Montanism, Montanus

Montanism, Montanus 

 [Summary]

Mid-2nd century. Eschatological movement by an enthusiastic offshoot of Christianity.Rooted in the mid to late 2nd century by Montanus.Montanists prophesied in Phrygia in Asia Minor; forbidden to do so, they migrated to North Africa.The movement spread to Rome.

  Text

Montanism refers to the fervent Christian eschatological movement that flourished in the mid- to late 2nd century, founded by Montanus (? -c. 170 CE). -c. 170 CE). 

  Montanus

No details about Montanus' background are known, except that he is assumed to have been a priest of Apollo or Cybele.

Around 152, in Phrygia in Asia Minor, he was joined by two female prophets, Priscilla and Maximilla, who began ecstatic prophetic activities, announcing the coming of the Millennial Kingdom and preaching the practice of asceticism, a movement that temporarily spread throughout Asia Minor. However, the church in Asia Minor forbade it, Montanus moved his base to North Africa.

Tertullian, incidentally, joined the Montanist movement around 207. The movement spread to Rome and Gaul, in addition to influencing the Donatists.

Zephyrinus (reigned 199-217), bishop of Rome, followed by Callistus I (reigned 217-222), regarded the movement as heresy and dealt with it harshly, and it was suppressed by the orthodox Nianists thereafter, so that Montanism was mostly suppressed from the 4th century. Montanism seems to have survived until the 8th century.