Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T05:51:06.132Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Developments of the doctrine of the Trinity

from Part I - Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2011

Peter C. Phan
Affiliation:
Georgetown University
Peter C. Phan
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Get access

Summary

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:18–19, NRSV). So is Jesus reported to have said to his eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. While biblical scholars dispute whether these words are Jesus’ ipsissima verba or a baptismal formula of the early church retroactively placed on Jesus’ lips, the verse is an incontrovertible indication that faith in God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose name (note the singular “name” and not “names”) baptism is administered, is already present in the New Testament itself. It has been correctly pointed out that the Christian faith in the Trinity should not be understood to be based exclusively on explicitly triadic formulae such as the above-cited verse, 1 Corinthians 12:4–6, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, and so on. Rather, the trinitarian data of the New Testament include all the exceedingly numerous texts that speak of the relationship between Jesus and the Father, between Jesus and the Spirit, between the Father and the Spirit, and among the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit. Indeed, the literary structure itself of most New Testament books is arguably trinitarian. In addition, the reality of the Trinity is present not only in certain New Testament formulations but also in the events of Jesus’ life and ministry, in particular his conception, baptism, transfiguration, and death and resurrection, and at the Pentecost. Finally, it can reasonably be claimed that there are already intimations or adumbrations of the Trinity in the Old Testament such as the many names used for God (e.g., Wisdom, Word, Spirit), the “angel of Yahweh” figure, and some theophanies (e.g., the three men in Gen 18:1–2 or the threefold Sanctus of Isaiah's vision in Isa 6:3).

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Coppedge, Allan, The God who is Triune: Revisioning the Christian Doctrine of God (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007), 36–37Google Scholar
Edgar, Brian, The Message of the Trinity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004)Google Scholar
Gregg, Robert C. and Groh, Dennis E., Early Arianism: A View of Salvation (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981)Google Scholar
Lienhard, Joseph T., “Ousia and Hypostasis: The Cappadocian Settlement and the Theology of ‘One Hypostasis,’” in Stephen T. Davis, Daniel Kendall, and Gerald O'Collins, eds., The Trinity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium on the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 1999), 99–121Google Scholar
Farrelly, M. John, The Trinity: Rediscovering the Central Christian Mystery (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005).Google Scholar
Grenz, Stanley J., Rediscovering the Triune God: The Trinity in Contemporary Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004).Google Scholar
Herrich, Jennifer A., Trinitarian Intelligibility: An Analysis of Contemporary Discussions (Boca Raton, FL: Dissertation.com, 2006).Google Scholar
Leupp, Roderick T., The Renewal of Trinitarian Theology: Themes, Patterns & Explorations (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008).Google Scholar
Peters, Ted, God as Trinity: Relationality and Temporality in Divine Life (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993).Google Scholar
Thompson, John, Modern Trinitarian Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 1994).Google Scholar
Vanhoozer, Kevin J., ed., The Trinity in a Pluralistic Age: Theological Essays on Culture and Religion (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997).
Volf, Miroslav, and Welker, Michael, eds., God's Life in Trinity (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006).

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×