Reviving Monotheism: Exploring Tensions within Monarchical Trinitarianism

Reviving Monotheism: Exploring Tensions within Monarchical Trinitarianism

 

 

According to Monarchical Trinitarianism, the Father’s existence is fundamental while the Son and the Spirit have a derivative status as the Father grounds their existence yet they share the same essence such that they exemplify what it takes to predicate divinity (excluding aseity it seems). Therefore, when they refer to there being only one God they are referring to the one fundamental divine person who is the Father while there are three divine persons and therefore “monotheistic” as they are defining monotheism as the existence or worship of one fundamental divine person. Therefore, in one sense there are three Gods as there are three divine persons but in another sense there is one God as there is one fundamental divine person. However, the Monarchical Trinitarian is equivocating on the term, “God”. To be God one must have all the qualities that are necessary and sufficient to be God. If there are three persons that each possess these qualities then it would entail three Gods. But this does not mean that there are three fundamental entities, there is only one who is the Father. However, having three persons that are divine which can be seen in one sense as quantitatively three Gods can be argued to be polytheism despite the fact that fundamentally there is one divine person. In other words, there does not seem to be a significant difference between having one fundamental person with two derivative persons who are equally divine and having three fundamental persons. This definition of monotheism, that there is one fundamental divine person while multiple derivative divine persons, is too loose. A more robust definition of monotheism would negate the derivative divine persons as polytheism as they are instantiations of the divine essence which is something that should be given to the fundamental God alone who possesses aseity. Refer to my blog post titled, “God and Aseity” for an argument supporting why aseity is an essential attribute for God.

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