Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
In this second part (part 1 here) I interact with the rest of this discussion between Dr. Sean McDowell and Dr. Fred Sanders.
I do register some significant agreements with them, but on the whole, my criticism from last time stands: their apologetic defense of “the doctrine of the Trinity” is not anywhere near sufficient to rebut or refute the arguments presented by today’s unitarian Christians.
I also explain some historical problems with various things they’re saying. Detailed knowledge of early Christian theologies and Christologies disrupts a number of common trinitarian narratives and assumptions.
Questions addressed include:
- Was the doctrine of the Trinity copied from pagan religions and/or Greek philosophy?
- Can one read pretty much any pre-Nicene written source and find that the author is trinitarian?
- Was the doctrine of the Trinity established at the council at Nicea in 325?
- Was new creedal language produced by the council at Nicea a breakthrough in theological clarity?
- Why is there no clear “Trinity passage” anywhere in the Bible? And is this actually a good thing?
At the end I offer to help.
Links for this episode:
Tuggy, “When and How in the History of Theology Did the Triune God Replace the Father as the Only True God?“
podcast 115 – the aborted council at Serdica in 343
podcast 114 – the recycled creed (342-359)
podcast 113 – the council at Antioch in 341
podcast 31 – Dr. William Hasker on the “Arian” Controversy
podcast 30 – The Council of Nicea
Prestige, God in Patristic thought
podcast 270 – Origen’s “one God”
Tuggy, What is the Trinity?
10 steps towards getting less confused about the Trinity
Clarke, The Scripture-Doctrine of the Trinity
Biddle, The Apostolical and True Opinion Concerning the Holy Trinity
podcast 348 – Novatian’s On the Trinity – Part 2 – Two Thieves and Three Arguments
Hanson, The Search for the Christian Doctrine of God
Church of God General Conference
podcast 357 – Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian – Part 2
podcast 356 – Seminary student takes Trinity class, becomes unitarian – Part 1
Dustin Smith’s The Biblical Unitarian Podcast
Sean Finnegan’s Restitutio Podcast
McIntosh, ed. – Craig vs. Hasker vs. Branson vs. Tuggy – One God, Three Persons, Four Views: A Biblical, Theological, and Philosophical Dialogue on the Doctrine of the Trinity
This week’s thinking music is “Discipline” by Mr. Smith.
