Jérôme Alexandre Reassesses Tertullian's Theology of the Flesh

Jérôme Alexandre's book "Une chair pour la gloire" (published by Éditions Beauchesne) offers a fresh interpretation of Tertullian, the 3rd-century African ecclesiastical writer. Rather than viewing Tertullian through his later Montanist heresy—which opposed sexuality—Alexandre argues that this heresy was a consequence of Tertullian's initial systematic thinking. Central to Tertullian's theology is the concept of the flesh as the "hinge of salvation." He combats docetism (denial of Christ's incarnation) and asserts that the flesh, created by God for both humanity and the Savior, must be fully present at the resurrection preceding the Last Judgment. Unlike Plato, Tertullian does not separate body and soul; the body is necessary for the soul's salvation. However, the flesh can only be saved and glorified if it submits to the soul's demands, as the body is the "temple of the Spirit." The Montanists, as spiritualists, reinforced Tertullian's initial rigorism, allowing him to complete his system. Alexandre's work shows that Tertullian would have agreed with François Mauriac's statement: "I do not like the flesh treated separately. It is the heart of flesh that counts for me." The review was written by Jean-Philippe Guinle.