul comes together with the body at the moment of conception. Tertullian tries to provide evidence for this from Holy Scripture, philosophy and the history of creation. This origin explains the transfer of original sin as a hereditary sin to descendants. Tertullian refutes the Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls and the Platonic view of the pre-existence of souls. The final eschatological section reveals the doctrine of the state of the soul at the time of death and after it. Tertullian gives an analogy between sleep and dreams. After death, the soul goes to the underworld, where it will await the Resurrection, so that later, according to God’s Judgment, it can ascend to heaven. *The title of the work in Latin is De anima. Contents Quintus Septimius Florence Tertullian Tertullian and Carthage Tertullian and Mithraism Tertullian and Stoicism Tertullian and Montanism Tertullian and his readers “On the Soul” Problems Sources About the Soul Chapter I. One should learn about the soul not from philosophers, but from God. Chapter II. There is much that is controversial and unreliable in what philosophers write about the soul. Chapter III. The origin of the soul is from the breath of God. Chapter IV. The soul is born and created. Chapter V. The soul is the body. Chapter VI. Refutation of the Platonists who deny the corporeality of the soul. Chapter VII. The corporeality of the soul is obvious from the words of the Gospel. Chapter VIII. The soul is a body, despite its difference from other bodies. Chapter IX. The soul is endowed with a certain appearance, shape and size. Chapter X. The soul is simple and homogeneous. Chapter XI. The soul is called spirit because it breathes, and not because it is actually spirit. Chapter XII. About soul and mind. Chapter XIII. The mind is the instrument of the soul. Chapter XIV. The soul is incomposite and indivisible. Chapter XV. The soul has a leading principle residing in the heart. Chapter XVI. Two parts of the soul: the natural rational principle and the irrational one that arose later. Chapter XVII. About the truth of the five senses. Chapter XVIII. The intellect cannot be preferred to feeling and cannot be separated from it. Chapter XIX. A refutation of those who claim that a person receives intellect later than the soul. Chapter XX. The soul is homogeneous in seed; different destinies are determined by external influences. Chapter XXI. About free will and the variability of the nature of all born and created. Chapter XXII. Definition of soul. Chapter XXIII. Opinions of various heretics who borrow the teachings of Plato. Chapter XXIV. Refutation of Plato's doctrine of the recollection of the soul. Chapter XXV. Refuting the opinion that the soul appears after birth. Chapter XXVI. Scripture confirms that unborn babies have souls. Chapter XXVII. Soul and body are conceived at the same time. Chapter XXVIII. Exposing the deception of Pythagoras. Chapter XXIX. Refutation of the doctrine of transmigration of souls. Chapter XXX. Refutation of the doctrine of transmigration of souls (continued). Chapter XXXI. The absurdity of the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. Chapter XXXII. Refutation of the doctrine of the infusion of the human soul into animals. Chapter XXXIII. The meaninglessness and inadequacy of retribution carried out through the infusion of the human soul into various animals. Chapter XXXIV. Refutation of the teachings of Simon the Samaritan. Chapter XXXV. Refutation of the teachings of Carpocrates. Chapter XXXVI. About the male and female sexes. Chapter XXXVII. About carrying a baby, its birth and further growth. Chapter XXXVIII. Flesh is the home of the soul, and the soul is the tenant of the flesh. Chapter XXXIX. About superstitions associated with childbirth. Chapter XL. Flesh is the servant of the soul. Chapter XLI. Just as there is no soul without sin, so there is no soul without the seed of goodness. Chapter XLII. Refutation of Epicurus' teaching on death. Chapter XLIII. About the naturalness of sleep. Chapter XLIV. About the case of Hermotim. Chapter XLV. About sleep and ecstasy. Chapter XLVI. On the reliability of dreams. Chapter XLVII. Four types of dreams. Chapter XLVIII. On the influence of time, human position and fasting on dreams. Chapter XLIX. There are no dream-free souls. Chapter L. Refutation of Menander, who taught that death does not apply to his followers. Chapter LI. Death immediately and completely separates the soul from the body. Chapter LII. Man was not created for death; any death is violence against nature. Chapter III. The appearance of the extinction of the soul during illness arises due to the processes occurring in the patient’s body. Chapter LIV. About the refuge of the soul after death according to various philosophers. Chapter LV. The Underworld according to the teachings of Christians; heaven immediately after death is the privilege of martyrs. Chapter LVI. Refuting the opinion that the souls of the unburied and those who died prematurely are among the living. Chapter LVII. Under the name of souls summoned by magicians, demons act. Chapter LVIII. About the posthumous fate of souls. De anima Bibliography You might be interested in: