The Doctrine Of The Trinity - 1600 Words

Augustine and the Trinity Introduction The doctrine of the Trinity is often viewed as an archaic and abstract theory many churches and theological study programs settled on long ago, and therefore, has little relevance to modern Christian faith. Over the past fifteen centuries, the doctrine of the Trinity has played a peripheral role in Christian theology. Formulated in Nicea (325 C.E.) and later revised in Constantinople (381 C.E.), it has been generally accepted by most Christians. However, this was not always the case; over 1600 years ago, according to Gregory of Nyssa, it was near impossible to enter the marketplace without hearing or becoming engaged in a debate about whether God the Son is equal to or less than God the Father.†¦show more content†¦At the same time, Augustine sought to defend the doctrine of the Trinity established in Nicea and Constantinople against heretical formulations such as Arianism. In his Trinitarian formulation, Augustine argued the Latin expressions of one essence (essentia), three persons (personae), was more precise than the Greek of one essence (ousia), and three substances (hypostases). Citing the Exodus passage of God naming Himself, â€Å"I AM that I AM† (The Holy Bible, 3:14), Augustine believed substance (hypostases) could not properly be predicated of God as if God were something in which accidental properties could subsist. The distinction between the persons of the Trinity (the usual starting place for Augustine) is found in causation. Augustine understood the distinction between persons according to eternal and immutable relation (Gilson 1960). He used a psychological analogy in which the unity of the Trinity is likened to the human soul composed of â€Å"the mind [intellect], and the knowledge by which it knows itself [memory], and the love by which it loves itself [will]† (Augustine and Stephen McKenna 2002). The intellect is not t he will nor the memory; memory, neither the will nor intellect; and will, neither the intellect nor memory. Yet there is only one mind. Augustine moved from exterior realities of creations to the interior realities of the human souls in the hope of encountering God in the image of God (imagoShow MoreRelatedThe Doctrine Of The Trinity Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesDoctrine of the Trinity The Trinity is a hard concept for the human minds to fully comprehend. Although the word â€Å"Trinity† is not mentioned in the Bible, there is evidence that God is three in one. Jesus’ baptism described in Matthew 3:13-17 references the Trinity. Matthew speaks of Jesus coming out of the water, the heavens opening, and describing the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a voice from heaven saying â€Å"This is my Son, whom I love.† Also, in Matthew 29:19 it says â€Å"Therefore go andRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity861 Words   |  4 PagesBefore discussing the Trinity, it is essential to first understand the Doctrine of the Trinity and what it states. Unfortunately for Christians, an exact definition for the Trinity is not provided in the Bible, actually the word ‘trinity’ is never even used in the Bible. Fortunately, however, the Bible is saturated in the belief of a Triune God. The Doctrine of the Trinity states that there is only one G od. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one God, but the Father is not the Son whoRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1583 Words   |  7 PagesLike most doctrines of the Church the doctrine of the trinity do not develop fully until there was a need to establish the orthodox view point. The Council of Nicaea determined and stated that Christ and God were separate yet unified, each fully God. This was more of a statement of belief and not theological doctrine. As heresies arouse in regard to the nature of Christ and his relationship to the Father it became more important to develop a theological doctrine that would support the not fully developedRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1752 Words   |  8 Pages God as Trinity, is a fact that all orthodox Christians can attest to with absolute certainty, however if we were to ask those same people â€Å"what does that mean for us, how does that affect the way we live our lives†? I suspect, most would not have an answer. For the majority of orthodox Christians, the Trinity is an abstract theological concept, that is best left for theologians to philosophise over, and has no place in the life of the average Christian. Karl Rahner, an Austrian philosopher and theologianRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1513 Words   |  7 PagesThe doctrine of the Trinity can be defined as the introduction to the Christian faith. For a number of years, special attention to the doctrine of the Trinity has been given by the educational theologians. The theologians have done lengthy writing on the history of the doctrine development, the relevance of the doctrine in the life of the world and the church. This doctrine was first formally and thoroughly exp ressed in the fourth century in reaction to alleged alterations of the Bible teachingsRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1670 Words   |  7 PagesSince the Nicene Council church patriarchs and theologians have toiled to communicate the principle of the Trinity as a doctrine in the Christian church. Our class readings from Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, and Elizabeth Tanner reveal the necessity for discussion about the trinity to evolve throughout the last 1500 years of Christian theology in order for the doctrine to be modernized to the lexical and social understanding of contemporary Christians. Although Augustine may be one of theRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity978 Words   |  4 PagesThe word Trinity cannot be found in the bible, but neither can omnipresent or omniscient; yet they all describe the Biblical expression of who God is and how he is revealed to humanity. Furthermore, the doctrine of the Trinity is so crucial to Christianity, that if it was removed Ch ristianity would crumble and fall into cult status. Even through the doctrine of the Trinity took almost a three hundred to be formally stated at the Council of Nicea (325) and the Council of Constantople (381);1 RogerRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1236 Words   |  5 PagesThe doctrine of the trinity The doctrine of the trinity is the essence and reality of God in his deepest inner life. The trinity is the highest thing that the human brain can contemplate. The doctrine of the trinity is one of the most mysterious theologies in the Christian faith and it is the heart and soul of its teachings. In the trinity there is one true God but three persons. The father, son, and holy spirit. There are misconceptions or heresies going against this belief that there is one GodRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity1361 Words   |  6 PagesThe doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith. It is crucial for properly understanding what God is like, how He relates to us and how we should relate to Him. The doctrine of the Trinity explains that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God exits one in essence but three in person. The Trinity does not divide God into three parts. These definitions express th ree crucial truths: The Father, Son, andRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Trinity9485 Words   |  38 Pages THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY: Instructor: Lisa Nichols Hickman – hickmanl@duq.edu Director: Father Radu Bordeianu, Ph.D. Course Description: At the center of the Christian faith is a mystery. This mystery has everything to do with the identity of God, the nature of Christian community, the salvation history and our understanding of Christology. This is the mystery of the Trinity – how is the Godhead fully three persons, and yet one nature? Theophilus was the first to name the ‘triad’ nature