Thesis

                                                                     THESIS NO.10

            The Christian experience of the Ultimate articulated in the Bible as the self-disclosure of God as Father, Son and the Spirit (Ex 4:22-23a; 6:6-7; Mk 14:36; Rom 8:15-16; Gal 4:6), is the foundation of the Trinitarian doctrine in the Christian tradition. The trinitarian mystery is the source, model and reference point of all human communities. In the context of inter-religious dialogue we need to explain meaningfully the Christian experience of God as Trinity to those who have other designations for the Ultimate Mystery.

Introduction

            Human beings experience God as absolute, transcendent, incomprehensible, ineffable etc. So too every religion understands God as incomprehensible mystery (Buddhism may be an exception to this).The initial experience of divine mystery has led the human person to understand the divine actions in one's own life. Thus people experience and understand God in various ways. In a way religion helps the human person to experience God and express that experience to others. And christian tradition has proposed a trinitarian formula, "Father, Son and Holy spirit as three persons in one nature" to express it's understanding of God. Today Christian faith emphasizes that we are created in the image and likeness of God the Trinity.

Old Testament

            Judeo christians experienced God as self revealing. In Heb 1:1, Rom 1: 19 we see that God himself reveals to the people. In the OT God is encountered, especially in the exodus experience as a liberator as we see in the (Ex 4: 22-23a). The expressions `Israel is my first son', `let my son go' show for the first time the father son relationship between God and Israel. (Ex 6: 6-7) also clearly brings out the idea of God as Saviour, protector and redeemer of the people of Israel. In the beginning they were reluctant to call God as father. They thought it will reduce the feature of transcendence of God. It was only in the later period that God was experienced as father as seen in Is 63: 16; 64: 8; Dt 7: 6; 32: 6; Hos 11: 1. In Is 63: 16 Israel addresses Yahweh, "You are our father and redeemer who was God of our fathers Abraham, Jacob and Isaac. Jewish christians were strong monotheists. They always stressed Yahweh is one.

            The triune God is not explicitly revealed in the OT. In the OT God is a living God, who involves in the life of the people. Though Israel experienced Yahweh as one, still we see some kinds of alterity, otherness in God like word of God, wisdom of God, spirit of God which could be interpreted as a prelude to the doctrine of trinity.

New Testament

            This experience of God as father is understood in an intense manner in the person of Jesus Christ. We see very clearly this intense father son relationship in Mk 14: 36  where Jesus calls God "Abba". "And He said, Abba father, all things are possible to thee, remove this cup from me; yet not what I will but what thou wilt". After Jesus' resurrection apostolic community encountered Jesus as Lord, God, son of God, logos etc. They began to see Jesus related to abba father. And at Pentecost they experienced the outpouring of the holy spirit. Now they started experiencing God as father son and the holy spirit. (However it should be noted that there is no systematic theology of trinity in the NT. But the statements about God, son, spirit occur when they are spoken in the context of salvation history).

            This is clearly and explicitly mentioned in the NT. (Mk 1:10; Mt 3:13-17) speak of Jesus' baptism in which these three persons are brought out clearly. The voice was coming from above symbolizing father the redeemer. Son is beloved the revealed, and spirit in the form of dove.

            The early church's belief in trinitarian mystery is revealed in this text (Mt 28:18-20). "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".

(Gal 4:4-6): "And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying "Abba,father".  This text speaks of the mission of the son and spirit, and one who sends is father himself. Spirit is sent as the manifestation of our sonship, not as a conse­quent.

(Rom 8:15-16): "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall  back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship, when we cry, Abba, father". It is the spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Here Paul identifies the spirit with the person of Jesus christ.

            "The graces of our Lord Jesus christ and the love of God and the Holy spirit be with you all" (2 Cor 13:14). This is an explicit mention of the trinitarian belief. (From all these texts we could say that early christian community began to understand God as the father,son and spirit which stand as the foundation of trinitarian doctrine in the christian tradition).

Early church lived this trinitarian experience in their liturgy. Let us see some of them

a) Baptism: At Baptism there was tripple immersion into water as a sign of Trinitarian belief.

b) Norm of faith (Regulae Fidei): These are short formulas in which doctrines of faith are summarized. Here too we see their belief in the father, son and the Holy spirit.

c) Creed: The profession of faith expresses their belief in the Trinity.

d) Doxology: Every Jewish prayer ended with a doxology (praise of God). Doxologies were always a confession of faith in Trinity. In the Eucharistic prayer also we see the formula, "Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy spirit".      

Now there arise a question. How to reconcile one God with three persons?  On the process of an attempt to reconcile one God with three there came certain heresies. Heresies came about because of the trinitarian faith has to confront Jewish Monotheism, Greek polytheism, Gnosticism etc. Let us see some of the heresies that came on the line.

1) Ebionites:  They don't believe in Trinity. For them Jesus is angel, a creature. They deny the divinity of Christ.

