Doctrine Of Trinity Research Articles

The Perception of Christians on the Doctrine of Trinity in Selected African Initiated Churches in Niger Delta

The question about the reality, nature and function of the Trinity in Christianity has evolved subjective theological and philosophical perspectives and debates among researchers, and more so is the issue of adapting the doctrine into African-initiated churches. The issue as it affects African Christianity in the Niger Delta has not been adequately addressed empirically. Thus, this study investigates and analyses the perceptions of Christians about the Trinity among selected African Initiated Churches. Quantitative research approach was adopted using a purposive sampling technique to explore the perceptions of selected church leaders about the concept of Trinity. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires from 50 selected church leaders from Celestial Church of Christ and the Apostolic Church in Niger Delta. The findings show that while most Christians understand the Trinity in terms of unity in diversity, some believe it is just mere normal church doctrine; whereas they all accept that there is timeless mystery of the Trinity beyond the mental construct of man from both churches. The study concluded that there is no consensus in the theological interpretation and conceptualisation of Trinity among African-initiated churches in the Niger Delta. Hence, the study recommends proper theological education as a means of addressing the problem wrong perception about the Trinity.

Continuity and Change about the Doctrine of Trinity in SDA's History

Continuity and Change about the Doctrine of Trinity in SDA's History

Makan sebagai sarana pengasuhan, persekutuan, dan hospitalitas: Sebuah konstruksi Teologi Makan dengan lensa trinitarian

This article raises the issue of eating, which is rarely discussed theologically, while the issue of eating has been widely discussed in various other disciplines. This article aims to construct a theology of eating through the lens of Trinitarian theology of eating. Using the doctrine of the Trinity as a lens to re-understand the theological meaning of eating, I argue that the theological meaning of eating is a means of nurturing, communion, and hospitality. This article uses a constructive theology method with a qualitative approach that examines various kinds of literature that discuss the doctrine of the Trinity and eating and the relationship between the two variables to construct a Trinitarian theology of eating. The results of this study indicate that the meaning of eating should not be reduced to merely satisfying hunger because eating is a means through which God nurtures human life and establish communion and hospitality between individuals and even with God himself. AbstrakArtikel ini mengangkat masalah makan yang jarang dibahas secara teologis, sedangkan masalah makan telah banyak dibahas di berbagai disiplin ilmu yang lain. Tujuan artikel ini adalah untuk mengkonstruksi sebuah teologi makan dengan lensa teologi makan Trinitarian. Dengan menggunakan doktrin Trinitas sebagai lensa untuk memahami kembali makna makan secara teologis, saya berargumen bahwa makna teologis dari makan adalah sebagai sarana pengasuhan, persekutuan, dan keramahtamahan. Artikel ini menggunakan metode berteologi konstruktif dengan pendekatan kualitatif yang mengkaji berbagai literatur yang membahas tentang doktrin Trinitas dan makan, dan juga hubungan antara kedua variabel tersebut dalam rangka mengkonstruksi sebuah teologi makan Trinitarian. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa makna makan tidak boleh direduksi sekadar memuaskan rasa lapar karena makan adalah sarana yang melaluinya Allah mengasuh kehidupan manusia, dan menjalin persekutuan serta keramahan antar pribadi dan bahkan dengan Allah sendiri.

Trinity, Perichoresis, and Christian Marriage: Thinking, Feeling, and Acting Like the Trinity

This article proposes two new applications of the concept of perichoresis for husband–wife relations in Christian marriage. These new applications, derived from the concept of perichoresis and the doctrine of Trinity, develop the ideas of I-Thou-We (ITW) consciousness—“Thinking and feeling in unity like the Trinity”—and of inseparable operations—“Acting in partnership like the Trinity.” The outline is as follows: First, a brief survey of the biblical basis and patristic development of the concept of perichoresis will be presented. Second, the ideas of ITW consciousness and of inseparable operations will be explained. Third, a practical application of these concepts will be illustrated with a hypothetical description of a husband and wife planning and completing a home remodeling project.

THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY: INTERPRETATIONS BY MUSLIM SCHOLARS

The aim of this study was to highlight the analysis and the interpretations of the Muslim scholars over the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, emphasizing the relationship between the Christianity and Islam over this concept. The study adopted a comparative and phenomenological approach to study the doctrine of Trinity as it required a comparison of the Christian ideology with the Islamic. The use of the inductive method further helped n collecting and examining scientific material from its sources and analyzing them in the light of the religious texts like the Bible, the Quran and the Sunnah. The study constantly referred to the Quran, and the Sunnah to build the foundation for all criticism of this doctrine. The study revealed that the views and opinions of the Muslim scholars aimed primarily to clarify the doctrine of the Trinity. They unanimously refuted this doctrine of Trinity as having neither any monotheistic meaning nor any authenticity in religious terms. The study concludes that neither the Quran nor the Bible allowed doctrines such as the Trinity to be practiced and believed in. All the Muslim scholars selected for this study denied and exposed the falsehood of the doctrine of Trinity and refuted it logically, calling on people to abandon and cease believing in it. These findings clarified that Jesus was a human prophet sent by Allah and ascribing him the status of a god is against the monotheistic belief of both Islam and Christianity.

Thomistic Simplicity and Distinguishing the Immanent and Economic Trinities

I argue that there is a discrepancy between the Thomistic doctrine of divine simplicity and affirming the immanent-economic distinctions in the Trinity. Since God is an absolutely simple essence whose essence it is to exist, and since the simple God exists as pure act—lacking all potential—there exist no real distinctions in God, such as physical or metaphysical parts, and there exist no divisions in the life of God, who exists in atemporal eternity. Per the immanent-economic distinctions in the Trinity, the Son is submissive to the will of the Father in the latter but not the former. This appears to be a distinction in the life of the Triune God, which is not acceptable per divine simplicity. After examining the Trinity doctrine and christology of Thomas along with possible solutions to the problem proposed, I conclude that said solutions fail to eliminate the discrepancy between Thomas’s account of simplicity and the immanent-economic distinctions in the life of the Trinity.

Na njegovu sliku

One of the classic tools in Christian theological anthropology for dealing with the intricacies of human identity is the Imago Dei concept. Approaching the concept holistically, by exploring the structural, behavioral, teleological, communal, and hospitality perspectives, this article asserts that at the very core of Imago Dei is a relational design that the Creator God had in mind for humanity – his opera Magna. Theological insights drawn from the relational doctrine of Trinity, as revealed in the comprehension of J. Moltmann, W. Pannenberg, J. Zizioulas, M. Volf, and D. Augustine, are applied to the anthropological dimension of existence, unveiling what it means to be a human being made in the image of God. In the end, Imago Dei is perceived to have not only a developmental but also a fundamentally transformative function.

Ayrık-Beyinler Vakasından Teslise Yol Çıkar mı?

Teslis, Hristiyanlığın en tartışmalı doktrinlerinden biridir. Teslisi böylesine tartışmalı kılan temel husus, Tanrı’nın nasıl olup da aynı anda hem tek bir varlık hem de üç farklı kişi olduğudur. Zira teslis doktrinine göre, zikredilen üç ilahi kişi birbiriyle özdeş değildir ama buna rağmen her üçü de aynı Tanrı’dır. Bu durum, pek çok Hristiyan tarafından da sorunlu görülmüş ve bunu açıklamak için birbirinden farklı çözümler geliştirilmiştir. Yakın zamanda bu meseleye ilişkin öne sürülen çözümlerden biri de beyin yarıküreleri birbirinden ayrılmış hastaların psikolojik durumlarından yola çıkarak bir varlığın birden çok kişi olabileceğini iddia eder. Bu sayede tek bir varlık olan Tanrı’nın aynı anda üç kişi olabilmesine de bir örnek bulunmuş olur. Hiç değilse bunun mümkün olduğunu gösteren bir örnek, kimilerine göre, Tanrı’nın üç kişi olmasının imkânsız olduğu iddiasına gölge düşürür. Bu bağlamda ayrık beyin vakalarını öne çıkaran husus, kişinin ne olduğu konusunda tartışmalara ve farklı yorumlara kapı aralayan sonuçlarıdır. Bu vakanın en ilginç özelliği, cerrahi bir müdahaleyle beyin yarıküreleri arasındaki korpus kallosum bağı kesilerek yarıküreleri birbirinden ayrılan hastaların, bazı koşullarda birden fazla kişi gibi hareket edebilmeleridir. Bir başka deyişle, tek bir insan bedeninde birden fazla kişi konumlanmış gibidir. Zira birbirinden ayrılan yarıküreler, zaman zaman birbirinden bağımsız arzu, istek ve kararlara sahip olabilmektedir. Bu ise kimilerine göre, ayrı bir kişi olmanın yeterli bir göstergesidir. Kimi Hristiyanlar, bu vakadan hareketle bir benzetme kurarak Tanrı’nın da –tek bir varlık olmakla birlikte– aynı anda üç kişi olabileceğini iddia eder. Bu iddianın önde gelen savunucusu Trenton Merricks olmuştur. Bu çalışmada öncelikle, Merricks’in, niçin mevcut teslis açıklamalarını yetersiz bulduğu ele alınarak, onun diğer teslis açıklamalarına yaptığı eleştirilere yer verilecektir. Ardından ayrık-beyin vakasına ve bu vakanın yorumlarına dair bilgiler verilecektir. Bundan sonra, Merricks’in ayrık-beyin vakasına dayanan bir analojiyle teslisi açıklama çabası incelenecektir. Bu çalışmanın temel iddiası, ayrık-beyin vakasına dair Merricks’in yorumunun, Tanrı’nın birden fazla kişi olduğu sonucuna ulaştırmakta başarısız olduğudur. Üstelik ayrık-beyin vakası Merricks’in istediği şekilde yorumlansa dahi, teslisin mümkün olduğu sonucuna ulaşılamamaktadır. Diğer bir ifadeyle, ayrık-beyin vakalarının doğrudan bir yorumu aslında Tanrı’nın birden fazla kişi olamayacağına işaret etmektedir. Fakat ayrık-beyin vakasından teslise ulaşmaya çalışan argüman, bu sonucu elde edebilmek için vakayı aşırı yorumlamaktadır.

