Thesis 8 - Trinity

1. The Christian experience of the Ultimate articulated in the Bible as the self-disclosure of
God as Father, Son and the Spirit (Ex 4:22-23a; 6:6-7; Mk 14:36; Rom 8:15-16; Gal 4:6),
is the foundation of the Trinitarian doctrine in the Christian tradition.
2. The Trinitarian mystery is the source, model and reference point of all human
communities.
3. In the context of inter-religious dialogue we need to explain meaningfully the Christian
experience of God as Trinity to those who have other designations for the Ultimate
Mystery.
Introduction
This thesis maintains that Christian experience of God is Trinitarian in nature and it forms
foundation of Christian faith. Christian tradition has proposed a Trinitarian formula FatherSon and Spirit a three persons in one nature to express its understanding of God. (Today
Christian faith emphasizes that we are created in the image and likeness of god, the trinity.)
1. Christian experience of the ultimate as Father+ Son + Spirit
Christian experience of God is that God revealed himself through various ways and
finally through his son ( Heb 1, 1-3)
The self communication of God is experienced by the early Christian community.
a. As the father of Jesus Christ, because Jesus called God as Abba and revealed this god
as a loving Father.
b. After the resurrection: Christian community experienced jesus as Lord and God.
c. At Pentecost : the community experienced Holy Spirit as Lord and God.

Traces of trinity in the OT

God as Father in the OT

Ex 4: 22-23a. The expressions `Israel is my first Son', `let my Son go' show for the first
time the Father Son relationship between God and Israel.

Ex 6: 6-7 also clearly brings out the idea of God as Saviour, protector and redeemer of
the people of Israel.

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Is 64: 8 We are the clay, you are the potter.

Mal 2:10 have we not all one father?

The term father was understood variously as supreme authority, personal affection of
God, Person with motherly care, father of the nation the later personally I will be a
father to him and he will be a son to me. 2 Sam 7:14
B. Foreshadowing of the son in the OT.
a. Angel of God Hagar early Christian tradition saw angel of god as Jesus.
b. Word of God: Creative, operative, dynamic through whom everything came into being.The word is
sent from YHWH.
c. Wisdom of God: personified in wisdom literature.
Since they are fulfilled in the NT, early community tradition Jesus as the word(Jn 1,1), Widom
of god ( I Cor 1, 23), angel of God.
C. Spirit in the OT
Independent reality in the OT.
Breath of YHWH who breathes all life.
Drives prophets to speak, hovers over the prophets.
Hovers over those who are cchosen by god(Is 61,1)
Over the anointed Messiah.
New Testament
Jesus had a unique personal intimate relationship with God as Father. Mk 14,36 Jesus calls
God as Abba.
After resurrection, the apostolic community revealed Jesus as Lord, god, Son of God, Logos
etc. They begin to see Jesus as related to Abba Father.
At Pentecost : experienced outpouring of the spirit
Now they began experiencing god a Father Son and Holy spirit.
Explicit Trinitarian Texts in the NT
The experience of God as Father is understood in an intense manner in the person of Jesus
Christ. We see very clearly this intense Father Son relationship in Mk 14: 36 where Jesus calls God
"Abba". "And He said, Abba Father, all things are possible to thee, remove this cup from me; yet
not what I will but what thou wilt".
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Explicit Trinitarian texts in NT:

Mt 3, 13-17: Baptism (Father reveals, Son revealed, Spirit empowers

Mt 28, 18f: Mission command, baptise in the name of the Father

Gal 4, 4-6: God sends Son, Spirit; their twofold mission in the Church

2 Cor 13, 13: Mass greeting; grace of Christ, love of God, fellowship of the Spirit: 3 aspects
of Christian life.

Eph 4, 4-6: above all (Father), through all (Son), in all (Spirit).

Trinitarian faith in the Early Church

1. Baptismal liturgy triple immersion.
2. Creed : Public profesion of Faith and their belief in Father Son and Spirit.
3. Doxology : Eucharistic prayer - through him, with himin him, in the unity of the HS
4. Martyrs witness : inscriptions found on the tombs have the mention of Father, Son, Spirit.
5. Norm of Faith : Short formulae in which the doctrine sof faith are summarized.

How to reconcile One God in three persons?(Monotheim)

This was the first question after the fundamental period of NT.

How can there be one god, when Jesus Christ is invested with divinity?

Many heresies emerged when theologians began to reflect of these questions.

Heresis
1. Dynamic Monarchianim: Only one principle that is Father.
Son and spirits are power(dynamics) of God.
Wrote against Monarchianism and defended plurality of persons. He said, in trinity
there is distinction but not division, there is difference but no separation
2. Modalism : One god appearing in 3 modes/aspects Father Son Spirit.
Origin speaks against Modalists. According to him, Trinity is three distinct individualities.
Father, Son and Spirit are three hypostases. There is one Ousia-substance, but three Hypostasispersons.
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3. Subordination: Son and spirit are subordinate to the Father.