2) Dynamic Monarchianism:  There is only one principle, that is the father. According to them son and spirit are powers (dynamics) of God. Thus they try to defend the oneness of God.

a) Theodotus Coreareus (Leather Merchant):  According to him Christ is an ordinary man up to baptism. Then he receives the power of God without making him divine.

b) Theodotus Humiliarus (Barber):  He said, If father and son are gods we have two gods. According to him only the supreme power descended on Christ and he is not really God.

c) Paul of Samasota:  For him, logos is an impersonal power which can also be called pneuma and sophia. Impersonal power had influence on Jesus. This power was dwelling in Christ as in a temple. (He was condemned in the Synod of Antioch 268).

3) Modalism:  They are faithful to the oneness of God and divinity of Jesus Christ. They are against distinction between son and father. They are for strict identity of father and son.

a) Noetus of Smyrna and Praexes:  God is indeed one and unique. He appears as three modes (aspects) in history and dwells within us. One God is in three Pseudonyms (false names), God is indivisible. Father, son and spirit are three mere words to describe the reality of Trinity. (Consequences of such understanding is the patripassionism, ie, Father became incarnated and suffered on the cross).

b) Sabellius (Advanced Modalist):  He says, God is a monad. He has three ways of operations, Father as creator and law giver, son as redeemer and spirit as sanctifier.

4) Subordinationism:  It harmonizes oneness of God and divinity of Christ saying son is inferior to father.

a) Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria:  According to him son is inferior to father, he is a creature, has different nature from the father. He says, son is called as a courtesy title.

5) Tritheism (three gods):  They stress the distinction of three persons. They say there are three gods. The unity among them is a moral union.

Against the Heresies there came certain responses from the councils

            Council of Nicea (325):  It condemned Arius who taught that the second person of the God head is not equal to the father, and he is one of the creatures of God. The council stresses that Jesus Christ is equal to father and he is both God and man. They said son is consubstantial with the father.

            Council of Constantinople (381): It was held to confirm and to reaffirm the faith of Nicea and to determine the doctrine on Holy Spirit. It asserted the divinity of spirit who is the giver of life and proceeds from the father. In the council spirit was proclaimed and worshipped.

            Council of Toledo (675):  Genuine expression of Trinitarian faith is spelt out (ND 308-316).

Father: is not created but is the source and origin of the whole God head.

Son: is not made but born from the substance of the father and is equal to the father.

Spirit: is God equal to Father, proceeds from father and son.

            IV Lateran council (1215): officially stated that Trinity is dogma. Father, Son and Spirit have one nature, one substance but three persons.(ND 317-320)

            II Council of Lyons (1274): Published a document, "Constitution on the Holy trinity and the Catholic faith".

            Vat I (1870): The dogmatic constitution "Dei Filius" on the catholic faith reasserts the genuine christian concept of the God against materialistic and pantheistic trends. Roman catholic church believes that there is one God who is creator and Lord of heaven and earth. (ND 327)

            Vat II:  The trinitarian structure of the entire work of salvation is unfolded. The church as a people of God whose unity is derived from that of Father, Son and Spirit.

GS 24 :  Trinitarian life is presented as the model and source of interpersonal relationships in the human society.

Theological Reflections of the fathers on Trinity

            Hypolitus:  When God created, there was nothing beside him. Though he was alone he was many, because he was not without power and not without reason and counsel.

            Tertullian:  He says, Trinity derives from unity itself because God is not single. God is not unus (one) but unum (oneness), not heis (one) but hen (oneness). He shows an example from the gospel Jn 10:30 and interprets the relationship between father and son as oneness, togetherness, communion. According to him, God is not a closed entity, but self distributive, and this self distribution consists in second and third person. He says, "In Trinity there is distinc­tion but no division, there is difference but no separation".

            Origen:  He speaks against Modalists. According to him, Trinity is three distinct individualities. Father, Son and Spirit are three hypostases. He says God is one but not alone, as light gives bright­ness father originates the son, both father and son originates the spirit.

Now let us see what is it that differentiate God and what in God is always the same ?

            According to Greek Fathers hypostasis (ousia=oneness) is the principle of unity, ie, Father gives himself completely to the son and spirit but fatherhood remains, so too with sonhood and spirithood. And three hypostases remain as the principle of difference.

            According to Latin Fathers substance is the principle of unity and three persons in the Trinity remain as the principle of distinction.

            Augustine:  Absolute love extends, expands itself. Creation is the vestige or trace of Trinity. If we look into ourselves, we have mind, knowledge and love, we have memory, intelligent and will. Mind(Father) thinks(Son) and loves(Spirit). Therefore you see Trinity when you see love. Thus he says that son and spirit are expressions of the father.

Three classic current of thought: Greek, Latin, Modern

            Greek:  It starts from the father, seen as source and origin of all divinity. There are two ways out from the father:the son by begetting and the spirit by proceeding. The father communicates his whole substance to the son and the spirit, so both are consubstantial with the father and equally God. The father also forms the persons of the son and the spirit in an eternal process. This runs the risk of being understood as subordination.