A Trinitarian Perspective of Transformational Leadership

<div><p class="1eAbstract-text">The practice of Christian leadership is influenced by the understanding of who God is and His work. The monistic view of God leads to a monistic leadership approach. With the redevelopment of the doctrine of Trinity, many implications are discussed, including in leadership. Christian leaders are exposed to many leadership theories. One of those is Transformational Leadership which is very appealing to Christian leaders. Yet, Christian leaders must develop their understanding and practice of leadership from what they believe about God and His works. This writing will discuss the trinitarian perspectives in developing a Christian foundation for transformational leadership, using literature review on the topic of leadership based on the Trinitarian perspectives, comparing with the transformational leadership theory. Three suggestions are presented to be considered by Christian leaders in practicing transformational leadership from Trinitarian perspectives, shared leadership, mission-centred, and creating space for the Holy Spirit.</p></div>

Kontroversi Ajaran Doktrin Tritunggal di Masa Kini: Urgensi Teologi Pembebasan Atau Sensasi

The purpose of writing this article is to examine the controversy over the doctrine of the Trinity Doctrine today, as well as to analyze the relevance of the urgency of liberation theology to this teaching today, using a descriptive qualitative method approach through literature analysis and data collection techniques through Bible sources, various books and journals, as well as various documents related to the object of research. As a result, there is a massive effort to evoke Sabelianism in terms known as “Oneness Pentacostalism” today, especially in Indonesia. In conclusion, the Call for Liberation Theology and the controversy surrounding the Trinity Doctrine is not a sensation in a massive effort to evoke Sabelianism in terms known as "Oneness Pentacostalism" today, especially in Indonesia, so that the relevance of the urgency of the call for a liberation theology to the term and the Trinity teaching is not clear and has the same basis as in the past, even today it is still not strong because precisely the Trinity is not only a characteristic of Christian belief, but also the only way of understanding the Living and perfect God YHWH insofar as He reveals Himself to His people and also in this world.

Creatio Ex Nihilo through the Prism of Father Sergei Bulgakov’s Sophiology

Father Sergei Bulgakov (1871–1944), directly influenced by Vladimir Solovyov and especially by Father Pavel Florensky, developed his sophiological concept which takes a central place in his doctrine of Trinity and God's economy. The main failure of the Russian sophiology is that the question of God's Wisdom is not Christologically founded in the spirit of the New Testament and patristic teaching. Bulgakov neglects the theology of God's uncreated energies. He thinks that it does not sufficiently explain the creation of the world as well as the relationship between God and the world. According to him, the creation of the world and its unity with God can be explained only through a mediator who acts as an “ontological bridge” between the Creator and the creation. Bulgakov, using the ontological mediation paradigms that are characteristic for certain ancient philosophical systems, especially Neo-Platonism, develops his doctrine of Sophia. She is immanent to both the nature of God and the creation. This attitude leads Bulgakov to the position of pantheism. In order to avoid this danger, he modifies his teaching introducing two models of Sophia: “Divine Sophia” and “Created Sophia”. Unlike the patristic theology, Bulgakov’s sophiological essentialism does not tend the antinomy of apophatic-kataphatic theology, and thereby he puts into question the ontological difference between the Creator and the creation. It is a failed attempt to interpret the dogma of the creation of the world ex nihilo, through categories and concepts that are alien to the church tradition.