(Araianism - overstresses as distinction, endanger unity).
4. Trinthesim : Three gods. Three separate gods in the trinity.Unity among them is a moral
union.
5. Ebionites: They don't believe in Trinity. For them Jesus is angel, a creature. They deny the
divinity of Christ.
6. Patripassianism: Father and Spirit also suffered with Jesus and died on the cross.
Response from councils against Heresis:
1. Nycea(325) Son is consubstantial with the Father.

Homousios = substance of the father is the substance of the son.

Son is begotten, not made.

Condemned Arias, who said, second person of the trinity is not equal to the
Father.

2. Constantinople(381): Holy spirit is equal to the father and the son.(Spirit as person)
3. IV latern council 1215

Trinity as Dogma

One substance(nature) and three persons(ND 317-321)

4. Council of Florence :(1438-39)

Resolved the filioque controversy between Latin and eastern.

Latin Spirit proceeds from the father and the son.

Eastern Church spirit proceeds from the Father through the son.(council said
both are correct based on NT).

If Time Permits
Response of the Fathers of the church
1. Hippolitus: God is one, but not alone.
2. Turtulian: God is not single but oneness of communion.
In the trinity persons are distinct but not divided, different but not separate.
Therefore God is one substance with three persons.
3. Origen :In trinity one Ousia(essence) and three hypostasis(persons)
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(Pleae Note: divine nature is equal in all three persons. Absolute spirit is the Father.
Understanding is the son- Will is the spirit).

Early theological explanations of Trinity : 2 approaches

Latins:
This starts from the oneness of divine essence/ divine nature which is equal in all three
persons. This divine nature is spiritual; this gives it an inner dynamic:
'absolute spirit 'is the Father,
'understanding' is the Son and
'will' is the Holy spirit.
The three appropriate the same nature in three distinct modes
the Father without beginning, the Son begotten by the father and the spirit breathed out by
the Father and the Son.
The three are in the same nature, consubstantial and therefore one God.
This runs the risk of being interpreted as modalism.

2. Greek / Eastern

Father- source and origin of all divinity.

There are two ways out from the Father: the Son by begetting and the spirit by proceeding.

The Father communicates his whole substance to the Son and the spirit, so both are
consubstantial with the Father and equally God.

The Father also forms the persons of the Son and the spirit in an eternal process.

This runs the risk of being understood as subordination.

Present day / modern understanding of Trinity

Leonard Boff :

To understand trinity start with the communion of three persons. Father, son and the
HS.

Greek fathers used Perichoresis = mutual indwelling or unity by external communion.

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The basis for this mutual communion is mutual self surrender. That is giving everything
except that which cannot be given (Fatherhood/sonhood/spirithood).

In Latin Perichoresis can be translated in 2 ways.

a. circum-in cession ( dynamic permeating or penetrating)
b. Circum in session (static seated in the other)

2. The Trinitarian mystery is the source, model and reference point of all human communities.(Rom
8, 15-16, GS 24)

Rom 8, 15-16 : You have received a spirit of adoption, not a spirit of slavery.

GS 24 : In his fatherly care for all of us, God desired that all men should form one family and
deal with each other in a spirit of brotherhood.

Source:

Created in the image and likeness of God.

Trinity or God is communion.

We have Trinitarian dimensions in us. that is

Transcendence : capacity to go beyond Father.

Transperance: Openness to others Son

Immanance : Interiority Spirit.

Model:

Human communities are modeled after trinity, because god is a communion of persons.

The basis of this - radical openness and self emptying love.

Referrence Point:
Problem, divisions, diversity in community - we need to take the example of the trinity.
Personhood ( rels) reduces to individualism go back to trinity. Equality exits there.

3. In the context of inter-religious dialogue we need to explain meaningfully the Christian

experience of God as Trinity to those who have other designations for the Ultimate Mystery.
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In the Indian context with different rites and religions, communion of trinity is real source of
inspiration.

Trinity is the foundation of pluralities because they are different, yet not separate.

There could be differences yet need not divide us/ can complement our understanding / to be
celebrated.

Buddhism:

Speaks of the Silence of God- transcendental dimension Interiority dimension.

Here we can share the father figure of trinity ( transcendence).

Islam:

Christianity and Islam are the religions of the son..

They give importance to the word and community.

We can speak of Jesus Christ, sent by the father to redeem the world.

Christianity and Judaism:

They experience God as one who is active in the history of people.

Speak of YHWH, who is the liberator, savior of Israel.

Hinduism:
Our Christian understanding of Holy Spirit will not be very much alien to them.
Advaitic concept of absolute : Sat cit Ananda comes closer to Christian understanding of
trinity.
But the difference is Brahman as Sat Cit Ananda is ONE.
Panickar:

Buddhism is the religion of the Father

Christianity is the Religion of the Son

Hinduism is the religion os the HS.

Differs from the traditional understanding of Sat-Cit ananda. Instead he proposed 3

margas of Hsm.
a. Karma Marga Father
b. Bhakti Marga Son
c. Jnana Marga Spirit.
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The implication is that trinity calls for the acceptance of plurality and differences.

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