On Trinitarian Revivals

Lewis Ayres offers some important historical perspective to the claim that there has been a Trinitarian revival in the last several decades: "it is important to notice that claims for a revival of Trinitarian theology have been made in a number of circles since the early nineteenth century in both Protestant and Catholic contexts."

He suggests in a footnote that "it might make more sense to speak of the rise of anti-Trinitarian thought concomitant with shifts in models of theological practice during the 17th and 18th cent. . .

"This anti-Trinitarianism at times achieves prominence, especially in academic contexts, but is always accompanied (at both academic and popular levels) by other streams of thought that offer a more robust Trinitarian perspective."

In this context, he notes the irony of Rahner's complain that Christians are "mere monotheists: "he cites (nn. 3-4) 16 articles and books written between 1927 and 1958 that attempt to shape a Trinitarian spirituality or make the Trinity central to Christian theology. Even without citing any of the relevant literature in English this does not seem to indicate quite such a desert as he alleges. Later in the text . . . he also testifies to the extensive debate in Catholic theology during the 1940s and 1950s about the nature of the Spirit's indwelling."

Ayres also finds a "Kantian sub-theme in modern Trinitarianism: the persons are more and more present as autonomous self-establishing individuals whose depth of love is seen in their mutual co-operation. "This anti-Trinitarianism at times achieves prominence, especially in academic contexts, but is always accompanied (at both academic and popular levels) by other streams of thought that offer a more robust Trinitarian perspective."

On this last point, though, Jesus already draws these parallels, praying that His disciples would be "one" in the way that He is one with the Father. And while there might be a Kantian thematic here, finding more similarity between human and divine interpersonal relations may be no more than an effort to take seriously the revelation of the Father-Son relation in the economy of redemption.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, October 15, 2007 at 04:09 PM

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