Trinity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter van Inwagen
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Essential Element ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Holy Trinity ◽  
De Doctrina Christiana ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Face ◽  
The One ◽  
The Trinity

The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a central and essential element of Christian theology. The part of the doctrine that is of special concern in the present entry may be stated in these words: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are each God; they are distinct from one another; and yet (in the words of the Athanasian Creed), ‘they are not three Gods, but there is one God’. This is not to be explained by saying that ‘the Father’, ‘the Son’ and ‘the Holy Spirit’ are three names that are applied to the one God in various circumstances; nor is it to be explained by saying that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are parts or aspects of God (like the leaves of a shamrock or the faces of a cube). In the words of St Augustine: Thus there are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and each is God and at the same time all are one God; and each of them is a full substance, and at the same time all are one substance. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit; the Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. But the Father is the Father uniquely; the Son is the Son uniquely; and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit uniquely. (De doctrina christiana I, 5, 5) The doctrine of the Trinity seems on the face of it to be logically incoherent. It seems to imply that identity is not transitive – for the Father is identical with God, the Son is identical with God, and the Father is not identical with the Son. There have been two recent attempts by philosophers to defend the logical coherency of the doctrine. Richard Swinburne has suggested that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be thought of as numerically distinct Gods, and he has argued that, properly understood, this suggestion is consistent with historical orthodoxy. Peter Geach and various others have suggested that a coherent statement of the doctrine is possible on the assumption that identity is ‘always relative to a sortal term’. Swinburne’s formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity is certainly free from logical incoherency, but it is debatable whether it is consistent with historical orthodoxy. As to ‘relative identity’ formulations of the doctrine, not all philosophers would agree that the idea that identity is always relative to a sortal term is even intelligible.

Trinity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Howard-Snyder
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Other ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is central to Christian theology. The part of the doctrine that concerns us here may be stated in these words: although the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are different persons, each is the same God as the other; they are not three Gods, but exactly one God. These words arguably imply a contradiction. For example, if the Father is not the same person as the Son, then the Father is not identical with the Son; thus, if each is a God, there are at least two Gods, which contradicts the claim that there is exactly one God. Analytic theologians have responded to this line of argument and others related to it. Each response aims to model a consistent doctrine of the Trinity, one that provides the resources to reject such arguments while retaining Trinitarian orthodoxy. We can classify these attempts by distinguishing those according to which there is no numerical sameness without identity from those according to which there is numerical sameness without identity. Attempts in the first group tend to raise worries about consistency with orthodoxy. Attempts in the second group tend to raise worries about intelligibility.

The Spirit

2019 ◽  
pp. 293-308
Author(s):  
Wolf Krötke
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Karl Barth ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The One ◽  
Bear Witness ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Trinity

This chapter presents Barth’s understanding of the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It demonstrates the way in which Barth’s pneumatology is anchored in his doctrine of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit is understood as the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, the One whose essence is love. But Barth can also speak of the Holy Spirit in such a way that it seems as if the Holy Spirit is identical to the work of the risen Jesus Christ and his ‘prophetic’ work. The reception of the pneumatology of Karl Barth thus confronts the task of relating these dimensions of Barth’s understanding of the Holy Spirit so that the Spirit’s distinct work is preserved. For Barth, this work consists in enabling human beings to respond in faith, with their human possibilities and their freedom, to God’s reconciliation in Jesus Christ. In this faith, the Holy Spirit incorporates human beings into the community of Jesus Christ—the community participates in the reconciling work of God in order to bear witness to God’s work to human beings, all of whom have been elected to ‘partnership’ with God. Barth also understood the ‘solidarity’ of the community with, and the advocacy of the community for, the non-believing world to be a nota ecclesiae (mark of the church). Further, to live from the Holy Spirit, according to Barth, is only possible in praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

scholarly journals A critical analysis on African Traditional Religion and the Trinity

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jele S. Manganyi ◽  
Johan Buitendag
Keyword(s):  
Jesus Christ ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
African Culture ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
African Traditional Religion ◽  
The One ◽  
The Trinity ◽  
Supreme Being

