Cyprian was one of the most important Latin-speaking leaders of the early church. He was bishop of the church in Carthage during a period of fierce persecution. Cyprian made significant contributions to the doctrine of the church and some of his ideas would become accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, it can be said that several of Cyprian's ideas were carried on by Augustine and transmitted to the church of the Medieval Era. His most significant writing was "On the Unity of the Catholic Church" which he wrote in 251. He argued two points: (1) schism is totally and absolutely unjustified; and (2) lapsed or schismatic bishops are deprived of all ability to minister the sacraments or act as ministers of the Christian church.

For Cyprian, the unity of the church was Episcopal not theological, and he argued for the authority of the bishop of Rome. Cyprian condemned the Novatian schism of his time and he also made three famous statements: (1) "He is not a Christian who is not in Christ's church"; (2) "He cannot have God for his father who has not the church for his mother"; and (3) "There is no salvation outside the church" (salus extra ecclesiasm non est). Cyprian believed that the main mark of the true church is apostolic succession. He suffered a martyr's death in 258.

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