The term “persona”: its historical roots and contemporary theological usage

The article deals with the history of the term persona. Employed by Tertullian the term anticipates Cappadocian trinitarian concept of «hypostasis». Augustine points to such aspects of human person as consciousness and free will. Despite the polysemy of the term persona, modern Western scholars along with the problem of Divine personality are interested in development of the concept of human person as the image of the Trinity and of Christ.