Theological Teachings of The Qadiani Ahmadiyya and The Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Comparative Study

Plurality in Indonesia has been dealt with a variety of religious sects that hold ‘controversial’ concepts of aqidah (religious creeds). Example includes the Qadiani Ahmadiyya and the Jehovah's Witnesses. This paper aims to study the core of religious teachings of the two sects, and how they are different from the mainstream. This work is a qualitative research with a comparative method, used to explore the diversity of religious understandings of the sects under study. This work found that both sects share some similarities as well as differences. concludes that there are similarities and differences between the two. The Qadiani Ahmadiyya denies Muhammad as the last messenger and believes that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who is a prophet, and has received God’s revelation. Meanwhile, the Jehovah's Witnesses rejects the doctrine of Trinity and hellfire, believing that mankind will live eternally and God almighty will not torment people forever in hell. It can be concluded that these understandings are considered unique and often seen as deviating from the mainstream teachings.

A Three-Level Analysis of Religious Texts: A Comparative Critical Discourse Analysis

This study focuses on a three-level analysis of the two religious texts: the Bible and the Quran. The goal primarily is to do an objective and comparative analysis of the discourse used in the Bible and Quran texts. By using critical discourse analysis as a research tool, the study aims to describe, interpret and explain the discourse used in the two texts, and analyse its relation to other discourses and to social reality. Since the central concern in CDA is to trace “explanatory connections” (Fairclough 1992: 72, 80, 95) between language use (discourse) and social reality (structure), this study combines (the use of) micro- and macro-sociological analysis with linguistic analysis. In this article, one core theological theme “The Doctrine of Trinity” is selected for analysis and various Biblical and Koranic passages are drawn to corroborate a thesis about this particular theme. The findings of the study show significant linguistic as well as ideological differences between Christian and Muslim religious texts due to opposite ‘truth claims’ the two texts provide on the theme. The result is significant in distinguishing three types of value the formal features of the texts may have: the experiential, the relational, and the expressive. Keywords: critical discourse analysis, linguistic practice, discursive practice (interdiscursivity, intertextuality), social practice (hegemony, ideology), experiential value, relational value, expressive value DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-19-01 Publication date: October 31 st 2021

Governmental Skills: The Spirit in the Old Testament

Pneumatology and its significance to the Old Testament have been discussed throughout the years. Indeed, the Old Testament is the ground knowledge of the whole scripture, while pneumatology is the heart of Christian theology due to its connection to the trinity doctrine. This chapter attempts to explore the activities of the Spirit concerning her governmental skills in the Hebrews bible. A systematic theology approach leads this essay to gain knowledge on how the Spirit testifies her competence in governmental works. As a result, the nature of the Spirit’s governmental work in the Old Testament relates to cosmological sense, leadership-administrative duties, and war strategy.

The Doctrine of Trinity and its Implications for Contemporary African Society

The doctrine of Trinity is key to human understanding of the character and nature of God. A proper understanding of this doctrine has the potential of deepening one’s rela-tionship with God and with other human beings. This doctrine embodies the biblical sto-ry and also informs Christian soteriology. In spite of its relevance, the doctrine of Trini-ty remains one of the most complex and misunderstood doctrines in Christianity. The challenge is how to reconcile the affirmation that “there are three distinctly fully divine Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)” with the fact that “there is only one true God.” The paper briefly examines this doctrine from the perspective of biblical and historical theology and explores how its teaching should inform relationships within the African society. This is a literature-based study that uses data from books, theses, journal arti-cles, Bible commentaries, among others as its sources. The methodology used comprises qualitative analysis of biblical data on the subject of Trinity and the African worldview of human society. The study revealed that the divine Trinity underscores unity in diver-sity and therefore that contradicts any form of egotistic individualism that leads to the destruction of communion and of life. Therefore, Christians must develop and promote a communal worldview of life through an appreciation of their diversity. The main con-clusion is that human society will be improved if people appreciate human diversity and then learn to live in peace and harmony in spite of their differences. The paper contrib-utes to scholarship by contextualizing the doctrine of the Trinity for the needs of the Af-rican society which shows diverse cultural traditions.

