“De Spectaculis” concludes with a brief stop at Tertullian’s typically philosopher-ish issues with fiction, acting and stage makeup as equivalent to falsehood. Then we get more thoughts about the games and the proper place of pleasure, many of which are useful, and a big showy finish with The End of the World.
Unfortunately, Tertullian’s amazingly big finish gets derailed by his anger issues. Anybody who can portray his eternal joy as catcalling and watching the damned get destroyed in happy Roman-type “games” is… well… the kind of guy who’d run off and join the Montanists out of pique that repentant lapsed Christians weren’t being punished enough. Sigh.
“De Spectaculis”, Chapters 21-30
22:21.
Thank you. It gives quite a picture of the world Tertullian lived in – and how in many ways it is similar to our own. And, as you note, it gives some glimpses into Tertullian’s tortured soul. Also, not unlike our own.
One more request: Could you do Tertullian’s work on patience?
Yeah, Maureen, will you do Tertullian’s work on patience already! The man asked you more than three days ago! Sheesh.