Quiz 10 Study Guide: The Doctrine of the Trinity

distincti non divisi

distinct, yet not divided.

discreti non separati

different, yet not separate or independent.

Arrobon

In the context of the New Testament and Greek language, 'arrabon' (ἀρραβών) refers to a pledge, guarantee, or earnest money, signifying a deposit or down payment securing a future transaction or promise, often used in a spiritual sense to describe the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of the believer's inheritance.

Doxology

from the Greek words 'doxa' (meaning 'glory') and 'logos' (meaning 'word' or 'speaking'), a doxology is a hymn or verse in Christian liturgy that glorifies God, often sung or chanted in unison. It's a general term for expressions of praise.

Macedonianism

the heresy that taught that the Holy Spirit is a created being.

Modalism

the heresy that taught that the three persons of the Trinity as different 'modes' of the Godhead. Adherents believed that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not distinct personalities, but different modes of God's self-revelation.

Oikonomia

Gk. economy. The economy of salvation is 'the way in which the one God has ordered the salvation of humanity in history' (St. Irenaeus).

Perichoresis

Gk. 'make space around'. Perichoresis is used to describe theologically the divine dance of the three Persons of the Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit make room for each other, move in and through one another, and dance with one another, in such a way that creates a mutual indwelling while still maintaining space for each individually.

Social trinity

Jurgen Moltmann thought of God as a collective reality — a group, or a society, bound together by mutual love, accord, and self-giving of its members.

Tritheism

the heresy that taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three independent divine beings; three separate gods who share the 'same substance'.

Theological Problems addressed by the doctrine of the Trinity

How can Christians witness the presence of God which they experience in Jesus Christ and maintain their belief in God as one? How can God be both three and one at the same time?

Resources for theological problems

Scripture, Tradition, Reason, Experience.

The Doctrine of the Trinity

God is one being that exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. These three persons share the same nature, essence, and character, but are indivisible and separate.

Jewish monotheism

The belief in a single, all-powerful God as central to Jewish faith.

Pagan polytheism

The belief in multiple gods and goddesses, common in ancient religions.

Greek metaphysics

A philosophical framework that includes spirit/matter dualism.

God as a timeless immaterial substance

Conceptualization of God as existing outside of time and not composed of physical matter.

God as absolute subjectivity

Understanding God as a single subject that defines existence.

God as predetermining the first cause of all things

The belief that God is the initial cause that brings everything into existence.

The Christian theological vision of God

The perspective that God created the world, redeemed it through Jesus Christ, and is actively present in believers' lives.

The shape of trinitarian doctrine

The understanding that redemption is the pattern through which everything originates from God, is revealed through Jesus Christ, and culminates in the Holy Spirit.

The pattern of divine activity revealed in the Bible

The relationship where the Father is revealed in Christ through the Spirit.

Lorenzen's critique of Western Doctrine of the Trinity

The assertion that the Trinity is disconnected from a comprehensive Christian understanding of salvation, the church, Christ, and God.

The divine essence is robustly relational

The idea that the nature of God is fundamentally about the dynamic relationships among the persons of the Trinity.

Perichoresis

The concept that describes the interpenetration of the three persons of the Trinity, maintaining both their distinctiveness and unity.

Themes of feminist theology

Explorations of God's nature as persuasive rather than coercive, emphasizing inter-relatedness and cooperation.

Matthew 28:19

A biblical command to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

A passage affirming God's role in establishing believers in Christ and sealing them with the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 13:14

A blessing invoking the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 4:6

A verse stating that God sent the Spirit of His Son into believers' hearts, enabling them to call God 'Abba, Father.'

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

A passage expressing gratitude for believers chosen for salvation through the Spirit's sanctifying work.