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the final development of the doctrine of the trinity
similarities and differences between eastern and western religions
similarities and differences between eastern and western religions
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Three equals one. Out of all of the statements made by the Christian faith, perhaps none is more confusing. The Doctrine of the Trinity has been questioned for decades and many Christians do not even understand it. Colin E. Gunton argues that this does not have to be so. Instead, he calls the Western Church to learn from Eastern Orthodoxy and allow Trinitarian thinking to permeate every aspect of the church. It is when the Western Church embarrasses “The Forgotten Trinity” (the name of the chapter) in thinking and in worship, that we not only learn the nature of God, but how we should live in light of it.
Unlike the Eastern Orthodox Church, the “truly Trinitarian framework [of] our worship and life has rarely been found” in the Western Church (pg. 6). Possibly due to the early church’s Hellenistic influence, emphasis has always been placed on worshiping the ONE high God. So much focus on one God created an irrelevance to the requirement of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in the Trinity. Similarly, when the doctrine was attacked by reason in the enlightenment period, Christians st...
The medieval theologian Julian of Norwich was a mystic, writer, anchoress and spiritual director for her time. She is gaining in popularity for our time as she provides a spiritual template for contemplative prayer and practice in her compilation of writings found in Revelations of Divine Love. The insightful meditations provide the backdrop and basis for her Trinitarian theology’s embrace of God’s Motherhood found in the Trinity. Her representative approach of the all-encompassing unconditional love of a mother who nurtures, depicts Christ as our Mother ascending to the placement of Second hood within the Trinity while giving voice to the duality of God.
“We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became truly human. Being fully God and perfect man He performed miracles and lived a sinless life.” (GCU, Doctorial Statement) This paper will discuss how God and Jesus Christ is the essential core of all Christian worldviews despite the many differing internal worldviews they have.
Gunton's emphasis on Christ and creation comes from his critique on Barth's theology which, according to Gunton, gives more importance to redemption than creation, and is inadequate on the discussion of Christ's mediating work. Gunton opines that tradition removed Jesus Christ in their doctrine of creation, so there is a need to restore the doctrine of creation with Christology. In his doctrine of creation, therefore, Gunton stresses Christ's mediating role in creation.
Religion in the Middle Ages takes on a character all of its own as it is lived out differently in the lives of medieval men and women spanning from ordinary laity to vehement devotees. Though it is difficult to identify what the average faith consists of in the Middle Ages, the life told of a radical devotee in The Book of Margery Kempe provides insight to the highly intense version of medieval paths of approaching Christ. Another medieval religious text, The Cloud of Unknowing, provides a record of approaching the same Christ. I will explore the consistencies and inconsistencies of both ways to approach Christ and religious fulfillment during the Middle Ages combined with the motivations to do so on the basis of both texts.
The four fundamental claims of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, Human beings exist in a relation to a triune God, God’s presence in the world is mediated through nature and reality, faith and reason are compatible, the dignity of the human being is inviolable and therefore the commitment to justice for the common good is necessary. However, the great books in the Catholic Intellectual tradition show that they represent these fundamental claims in a broad distinctive way. This essay will show that these readings better represent one of the fundamental claims, human beings exist in a relation with a triune God, from the view point of three great books from the bible, Genesis, Exodus and the Gospel of Matthew. The Bible clearly supports the
Although we cannot speak of God as he is as per the order of being and God's divine simplicity because we are limited to thinking about God in complex and Earthly terms, we must still strive to say something about God. In an attempt to do so, the Nicene creed refers to the Trinity as "one substance and three persons". This statement is often questioned as to if it supports the creeds insistence on the complete unity and equality of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Augustine affirms that in saying "one substance, three persons" we are just trying to say something at all about God because it is better to say something rather than nothing. When reading scripture we must maintain what we have been taught through the Nicene creed, faith and the revelations of Jesus in order to correctly understand and
Basil offers great rebuttals to several objection on many matters as it relates to the Holy Trinity. There are no shortage of objections as well as successful and convincing counterarguments. It is St. Basil’s goal to preserve the faith and salvific work of the Trinity and in order to do so he must combat several arguments that intend to confuse the reader and lead one astray. The three persons of the Trinity are proven to be equal in dignity, will, and power with one another. While their functions may differ, it would be reckless and hazardous assume that they are otherwise different in nature. No terms or trickery, used by his opponents, whether in language or twisted scriptural examples continue to stand as he courageously refutes that the three hypostases are equal with one another and necessary for the doctrine, faith, and salvation of humanity to be complete. If anyone attempts to falsify this truth they are incapable of having a true understanding and relationship with the Trinitarian
The doctrine of the Trinity, as seen in the Christian bible, is primary to the Christian faith. The word “Trinity” does not actually appear in the bible; it is a theological label meant to summarize certain teachings of certain passages of scripture, and is crucial to properly understand what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him. It may also raise many difficult questions including what does it mean that God is a Trinity? While it is difficult for us to fully understand everything about the trinity, it is quite possible to answer questions like this one and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.
