Montanism

Montanism was a heretical Christian sect or movement which had its origins in Phrygia in Asia Minor around the middle of the second century of the Christian era. It owes its name to its founder, Montanus, a Christian who had ecstatic visionary experiences which he believed to embody personal revelations from the Holy Spirit. Through his travels in Asia Minor Montanus acquired a significant number of followers, and Montanism spread to other parts of the Roman Empire. However, by the end of the fourth century it had largely died out, though in some remote areas it did not completely disappear until the eighth century.

Montanists, i.e., followers of Montanus, were encouraged to value the charismatic aspects of Christianity, to seek ecstatic visionary experiences, and to engage in practices (e.g., fasting) which might induce them. (Montanism has often been compared in this respect with present-day Pentecostalism, which is sometimes referred to as Neo-Montanism.) Montanists were also expected to adhere strictly to an austere moral code and, so far as possible, to keep themselves apart from those who were not members of the sect.

Montanism was always regarded as heretical by orthodox Christians, not least because Montanists, like Montanus himself, claimed that what was revealed to them during their ecstatic visionary experiences could sometimes supersede the teachings which the apostles had received from Jesus himself.

The best known member of the Montanist movement was Tertullian (Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus) (?160-?225), a Carthaginian lay Christian, one of the Early Church Fathers and, ironically, the author of De praescriptione haereticorum (On the Prescription of Heretics, c200).