To what extent do the resources of African Traditional Religion (ATR) contribute towards Christian theological discourse and benefit the African church? ATR is accommodated in the African Initiated Churches (AICs). The members of these churches aim to be Christian without losing their African identity. ATR is a religion that was practised throughout Africa before the arrival of the Western missionaries. The core premise of ATR is the maintenance of African culture and its main feature is loyalty to the ancestors and the accompanying rituals that express this loyalty. This study addresses the appropriateness of ATR’s resources in terms of their contribution to the doctrine of the Trinity. When the early church worshipped God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) in the presence of the Holy Spirit, a tension developed. The questions of monotheism versus polytheism and the nature and position of Jesus within the Trinity were put forward and addressed. The doctrine of the Trinity is uniquely Christian and includes the belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who alone mediates between God and men. There is, on the other hand, an understanding that Africans worship one Supreme Being and venerate ancestors as intermediaries to the one Supreme Being, without clear roles being ascribed to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This article enquires whether the process of Africanisation and contextualisation consciously or unconsciously downgraded Jesus Christ as Mediator who came to reveal who God is and to reconcile humankind to him.

scholarly journals Konsep Kesatuan Yesus dan Allah Bapa Dalam Injil Yohanes 17:22 Untuk Menghadapi Doktrin Subordinansi Tritunggal Saksi Yehuwa

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Yanjumseby Yeverson Manafe ◽  
Yenny Anita Pattinama
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Jehovah’S Witnesses ◽  
Jehovah's Witnesses ◽  
Great Debate ◽  
Triune God ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The One ◽  
The Trinity

Doktrin Trinitas atau doktrin Allah Tritunggal adalah pengajaran tentang Allah yang menyatakan diri-Nya dalam tiga pribadi, yaitu Allah Bapa, Allah Anak (Yesus Kristus), dan Allah Roh Kudus yang ketiganya adalah esa. Di satu sisi, doktrin tersebut merupakan doktrin yang sangat penting dan unik dalam kekristenan. Dikatakan penting karena doktrin ini berbicara tentang Allah Tritunggal yang menjadi pusat pujian, penyembahan dan pelayanan orang percaya. Dikatakan unik karena doktrin tersebut tidak terdapat dalam agama manapun di dunia ini. Namun, di sisi lain, doktrin tersebut merupakan doktrin yang sulit dipahami dan diterima oleh akal manusia bahkan menjadi bahan perdebatan yang hebat di berbagai tempat, masa dan kalangan manusia. Dengan studi eksegetis Yohanes 17: 22 sebagai dasar evaluasi kritis terhadap doktrin subordinasi Tritunggal dalam theologia Saksi Yehuwa, maka dapat diketahui bahwa doktrin subordinasi Tritunggal dalam theologia Saksi Yehuwa adalah doktrin yang menyimpang dari kebenaran Alkitab.   The doctrine of the Trinity or the doctrine of the Triune God is the teaching of God revealing Himself in three persons, namely God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit of which all three are one. On the one hand, the doctrine is a doctrine that is very important and unique in Christianity. It is said to be important because this doctrine speaks of the triune God who is the center of the worship, worship and service of believers. Said to be unique because the doctrine does not exist in any religion in this world. However, on the other hand, the doctrine is a doctrine that is difficult to understand and accepted by human reason and even becomes a matter of great debate in various places, times and circles of humans. With the exegetical study of John 17: 22 as the basis for a critical evaluation of the doctrine of the subordination of the Trinity in the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses, it can be seen that the doctrine of the subordination of the Trinity in the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses is a doctrine that deviates from Bible truth.

scholarly journals HOLY TRINITY AND THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY

2020 ◽  
pp. 46-48
Author(s):  
Arigala Jessie Smiles ◽  
Potana Venkateswara Rao
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Son Of God ◽  
Early Christian ◽  
Holy Trinity ◽  
Research Article ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
God The Father ◽  
The Trinity ◽  
Arian Controversy

Although early Christian theologians speculated in many ways on the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, no one clearly and fully asserted the doctrine of the Trinity until around the end of the so-called Arian Controversy during the 4th century. Arius taught that God the Father and the Son of God did not always exist together eternally. In this context this research article attempts to review the evolution of the concept of Holy Trinity and the Arian Controversy, understand the main differences between Homoousian and Homoiousian arguments with an aim to help the reader understand the divinity of God the Jesus Christ and his co-eternal and co-equal position along with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

scholarly journals RELEVANSI TRINITAS BAGI HIDUP MANUSIA MENURUT KARL RAHNER

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-76
Author(s):  
Herman Punda Panda
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Trinitarian Theology ◽  
Karl Rahner ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
The Trinity

Karl Rahner made a major contribution to the trinitarian theology in this post-modern era. He has attempted to reconcile the classical doctrine of the Trinity with contemporary thought. Rahner spoke about the topic of the oneness and triadity of God. Regarding the oneness of God, Rahner did not speak about the one ousia / divine essence, but rather the unity or perichoresis of the three divine persons. What is called God here, is not the essence of divinity but the Father who is the source of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Rahner emphasizes the identification and relationship between the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity which according to him is the important point in the theology of the Trinity. Consequently, the only starting point for developing a theology of the Trinity is the history of our experience with God, in which God reveals Himself in two ways, namely through the Word and the Spirit. This article presents Karl Rahner's thoughts on the Trinity and its relevance to human life. First of all, the author describes about the place of Trinitarian theology in the general framework of Rahner's anthropological theology. Next, it discussed his thoughts on the Trinity itself and at the end, the relevance of the Trinity to human life. This relevance becomes evident in Rahner's thought about the communication of God to man in the form of His Word and Spirit.