            Latin:  This starts from the divine nature which is equal in all three persons. This divine nature is spiritual; this gives it an inner dynamic: 'absolute spirit 'is the father, 'understanding' is the son and 'will' is the Holy spirit. The three appropriate the same nature in three distinct modes: the father without beginning, the son begotten by the farther and the spirit breathed out by the father and the son. The three are in the same nature, consubstantial and therefore one God. This current runs the risk of being interpreted as modalism.

            Modern:  This starts from the trinity of persons- Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. But the three live in eternal perichoresis (Circum-in-cessio), being one in the others, through the others, with the others and for the others. perichoresis means having seat in the other, co-existence, co-habitation, inter personal relation, inter penetration etc. The unity of the trinity means the union of the three persons by virtue of their perichoresis, and eternal communion. This is seen in two levels: (1) Dynamic (permeate or co-penetrate), (2) Static (having in the other).

            Since this union is eternal and indefinite, we can speak of one God. This runs the risk of being interpreted as tritheism. But however we follow this current: because (1) it starts from the datum of faith - the existence of the father, son and the spirit as distinct and in communion, (2) it allows a better understanding of the universe and the human society as a process of communication of creatures with one another (perichoresis). This interpretation strengthens the cause of the oppressed to liberate themselves so that there can be better sharing and communion.

Implications - Relevance of Trinity - Trinitarian mystery as the source, model and reference point of all human communities

            The absolute and specific unique revelation through scripture is that God is the communion of persons. We are created in the image and likeness of God, the trinity.

1)         Trinity is communion of persons. Today human beings are understood not as individuals but persons. Trinity insists on the worth and value of the persons. Everyone is unique and unrepeatable. Personality can not be superseded or suppressed.

2)         Persons essentially mean relationship. And trinity calls for profound personal relationships.

3)         Father gives completely to the son and spirit except fatherhood. So also son and spirit. Trinity provokes us to live a life of sharing.

4)         Love implies unity. God is love. Absolute love is absolute unity. Trinity is absolute oneness. This can not be explained mathematically but it is substantial unity. In this world of caste, class differences and other economical and social imbalances we are specially called to live in unity.

5)         Authentic human existence is not in isolation. Trinity being a  community expresses the communitarian experience and invokes and invites us to participate in this experience.

6)         The equality in trinity invites us to treat others equally.

7)         Trinity means God is love. Love is never self-centred. It is the orientation towards the other.

8)         Trinity as communion calls us for creativity, openness, proper relationships and building up the community of love, justice and peace.

9)         Trinity as symbol: Symbol does not mean less real or less true. What it tries to express is more important than what is expressed. God is more important than what is expressed. God is greater than our experience. Trinity is the source and model of authentic individual and social life.

10)       Trinity makes us aware of glory of God and God's involvement in history.

11)       Ultimately Trinity is a sacramental mystery. As sacramental, it can be understood progressively, as the trinity communicates itself. As a mystery, it will always remain the unknown in all understanding since the mystery will last for all eternity.

            There is complete equality, absolute communion in the trinity. Mutual communion is possible when there is a total self surrender, openness, acceptance and respect. Inter-relatedness is the expression of our nature as the image of God the trinity. Therefore trinitarian mystery is the source, model and reference point of all human communities.

How to explain meaningfully our christian experience of God as trinity to those who have other designations for the ultimate mystery in the context of inter-religious dialogue?

            The model of trinity is very important in the context of various religious communities. In the Indian context where there are differ­ent rites and religions, the communion of trinity is the real source of inspiration.

            Buddhism stresses the silence of God (God of silence). To this group of people I think we could share the father figure of the trinity.

            Islam experiences God as the one who is active in the history of the people. It won't be very difficult for them if we speak of Yahweh who is the liberator and saviour of Israel. We could very well speak of Jesus Christ sent by the father to redeem the world.

            In Hinduism many experience God as Antaryami. Our christian understanding of the Holy Spirit will not be alien to their understanding of God. And it is easy to exchange the experience of God one another.

            God as Saccidananda:  This is Advaidic concept of absolute. Sat means existence, Cit means consciousness or mind, Ananda means bliss. It shows that Brahman is pure reality Ahambrahmasmi. Here there is no room for love within because it is one. Whereas trinity is one with distinction, capable of loving each other.

            Differing from the line of traditional understanding of trinity of saccidananda Raymundo Panikkar proposed a new interpretation in terms of the three margas of Hinduism :Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. He describes karma marga as the spirituality of the father (transcen­dent). Bhakti marga as the personalism which is the son of god, and the jnana marga as linked with the Holy Spirit. He regards spirit as immanent and God as beyond person. According to Panikkar, "These three margas can be seen in all the world religions and even in modern secularism". He hopes that a synthesis of these three tradi­tional spiritualities will produce the doctrine of trinity in today's situation.

            Reflection:  We need a sound theology which upholds the value of human life and the human values of unity, equality and solidarity. And we need a radical spirituality which does not isolate itself from the day today life problems and social issues. We need strong conviction and more familiarity on the following experiences;

1> God involves in the struggles of the people.

2> Poor are the vicar of God.

3> Neighbour is expression of God Himself.

4> God is essentially relationship.

5> God is both liberator and loving father and mother.