The Doctrine of Trinity and its Implications for Contemporary African Society

The doctrine of Trinity is key to human understanding of the character and nature of God. A proper understanding of this doctrine has the potential of deepening one’s rela-tionship with God and with other human beings. This doctrine embodies the biblical sto-ry and also informs Christian soteriology. In spite of its relevance, the doctrine of Trini-ty remains one of the most complex and misunderstood doctrines in Christianity. The challenge is how to reconcile the affirmation that “there are three distinctly fully divine Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)” with the fact that “there is only one true God.” The paper briefly examines this doctrine from the perspective of biblical and historical theology and explores how its teaching should inform relationships within the African society. This is a literature-based study that uses data from books, theses, journal arti-cles, Bible commentaries, among others as its sources. The methodology used comprises qualitative analysis of biblical data on the subject of Trinity and the African worldview of human society. The study revealed that the divine Trinity underscores unity in diver-sity and therefore that contradicts any form of egotistic individualism that leads to the destruction of communion and of life. Therefore, Christians must develop and promote a communal worldview of life through an appreciation of their diversity. The main con-clusion is that human society will be improved if people appreciate human diversity and then learn to live in peace and harmony in spite of their differences. The paper contrib-utes to scholarship by contextualizing the doctrine of the Trinity for the needs of the Af-rican society which shows diverse cultural traditions.

Editorial: God's Nature and Attributes

In Western theism, different attributes have classically been ascribed to God, such as omnipotence, omniscience, wisdom, goodness, freedom and so on. But these ascriptions have also raised many conceptual difficulties: are these attributes internally coherent? Are they really compossible? Are they compatible with what we know about the world (e.g. the existence of evil, human freedom, the laws of nature etc.). These traditional questions are part of the inquiry on God’s nature as it is carried out in contemporary philosophy of religion. Another part of this inquiry is constituted by theological and philosophical questions raised by more precise or particular religious conceptions of God – e.g. the doctrine of Trinity in Christianity, or other specific credentials about the right way to understand God’s perfection and absolute transcendence in Judaism, Christianity or Islam.
 In this issue, we propose to follow these two directions of the inquiry about God’s nature and attributes through historical and systematic studies, in the perspective of contemporary philosophy of religion and analytical theology. While the three papers specifically dedicated to the problem of the Trinity pertain mainly to the second part of the examination (the conceptual analysis of specific credentials and theological doctrines), the three others offer new perspectives and arguments on traditional questions about God, like the problem of evil, perfect goodness, or the problem of divine perfection and God’s freedom.

Trinity Doctrine and Christology of Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, in His Letter to Epictetus, Bishop of Corinth.

Trinity Doctrine and Christology of Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, in His Letter to Epictetus, Bishop of Corinth.

Understanding The Doctrine Of The Trinity

Many people have difficulty understanding the Trinity. Likewise, many Christians themselves do not understand this basic doctrine. Even more so for people outside of Christianity, they assume that Christians believe in three Gods or even think that God has a sexual relationship with Mary. There is also the opinion that the triune God is one person with three functions. The three views above are not true. Thophilus of Anthiokia was the first to use the term Trinity or trias in Greek. Whereas Tertullian was the first to use this term in Latin form. It was from Tertullian that the terms substance (substance) and person(personal, person) were used in formulating the concept of the Trinity. Every Christian must understand what is fundamental to his faith. The Trinity is a basic doctrine that must be correctly understood and accepted by every Christian. Without a proper understanding of this doctrine, it will undermine other related doctrines, namely the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of Christology, the doctrine of redemption, and the doctrine of eternal life. The trinity doctrine is a doctrine which is accepted by all Christian churches for almost 2000 years. Only heretical schools and deviant movements do not accept this doctrine.

아우구스티누스의 ‘마음’에 나타난 교육의 의미: 삼위일체론을 중심으로

아우구스티누스의 ‘마음’에 나타난 교육의 의미: 삼위일체론을 중심으로