St John, The Trinity, and The Language of the Spirit

1988 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-484
Author(s):  
M. P. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Divine Revelation ◽  
Christian Tradition ◽  
Material World ◽  
Natural Religion ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
The Trinity

It would be dishonest not to begin with Austin Farrer, for what follows has grown out of a long-held admiration for that sadly neglected writer. Throughout his life, Farrer was concerned with the role played in our lives by imagination, inspiration and creativity. He saw that creation was shot through with the imprint of its Maker, and in the classical Christian tradition understood the shaping of all life in the material world to be the work of the Holy Spirit. At all levels of creation, inspiration, creativity and spiritual indwelling are the hallmarks of God's activity. For Farrer, natural religion and divine revelation are but two sides of the same coin. The key to all is the point at which they coincide most clearly, namely Jesus. Of Farrer's Christology I have written elsewhere. Such technical discussions are not our present business. Our task is to take the supreme Christian claim about the nature of God, namely the scandalous doctrine of the Trinity, and through the words of St John (whose influence on Farrer's understanding of Jesus was central) try to describe a practical understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit which employs the doctrine of the Trinity as the key-stone of Christian theology and experience.

Pentecostal Understanding of Sanctification from a Pentecostal Perspective

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-110
Author(s):  
Hollis Gause
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Divine Revelation ◽  
Word Of God ◽  
Holy Trinity ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Birth ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Fruit Of The Spirit ◽  
The Trinity

AbstractThe doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the product of divine revelation, and is a doctrine of divine worship. The expressions of this doctrine come out of worshipful response to divine revelation demonstrating the social nature of the Trinity and God's incorporating the human creature in His own sociality and personal pluralism. The perfect social union between God and the man and woman that he had created was disrupted by human sin. God redeemed the fallen creature, and at the heart of this redemptive experience lies the doctrine of Holy Trinity, with the Holy Spirit as the communing agent of all the experiences of salvation. The Spirit is especially active in the provision and fulfillment of sanctification, which is presented here as the continuum of 'holiness-unity-love'. He produces the graces of the Holy Spirit – the fruit of the Spirit. He implants the Seed of the new birth which is the word of God. He purifies by the blood of Jesus. He establishes union and communion among believers and with God through His Son Jesus. This is holiness.

Could there Be More than One Almighty?

1993 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. W. Bartel
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Christian Doctrine ◽  
Literal Sense ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

If proof is required that yesterday's scandal can become today's fashion, we need look no further than recent discussions of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Just a generation ago, Trinitarians typically insisted that the members of the Godhead are not distinct persons in any literal sense. But during the past few years, more and more philosophically sophisticated Christians have unblushingly maintained that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not just different persons, but different individuals – that the Trinity consists of three divine beings.

scholarly journals Knowing the Father

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David. T. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Holy Spirit ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Charismatic Movement ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Greek Thought ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
Doctrine Of The Trinity ◽  
The Trinity

The emergence of the Charismatic movement has generated a new awareness and interest in the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, but has also brought a realisation that there is a still-neglected Person of the Trinity, the Father. Part of the reason for this lies in the historical development in the doctrine of the Trinity, which led to a belief that external actions of God are not differentiated between the Persons, and also in the fact that the Father only generally acts in the world by Son and Spirit, so has no clear role. It seems natural to attribute creation to the Father, but even here, the Bible sees the Son as the actual creator. Nevertheless, the Father can be seen as the source of the concepts and means behind the material; interestingly there are hints of this in classical Greek thought and other faiths. This is ongoing, perhaps particularly in the evolutionary process of the world. Thus, paralleling the incarnation, the Father is present in the material universe, as its ethos. He can also be seen to be affected by creation, sharing in its nature in his kenōsis, and in its suffering. Creation then inspires a sense of wonder not only from its existence, extent and nature, but from its interactions and underlying concepts; this is worship of the Father. Sin is then when this is overlooked, or when actions disrupt it; these are an offence to the Father.

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