In Christianity one of their primary beliefs is the idea of a Triune God, which means the belief of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one entity not three separate beings. This would result in God being indivisible and could not be divided into three different parts for an ...
Edward Spencer celebrated allegorical writing with his classic romantic epic "The Faerie Queen." Even as Milton criticized the use of allegory, he indubitably implemented the use of it in "Paradise Lost." Although Milton does use allegory, his use of the form tremendously differs from that of Spencer. His application of allegory is a reversal of the typical Spenserian allegory.
Countless people ask the question, how the Bible came to be? Several may ask is the Lord’s Word truly inspired by God through the prophets, and how do we know what is the original truth. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (NASB) 2 Peter 1:21 goes on to say, "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (NASB) Therefore; it is extremely critical for the church fathers to establish what documents would become the fundamental message used to institute Christian doctrine. For this reason, the New Testament canon was incorporated to achieve the Lord‘s promise, but how was these twenty-seven books formed? According to Gundry, author of the Survey of the New Testament the Christians did not have books that contained the New Testament for the traditions of Jesus words, deeds and the message from God through the prophets. (Gundry)
The creed begins with the most general statement in the Christian rule book, the affirmation of God himself, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth” (Apostles’). In the book of Genesis, it is found in the first verse that “…In the beginning…God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis). As stated, it says “I believe”, not “I think” or “I was told”. There is a clear distinction in maturity of a Christian: youth, adolescence, and adulthood. As a young child, Christians are introduced to the entity of God. In adolescent years, Christians are analyzing God through a scope of skepticism. But in adulthood, Christians take in the glory of God and find that he governs all, which is why they assert the most powerful words of the creed, “I believe”. In the following lines of the creed, the Holy Trinity is presented and briefly identified the role they play, “…and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit…” (Apostles’). The placement of the Holy Trinity is without a doubt in close proximity. After the triad, the life of Jesus, from birth to sacrifice, to resurrection and ascension, is addressed, “…born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended
The Trinity. I've been putting off this topic for quite a long time. You see, I love theology. I find it fascinating. I spend nearly my entire school day, reading up on such things. I however deal with a few issues. For one, I feel anything that I could say, for the most part can be found other places, better said. Secondly, I usually don't get the full gist of it all. Finally, I have an even harder time trying to explain it then I do trying to learn it. I would consider myself fairly intellectual, but my realm of intelligence is emotional and inter-personal. Laws, processes, and definitions are tough for me. My theology is a very emotional theology. Not one that is swayed with my mood. Nor one similar to a impassioned church service invitation. Those are emotions from my head. I'm talking about the emotions of the heart. A God-centered heart specifically. So rather than giving you a textbook answer on the theology of the Trinity. I'd much rather give you my layman's theology, and if you hunger for deeper understanding, I'll point you in the right direction. Fair enough?
Westphal, M. (2009). Whose Community? Which Interpretation?: Philosophical Hermeneutics for the Church. Baker Academic. 107
There is no doubt that the fundamental idea of Church, faith, and prayer lived by the early Christian, needs to be rediscovered among many contemporary Christians. The conviction that the apostles had to preach the Gospel of Jesus certainly was aided by their idea of Church, faith, and prayer. In his book “Catholicism: A Journey to the Heat of the Faith”, Father Robert Barron tries to revive the idea of Catholicism that seems to weaken and lose its real sense. With my understanding of Church, faith, and prayer, I argue that because of the lack of understanding about Catholicism that exist today in our midst, many people fall short about what Catholicism really means. However, it is not my intention to answer this question.