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In this episode we’ll meet analytic theologian Dr. Andrew Hollingsworth and discuss his interesting forthcoming article “Mere Social Trinitarianism, the Eternal Relations of Origin, and Models of God” in the Journal of Analytic Theology. Topics include:
- “mere” social trinitarianism – the core claims which any “social” trinitarian is committed to
- the concept of a self
- the idea that God has multiple first-person points of view
- why “social” trinitarianism has been popular recently among Christian philosophers and analytic theologians
- whether “social” trinitarianism is found in Christian history before the 20th century
- what “classical” trinitarianism was, in contrast to “social” trinitarianism
- in what sense a “Person” of the Trinity “is God” according to “social” trinitarians
- the concept of constitution in Trinity theories and how this relates to worries about tritheism
- Chad McIntosh’s 4-self Trinity theory
- William Lane Craig’s suggestion that a “social” trinitarian should insist there are two ways to be divine – one for God the Trinity and one for the divine Persons & his cat-parts analogy
- analytic theologian Keith Yandell’s social trinitarianism and tritheism objections
- Craig’s analogy for the Trinity as a soul with three complete sets of cognitive faculties and his Cerberus analogy, and how this relates to real-life human conjoined twins
- Dr. Jc Beall’s suggestion that the Incarnation and the Trinity should be understood as involving true (real) contradictions
- the seeming incoherence of the “Athanasian” creed
- the concept of God vs. models of God
- the Doctrine of the Eternal Relations of Origin (DERO) – i.e. a traditional trinitarian doctrine of “processions”
- the nature of these posited relations of origin – that they must be timeless and causal
- whether the divine essence which the Father shares, via these origin relations, with the Son and Spirit is a universal property or a particular property
- the medieval suggestion that the “Persons” of the Trinity are “subsistent relations”
- one-self Trinity theories
In Part 2 we’ll discuss the costs of combining social trinitarianism and DERO.
Links for this episode:
Dr. Andrew Hollingsworth @ Brewton-Parker College
Dr. Hollingsworth @ Academia.edu
Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928-2014)
Tuggy, “Divine Deception and Monotheism”
John Philoponus on the Trinity
William Sherlock on the Trinity
podcast 300 – Does the New Testament teach Trinity Monotheism? – with Dale Glover – Part 2
podcast 299 – Does the New Testament teach Trinity Monotheism? – with Dale Glover – Part 1
podcast 297 – Assessing Craig’s “Trinity Monotheism” – with Dale Glover – Part 2
podcast 296 – Assessing Craig’s “Trinity Monotheism” – with Dale Glover – Part 1
the seven “ecumenical” councils
Dr. Ryan Mullins on “the Trinity”
podcast 325 – Dr. Jc Beall – The Contradictory Christ – Part 2
podcast 324 – Dr. Jc Beall – The Contradictory Christ – Part 1
podcast 4 – Anglicans vs. “Athanasius”
podcast 2 – the “Athanasian Creed”
The Orthodox Formulas 2: The Council of Constantinople (381)
This week’s thinking music is “roboduck” by airtone.
Dale,
Thank you for this interesting podcast! Can you explain the difference between social trinitarianism and the patristic view? I always thought that social trinitarianism was a modern iteration of the social trinitarian perspective. Where does the Scottish theologian, Thomas Torrance, fit into these distinctions? Thanks!
My third sentence above was incorrectly phrased. I meant to say: “I always thought that social trinitarianism was a modern iteration of the patristic perspective.” Sorry. I would love to hear what you think. Thanks!
Psalms ch.83:18ASV”That they may know that thou alone, whose name is JEHOVAH, Art the Most High over all the earth.”
I am yet to come across a single Trinitarian model that adequately addresses the issue of JEHOVAH’S identity as stipulated in scripture.
JEHOVAH is(according to scripture)
Superlative,necessary and sufficient as God. Hence the only God worthy of absolute devotion. None of the constituents of the trinity in any of its iterations fits the scriptural mandate, thus the claim that they are each fully God is falsified.
Now I suppose it can be claimed that the entire trinity is JEHOVAH God but trinitarians never talk that way except when pressed to defend their claim.
Additionally the N.T clearly identifies JEHOVAH as the God and Father of Jesus Christ ,
Acts ch.3:13NIV”The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ”
Note the singular personal pronouns used in reference to the Lord JEHOVAH. Furthermore if the trinity alone is the most high God, Then how could anything below the level of the trinity (Father Son or Spirit) be regarded as “fully God” at best they are representations of God.
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