Tertullian's sophisitic brilliance and literary versatility, ruthless vigor as disputant and polemicist, fecundity in uttering memorable dicta, and fervent religious immediacy make him a captivating writer as well as a priceless mirror of early African Christianity.
— from the Dictionary of the Christian Church (kinda reminds me of the ironic question - why is the word "abbreviation" so long? :-)
