Rise of Montanism

Montanism was a Christian movement that arose in the second century in Phrygia, in what is now western Turkey, and was also called the New Prophecy. It was started by Montanus, who claimed to speak under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, along with two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, who were also prophets. The movement stressed ecstatic prophecy, strict morals, fasting and the readiness for martyrdom, and some followers expected the coming of the heavenly Jerusalem in Phrygia. Church leaders objected to its claims to new revelation, and it was condemned by synods and later seen as a heresy. The North African theologian Tertullian joined it, and groups continued to exist for some centuries.

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