This thesis is an attempt to articulate Tertullian’s principles of hermeneutics. It gathers relevant statements from across his recognized works, and attempts to synthesize his thought on hermeneutics. What emerges are eight principles that determine his Scriptural interpretation. In the first chapter, Tertullian’s treatises are placed in the literary context of classical rhetoric, and an argument is advanced that Tertullian took much influence from the rhetorical tradition, but does not uniformly conform to exact parameters of Ciceronian rhetoric. Rather, Tertullian is an original writer who synthesized classical rhetoric with the literary structures of the Scriptural canon as he saw it. The second chapter explores Tertullian’s view of the Scriptures, arguing that he held to a unified canon of writings that he understood to be God’s word. The third chapter is the mainstay of this thesis, and argues that many of Tertullian’s treatises are best read as a unified theological project. It is argued that many of his writings evince an effort on Tertullian’s part to apply hermeneutic principles to an array of theological topics, and thus may profitably be read as a concentrated literary effort in hermeneutics. Lastly, an attempt to state his hermeneutics in eight principles are explained and demonstrated.
