Cover; Half-title ; Title ; Copyright ; Dedication ; Contents ; Preface ; Note on the text and list of abbreviations ; Text. Tertullian's works Abbreviations ; 1 Simplicity and perfection ; The simple beginning ; Intricate apologetic ; Divine unicity. Perfection in dishonour! jesus christ, son of god, saviour' Problems of recapitulation ; Perfection in god ; 2 The puzzle: Athens and Jerusalem ; A. Four solutions to the puzzle. (I) Psychoanalysis of a puzzled mind(ii) Cultural history; (iii) Tertullian as philosopher; (iv) Clarity through disjunction; B. The perfect and the imperfect; (i) The rule of faith; (ii) Summing up all things in christ; (iii) Discipline of reason; C. Finality of christ as a solution to the puzzle; 3 The paradox: credible because inept ; A. Irrationalist interpretations; (i) Neurotic jideism; (ii) God-talk and world-talk; (iii) Mystery and reason; B. Rationalist interpretations; (i) Improbability and certitude. (Ii) Context, scripture and particularity(iii) Paradox, scripture and syllogism; C. Tertullian s argument; (i) Marcion disproved; (ii) God's unique transcendence; (iii) Correction through opposites; (iv) Folly and wisdom; (v) Two natures; (vi) Correction as final clue to paradox; D. Supporting arguments; 4 Strife of opposites and faith as recognition ; A. The strife of opposites; (i) The balance of justice; (ii) The divine economy; (iii) The triumph of the cross; B. Recognizing the well-known god; C. Tertullian as apologist.