Introduction

Montanism was a Christian movement of revelation that came to be in the second century and ended then later facing condemnation. The movement got this name, Montanism, from one person called Montanus. He was the pioneer from Phrygia, the present day turkey. Montanus soon after his baptism into catholic Christian faith claimed that he had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. To that effect and upon the revelation he claimed that he was to be the representative of the Holy Spirit and therefore proclaimed himself  the prophet representative of the Holy Spirit. He, according to his claims, was supposed to lead the Christians and the church as a whole to the final end.

The Pioneers

Montanus was supported and helped by two women, Priscilla also known as Prisca and Maximilla. The three  formed a sect of people who preached about the looming end of the world. They talked of strict morality, serious punishment during the time that the world would come to the end. The three were opposed to the idea of polygamy and such they condemned second marriages and forbade the people from such practices. Theirs was a very strict doctrine that did not support the idea of the divinity of the church. They also refused the preaching of the church that there was the forgiveness of sins committed after a person is baptized. The whole idea of Montanism was opposed to the hierarchical nature of the church and instead tended to support and promote charismatic prophesy. Seclusion and denial from the things of the world were for Montanus the only true and ideal Christianity.

The New Prophecy

The three associates of Montanism held no office of the church and they preferred to call their new found movement, the new prophesy. This was like summon to prepare for the coming back of Christ through following the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking. The speaking of the Holy Spirit according to the montanists was usually in the first person and was through the mouth of His prophets and prophetesses for that matter. There prophesy as they claimed was like the one of John who wrote the Biblical book of Revelation in Asia. However, the prophecy was claimed, by those opposed to the movement as one that defied the tradition of the Israelites and the prophecies of the Christianity. Montanism or the new prophesy was characterized by an unusual prominence of women and boldness that called for the hostility of church leaders. This was seen by others as a way for them to court martyrdom in their confidence and foretells of severe consummation.

None of the catholic Christians who were opposed to the montanism movement ever doubted the continuation of prophesy and It is recalled that montanism movement arose in a time when the bishops were busy and preoccupied with bringing together of the catholic order and conforming the apostolic tradition. This was following the previous situation of Gnosticism. Montanism did not intend to overlook the new testament of the Christian scripture, but their pretext was seen as a menace to the authority of the scriptures and the teaching of the Episcopal. Authenticity for them was the “recognition of the Holy Spirit in the new prophecy”.