Tunisia's Rich Christian Heritage: Home to Early Church Fathers and Famous Martyrs of the Faith

CARTHAGE, Tunisia – The African country of Tunisia is deeply rooted in Christianity, with a rich heritage dating back centuries.  Despite its predominantly Muslim population, Tunisia's faith history, including the legacy of ancient Carthage and early Christian martyrs, continues to shape its spiritual identity. 

If you're looking for an adventure destination off the beaten path, look no further than Tunisia. "Tunisia is a wonderful nation," Elijah, a resident of Tunis told CBN News. "We like to call it the 'Pearl of the Mediterranean.' It overlooks the entire Mediterranean Sea and is like a beautiful window to our desert."

Bordered by Algeria, Libya, and the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia offers a diverse range of landscapes, from beautiful beaches to the vast Sahara Desert. And for certain movie fans, Tunisia is the home of Star Wars. The North African country was the filming location for the first six Star Wars movies, with sets still visible in the desert.

The nation also boasts a rich Christian history. 

"There is this sort of idea that Christianity is a new religion that is coming from the West. No, we are talking about 200 A.D. when there was a vibrant church here," said American William Brown who has lived here for 22 years. He pastors the Reformed Church of Tunisia. 

Drive 20 minutes northeast of the capital, Tunis, and you'll arrive at the ancient Roman ruins of Carthage. "The ruins, at least for people of faith, are very powerful," Brown told CBN News.

Carthage served as a significant center of early Christian thought and home to influential church fathers.

"You have Cyprian, his work on the unity of the church. You have Augustine who was not from Carthage but was from modern-day Algeria who came over and was a teacher here," Brown explained. "You had Tertullian, and Tertullian was very significant because he was a Tunisian lawyer who came to Christ, and he came up with new vocabulary to try and explain Christian concepts. So even this word 'trinity' that we have is actually, originally came from him."

American Frank Bernardi pastors St. George's Anglican Church in Tunis. He points to Carthage as an important center of Christianity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries—a thriving hub for the faith that served as the seat of the Christian Church for all of North Africa.

"What it produced was this really significant, what I like to call, high-octane church, that had a reputation throughout the world because of how serious they took their faith, and how willing they were to die for their faith," Bernardi told CBN News.

Dr. Corne Bekker, dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University, says Christianity faced resistance from the Roman Empire, suspicious of this flourishing new faith.

"Carthage was really a hotbed of persecution, so Christianity comes to Carthage at the beginning of the 2nd Century, and right at the beginning of that there are a number of martyrs," said Bekker.

Among the more famous martyrs are Felicitas and Perpetua, two women brought to the amphitheater on March 7, 203 A.D., to face punishment for following Christ.

According to historical accounts, Felicitas and Perpetua were led out of the gates, down a narrow portion of the lower level of the amphitheater. On that March 7th day, tens of thousands of people had presumably gathered on the upper level anticipating that two Christian women would be eaten alive by wild animals. Instead, the accounts show that the emperor of the day commanded that the two women be put to death by sword.

"Their extraordinary commitment to Christ in the face of public scourging, being thrown to wild animals and finally being killed by the sword would become a witness, not only to North Africa but to the rest of the world," said Bekker.

Moufida is a member of the Christian community here, and we've taken precautions to protect her identity. "The Christians back then who accepted the truth sacrificed themselves and they did not deny Christ and their beliefs," said Moufida.

She tells CBN News their story of Christianity is one of resilience.

"I'm related to these martyrs who were among the first Tunisian Christians in my country," Moufida told CBN News. "My identity is related to them. I belong to something historic and deep rooted in Tunisia and that makes me feel even more proud to belong to Christ."

Elijah, a Christian leader here, says that, even though the country's Christian community is small, it stands as a living testimony to the enduring power of faith. "It's a challenge to be a believer in Tunisia but at the same time it is a pleasure to live the Christian life and share this with others," said Elijah.

The rough estimates are that there are about 30,000 Christians today who reside in Tunisia, 80 percent of whom are foreigners. Local Tunisian believers number around 5,000.

Although a predominantly Muslim country, Tunisia recognizes freedom of religion. Since the Arab Spring uprising almost 14 years ago, the government has embraced more democratic values.

"It used to be very hard for Christians to speak openly about Christ and to share their faith," said Moufida. "Some were beaten and died in jail. There was so much danger and restrictions. But now, slowly with the openness of the environment, things are changing."

Bernardi says Tunisia's spiritual legacy is not only in ancient ruins but also in the memories of martyrs and theologians. 

He longs for a resurgence of faith that mirrors the powerful, world-changing Christianity once defined by this region.

"I would like for Christians to pray that the blessing of Carthage returns to this land," said Bernardi. "At one time, this high-octane Christianity, which defined the church, changed the world and I would like that to happen again."