THE FIRST Sunday of June brings us to Trinity Sunday. God as Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the distinguishing mark of the Christian understanding of God – yet so widely misunderstood!
When Mohammad was laying the foundations of Islam in Arabia the misconception was that the Trinity consisted of God, Jesus and Mary. Then, over the years many have given the impression that the Trinity is more or less the same as believing in three gods. It is this kind of thinking that has led some Christians to become Unitarians. But, in spite of the philosophical difficulties in trying to explain the Trinity, Christians have persisted in believing in God, the three in one. What is it that we find so attractive and compelling about God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
Off topic. But where has Bauckham gone?? This is very odd. Please, Elves or Kendall, post a public explanation of this.
When Mohammad was laying the foundations of Islam in Arabia the misconception was that the Trinity consisted of God, Jesus and Mary. Then, over the years many have given the impression that the Trinity is more or less the same as believing in three gods.
What nonsense. Mohammad started his religion in the 640’s AD. The councils at Nicea were held in the 300-400’s AD and had spelled out the Trinitarian concept. Even the Athasnasian Creed was in the 500’s and widely circulated.