Jacopo

Bassano
Holy Trinity
1547

El Greco
The Trinity
1577

Hans
Multscher
The Trinity
c. 1430

UFDN 3100:
Christian
Theology
The Holy Trinity

Introduction

Many Christians today find the doctrine of

the Trinity to be confusing, unnecessary,
and/or outdated

As a result, it is either ignored or

categorized as a mystery not to be
understood

Introduction

Yet the doctrine of the Trinity is central to the

Christian faithit is the Christian way of
identifying God

The doctrine of the Trinity is more a means of

worshiping and relating to God truly than it is a
proposition for intellectual assent

Furthermore, rejecting fundamental features of

the doctrine of the Trinity leads to inevitable
problems in our understanding of salvation

How is this Doctrine Meant

to Function in the Lives of
Christians?

It is meant:

(1) to enable people to recognize and relate to

the God who saves us
(2) to protect against crucial
misunderstandings of God

It is not meant to exhaust the reality of

God
An Example

In order to get clarity on what the doctrine

of the Trinity affirms, it is helpful to begin
by specifying what the Trinity is not

What the Trinity is Not:

Belief in three Gods (Tritheism)

What the Trinity is Not:

Belief in one true

God and two semidivine figures
(Arianism)

Arius

What the Trinity is Not:

Belief in one God who wears three

masks (Modalism)

What the Trinity is Not:

Belief that God has three parts

A Brief Quiz
How would you assess the following?

The Trinity is like an egg (or an

apple)

The Trinity is like H2O (ice, liquid,

vapor)

What the Trinity Is:

Three Persons (not parts!)

sharing one divine essence

Father, Son, Holy Spirit One God

Christians Believe That There is a Unity

of Operations Between the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit:
--This means that
every act of God is
an act of all three
Persons
--Still, certain
activities or
characteristics are
particularly
associated with
one Person