Overview 1. God and creation 2. God and Israel 3. God and “the nations” (world) 4. Revealed in Christ – God the Son – love, agapé 5. Formulated in Trinitarian Creed 6. CS Lewis on the Trinity 7. Orthodox Reflection on Trinity
The Trinity
Dr. Stephan Davis AQ Theology Fall 2006-07
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1. God and Creation
2. God and Israel
• “…all things, visible and invisible” (Creed) • Intentionally, purposefully – Genesis 1-2 • Control over chaos and frightening aspects of life • Creation declared completely good (7x) • Person as image of God and summit of created order • Responsible for entire order – evil, suffering as a problem for monotheism
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Violence and “pride” election of Abraham Promises and covenants Rescue from slavery Revelation of God’s nature – “I am that I am” (Ex 3:14) – “compassionate [womb-ish] and forgiving,” yet not “clearly the guilty” (Ex 34:6-7) – “the LORD is One” (Dt 6:4, the Shema’)
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3. God and “the Nations”
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4. Revealed in Christ
Polytheism: gods have limited domain and concern Monotheism: the One God concerned with all people, creation Dualism: two competing powers (god of good, god of evil) Pantheism: god is in all things, but not personal
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God the Son – baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:21-22) – “only-begotten makes God known” (Jn 1:18) – “see the Father” (Jn 14:9) – “I and the Father are One” (Jn 10:30) – “Pray like this, Our Father…” (Mt 6:9; Lk 11:2) Love, agapé – “God is agapé” (1Jn 4:16, 8) – character of agapé (1Cor 13) – “no greater agapé” (Jn 15:13) 6
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5. Formulated in Trinitarian Creed From confession of God the Son, NT triadic formulae, and Jewish monotheism – “For us there is one God the Father, and One Lord Jesus Christ” (1Cor 8:6) • I believe in one God … • I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ … • I believe in the holy Spirit … – “giver of life” (bios + zoé) – Church attached to Spirit 7
6. CS Lewis’ Analogy of Trinity • Problem of trinitarian analogies: – Three “Parts” of God? No. God is not like a pie, so the Father is not one third of God. – Three individuals? No. Three forms? No. Three entities, modes, or masks? No. – One essence or “substance” (ousios), three persons (hypostasis) • Lines, angles, squares, and cubes (162) • “Super-personal” — revelation of higher form of being 8
•Lewis Lewis (cont.)
7. Orthodox Trinitarian Reflection
• Father = object of prayer, the goal • Son = makes prayer possible – source of knowledge of God – “road, bridge” making it possible • Spirit = inspires to pray, “motive power” – Lewis MC 163, 176 • Goal: drawn into trinitarian life (176-177) – “Let’s Pretend”: “Our Father…” taught by Jesus, who is God’s Son 9 – Adoption: St. Paul (Rom. 8:15, 23; Gal. 4:5;
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God is personal + God is love (Lewis 174) Love cannot exist in isolation Person becomes in relationship with other persons Trinity as “community” of love (higher form of being) • Eastern Orthodox tradition: sign of cross “FatherSon-Holy Spirit” – Father unbegotten – Son begotten (not made) 10 – Spirit proceeding (from Father!)
Orthodox Prayer “I prasie the Godhead, unity in three persons For the Father is light The Son is light And the Spirit is light But the light remains undivided, Shining forth in oneness of nature, Yet in the three rays of the persons” – Lenten Triodion • (Ware, Orthodox Way 40) 11
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