Deepened Monotheism. Philosophical Reasoning on the Trinity in Western Early Medieval and Classic Arabic Theology

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-264
Author(s):  
Katrin König
Keyword(s):  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Early Medieval ◽  
Religious Context ◽  
Latin West ◽  
Syrian Orthodox ◽  
Anselm Of Canterbury ◽  
Theological Discourse ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity ◽  
Rational Arguments

SummaryChristian theologians can explain the Trinitarian faith today in dialogue with Islamic thinkers as “deepened monotheism”. Therefore it is important to widen the systematic-theological discourse in an ecumenical and transcultural perspective and to retrieve resources from Western and non-Western traditions of Trinitarian thought (I).In this paper I will first work out historically that the Trinitarian creed of Nicea and Constantinople was originally an ecumenical but non-Western creed (II). Afterwards, I investigate the philosophical-theological reflection on the Trinity by Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) in the context of early interreligious encounters in the Latin West. Based on biblical, augustinian and Greek sources, he developed an approach to understand the mystery of the Trinity by rational arguments as “deepened monotheism” (III). Then I will proceed to explore the philosophical-theological dialogues on the Trinity from the Arabic philosopher and Syrian-orthodox theologian Yaḥyā ibn ‘Adī (893–974). Much earlier he developed rational arguments for the Triunity of God with reference to Aristotle. Thereby he answers to anti-trinitarian arguments from Islamic thinkers like al-Kindī and al-Warrāq. He intends that the Trinitarian faith of Christian minorities can thereby be understood and tolerated by Islamic thinkers as rationally founded “deepened monotheism” (IV).In the end I will evaluate what these classics from the Western and non-western traditions of Trinitarian thought contribute to explicate the doctrine of the Trinity today in a pluralistic religious context as “deepened monotheism” (V).

scholarly journals The Trinity in African Christian theology: An overview of contemporary approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teddy C. Sakupapa
Keyword(s):  
Christian Theology ◽  
Christian Doctrine ◽  
African Theology ◽  
Doctrine Of God ◽  
Concepts Of God ◽  
Theological Discourse ◽  
Primary Literature ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

This contribution offers a survey of the modern African theological discourse on the Trinity as a distinctive Christian doctrine of God. It is a systematic narrative review of primary literature on the doctrine of the Trinity in modern African theology with a view to identify main trends, key concepts and major proponents. It is argued that the contemporary African Trinitarian Hermeneutics cannot be understood in isolation from African debates on translatability of concepts of God framed first in terms of the reinterpretation of the theological significance of pre-Christian African concepts of God and subsequently as an outcome of African Christological reflection. The article affirms an apophatic resistance to any tendency to take God for granted as recently advanced by Ernst Conradie and Teddy Sakupapa.

scholarly journals Trinitology towards Challenges of Pluralistic Theology of Religion Systematical, Moral and Theological Reflection

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2(16)) ◽  
pp. 167-181
Author(s):  
Ignacy Bokwa
Keyword(s):  
Immanuel Kant ◽  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Far East ◽  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
The World ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity

Nowadays pluralistic theology of religion is rightly regarded as one of the greatest threats to Christianity. It specifically concerns Christology. A threat to the Christian belief in the Trinity, which is created by pluralistic theology of religion, is seen more rarely. Many scholars consider pluralistic theology of religion as a further step of the modern fight against Christianity and the Church. The increasing spread of religions of the Far East plays a significant role. Pluralistic theology of religion refers to the basic ideas of Buddhism, trying to create a universal religion of the world. Pluralist theology of religion treats every religion of the world with affection- with the exception of Christianity. It is Christianity that is supposed to be tolerant and to adapt to other religions by means of losing its own identity. Pluralistic theology of religion relativizes the Person of Jesus Christ, undermining the uniqueness of the incarnation of God. Jesus of Nazareth was only a prominent man standing near Reality itself (God). Since Jesus Christ was not an ontological Son of God, the doctrine of the Trinity is being undermined. Representatives of pluralistic theology of religion reject the idea of a personal God, at the same time hitting in all monotheistic religions. From their point of view, God is for the human mind unattainable reality which no revelation is able to bring. Various religions are only stages of searching for the final Reality itself. Father, Son and Spirit are nothing more than a projection of human yearnings and religious pursuits. Faced with such claims, Christian theology cannot remain silent. One should be reminded of development of faith in the Triune God in the life of the Church. This is a theoretical- scientific dimension of the problem. It also has its practical and existential meaning. Although Immanuel Kant claimed that the doctrine of the Trinity has no practical importance, contemporary theological reflection presents a new aspect of this problem. Communio- theology comprehends the mystery of the Trinity as an event of constant communication in which Father gives Himself to the Son and so they create the Holy Spirit. The mystery of diversity reconciled in the unity stands at the beginning of every reality. The mystery of the Holy Trinity has its significance not only inside (life of the Church) but also outside (life of the secular, political and economic community). Nowadays the latter has a special meaning in particular. It is a theological and moral surface of the reflection, showing that one should not be afraid of multiplicity and diversity but treat them as an opportunity. In the era of new conflicts and divisions that are increasing and the renewal of the old traumas, it turns out that appeals of the representatives of pluralist theology of religion are fake and are supposed to challenge the principles of Christianity, whereas Christian theology offers modern societies interesting proposals acceptable not only for those who believe.

scholarly journals TRIADOLOGY AS THE OCCULT BASIS OF ECUMENISM

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-57
Author(s):  
Eduard Schebet
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Principle ◽  
Religious Communities ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Ecumenical Movement ◽  
Theological Discourse ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
Religious Systems ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Trinity

The modern religious world is characterized by the intensification of global tendencies, which, above all, are expressed in the ecumenical movement, in which almost all religious communities of the world participate, which forms a qualitatively different religious reality. At the same time, influence and significance of esoteric and occult teachings, movements and ideas in the modern world is increasing. Thus, arises the question of determining the role and place of the occult foundations in the modern ecumenical movement, which will enable a qualitatively different understanding of the essence of modern religious processes. The presented article considers the Doctrine of the Trinity in the context of the ecumenical theological discourse and the occult tradition as a fundamental component of the formation of world religious unity. The main tasks of the article is to determine the ecumenical foundations in the Doctrine of the Trinity, as well as to determine the meaning of the doctrine in modern ecumenism. In this regard, modern Doctrine of the Trinity was compared with occult Triadology, as a result of which common pantheistic foundations were revealed. Thus, the article showed that the Doctrine of the Trinity is revealed in the pantheistic paradigm as an expression of the global Trinitarian principle. At the same time, it was showed that the Doctrine of the Trinity is a fundamental theurgic principle for the main part of occult teachings and esoteric religions. It was also revealed that in the ecumenical discourse the Doctrine of the Trinity performs as a fundamental principle that is common to esoteric and classical religious systems. Performs as the principle around which most of the world's religions are integrated. Also it should be underline that the Trinitarian paradigm has many common positions with pantheism and pneumatology, where many pantheistic ideas are expressed. Ecumenical teaching has a global character, than it converges with pantheism. And, in this regard, the Doctrine of the Trinity gets special importance in the ecumenical movement, which is more pronounced in pneumatological discourse. Thus, there is an actualization of occultism in the modern world and the importance of occult ideas and concepts in the religious world is growing. Arises the integration of occult teachings with classical religious systems.

scholarly journals KEBANGKITAN STUDI TEOLOGI PATRISTIK: Doktrin Trinitas (Perikhoresis)

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
Minggus Minarto Pranoto
Keyword(s):  
Christian Theology ◽  
Church Fathers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Christian Service ◽  
Theological Discourse ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity

Teologi Patristik atau teologi bapa-bapa gereja muncul di masa-masa awal dalam sejarah perkembangan gereja. Namun demikian pemikiran teologi Patristik masih terus relevan berhadapan dengan persoalan-persoalan kehidupan sekarang ini. Teologi Patristik merupakan warisan berharga teologi Kristen yang tidak pernah membeku dan menjadi fosil di masa lalu, sebaliknya teologi Patristik mengalami kebangkitan dalam topik-topik kajiannya dan mempunyai daya dorong yang kuat untuk mendasari praksis transformasional pelayanan Kristen di masa sekarang ini. Kebangkitan studi teologi Patristik menunjukkan bahwa teologi Patristik memiliki ruang yang luas untuk diaplikasikan dalam berbagai isu kehidupan. Teologi Patristik setia terhadap kerygma rasul-rasul dan tujuannya agar kehidupan orang percaya memuliakan Allah dan berjuang melakukan praksis transformasional pelayanan Kristen. Doktrin Trinitas (perikhoresis), yang telah diformulasikan dalam teologi Patristik, merupakan salah satu doktrin yang begitu luas didiskusikan dan dikembangkan dalam wacana berteologi sekarang ini. Abstract: Patristic theology or theology of the Church Fathers emerged in the early days in the history of the development of the Church. However, the thought of Patristic theology continues to be relevant in dealing with the problems of life today. Patristic theology is a valuable legacy of Christian theology that has never been frozen and fossilized in the past, instead Patristic theology experienced a revival in its study topics and has a strong impetus to underpin the transformational praxis of Christian service in the present. The revival of the study of Patristic theology shows that Patristic theology has ample scope to be applied in various issues of life. Patristic theology is faithful to the apostolic faith and its purpose so that the lives of believers glorify God and strive to carry out transformational praxis of Christian service. The doctrine of the Trinity (perikhoresis), which has been formulated in Patristic theology, is one of the doctrines that is so widely discussed and developed in current theological discourse.

Trinity: Economic and Immanent

Horizons ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Bracken
Keyword(s):  
Theological Reflection ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

AbstractTheologians have recently been criticizing the notion of an immanent Trinity as idle speculation and focusing their attention exclusively on the economic Trinity. The change thus proposed is at once too radical and not radical enough. It is too radical in that it seems to set aside almost two thousand years of careful theological reflection on the reality of God as derived from Scripture and Tradition. It is not radical enough in that it does not grasp the deeper issues involved here. For, what is really needed is not a move away from ontology toward phenomenology, but rather a conscious shift in ontologies, a move, in other words, from a metaphysics of being to a metaphysics of becoming as the appropriate conceptuality for an understanding both of the doctrine of the Trinity and of the God-world relationship.

The Doctrine of the Trinity

1991 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-206
Author(s):  
Piet SCHOONENBERG
Keyword(s):  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

Essays in Analytic Theology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Rea
Keyword(s):  
Human Condition ◽  
Divine Attributes ◽  
German Translation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity ◽  
The Human Condition

This book is the first of two volumes collecting together the most substantial work in analytic theology that I have done between 2003 and 2018. The essays in this volume focus on the nature of God, whereas the essays in the companion volume focus on humanity and the human condition. The essays in the first part of this volume deal with issues in the philosophy of theology having to do with discourse about God and the authority of scripture; the essays in the second part focus on divine attributes; and the essays in the third part discuss the doctrine of the trinity and related issues. The book includes one new essay, another essay that was previously published only in German translation, and new postscripts to two of the essays.

Il triteismo nel VI secolo: la fase arcaica (557-567)

Augustinianum ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-207
Author(s):  
Carlo dell’Osso ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sixth Century ◽  
Imperial Capital ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The One ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
The Trinity

The Tritheism of the sixth century has not been widely studied. John Philoponus, the greatest exponent of the theory, developed the idea by applying Aristotelian realism to the doctrine of the Trinity and concluded that in the Trinity there are three hypostases and three natures, whence comes the name for those who hold this position: “Tri-theists,” since they divide the one nature and substance of God into three. This article sheds light on the earliest stage of the development of Tritheism beginning in the year 557, when we can date the first appearance of John Askotzanges in the sources, and goes up until the first Syndocticon, the agreement reached between the Tritheists and the Theodosians at Constantinople in the beginning of the year 567. After the death of Theodosius in 566, Tritheism no longer remained merely a local reality in Constantinople but spilled over the confines of the Imperial capital and spread throughout the East, especially in Egypt.

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