Montanism was a new prophecy. A movement that the church eventually decided was heretical. It arose in about 160 A.D in Asia Minor. Tertullian eventually became the most famous Montanist.
Here are some facts about Montanism included in the picture above. See if you can match them.
- Montanus was a “prophet”
- He was accompanied by two prophetesses named Pricilla and Maximilla.
- Pricilla and Maximilla abandoned their husbands to take up this role. The Montanists didn’t think much of marriage.
- They claimed to prophecy directly under the Holy Spirit.
- They were greatly interested in the end times, and kept proclaiming that it was near.
- Pricilla and Maximilla were early feminists, promoting women in leadership.
- They put on public displays featuring displays of fervour, tongues and lots of noise.
- They wrote holy texts, which were circulated and included prophecies written in the first person.
- They paid their church leadership which directed funds away from the church.
- Quintilla was one of the early converts who became influential. She was obsessed about the end of the world.
- Some of their erroneous beliefs included the denigration of marriage, false teaching about the end times, misrepresentation of God in the trinity, and that the heavenly Jerusalem would be in Phrygia.
- They strongly advocated church discipline and believed people couldn’t come back after leaving the church, and they loved martyrdom.