Trinity and society

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Introduction: from the solitude of one to the communion of three. Faith and explications of faith

The trinity as a mystery of inclusion

God is the union of three uniques

Words hide more than they reveal

The trinity requires silent adoration

Part I. In the beginning is communion. Trinity, society and liberation

Disintegrated understanding of the three divine persons

Difficulties inherent in monotheistic faith; The Judaic inheritance; The Greek inheritance; The inheritance of modern thought; Political dangers of an a-trinitarian monotheism; The integrating union of the three divine persons

Part II. How the holy trinity was revealed to us. Doctrine and reality

The touch of the father's two hands: the son and the spirit

Jesus, the son, reveals the father of infinite goodness; Political symbolism: the God of the kingdom; Family symbolism: Abba, the best and kindest of fathers

In Jesus, the Eternal Son made flesh is revealed

The Holy Spirit is revealed in Jesus' life and works

The Spirit reveals the Son and the Father

Triadic formulas in the New Testament: indications of understanding; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; Other pauline triadic texts; Triadic formulas in other New Testament writings

Christian re-reading of the Old Testament: preparation for revelation. Part III. Efforts at understanding the truth of the trinity. Erroneous ways: stimuli to trinitarian doctrine; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three modes of appearance of the same God?

modalism; The Father is the only God, so the Son and the Holy Spirit are subordinate creatures

subordinationism; Father, Son and Holy Spirit as three Gods

tritheism

Theologians who created trinitarian language: on the right road; The starting-point, the "economic" trinity: St Irenaeus; The trinity is a dynamism of communication: Origen; "Tres unum sunt, non unus": Tertullian; The divine persons as interplay of relationship: the Cappadocian Fathers; A systematic exposition of the mystery of the trinity; the persons as respective and eternally related subjects: St Augustine; On the one and triune God: St Thomas Aquinas

The struggle for words and formulas: one nature and three persons; What to call what differentiates in God?; What to call what unites in God?; Confusion and clarification of terms; Are hypostasis and person real equivalents? Part IV. Dogmatic understanding of the trinity. Official statements by the magisterium; The Creed of Nicaea: the Son consubstantial with the Father; The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed: the Holy Spirit, God with the Father and the Son; The Quicumque or Pseudo-Athanasian Creed: unity in trinity and trinity in unity; Creeds of the Councils of Toledo and Florence: the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (Filioque); The fourth Lateran Council: harmony between immanent trinity and economic trinity; The decree for the Jacobites: interpenetration of the three persons (Perichoresis); The declaration "the mystery of the son of God": from economic trinity to immanent trinity

Three tendencies in trinitarian understanding; From unity of nature to trinity of persons; From unity of substance of the Father to trinity of persons; From trinity of persons to unity of nature-communion

The play of trinitarian language: explanation of key terms; Substance = nature essence: one sole; Hypostasis = subsistence person: three really distinct; Processions: two

by begetting and breathing out; Relationships: four real ones; Notions: five; Affirmations: essential and notional; Perichoresis, circumincession, circuminsession; The trinity as sole agent of action; Appropriated and proper actions; The divine missions; Economic trinity and immanent trinity

Syntactical rules for correct discourse on the trinity

Conclusion: seven propositions of trinitarian orthodoxy. Part V. The trinity in theological imagery. Signifier, signified and significance

"Economic" symbolism

Pious symbolism

Archetypal symbolism

Anthropological symbolism

Family symbolism

Ecclesial symbolism

Social symbolism

Material symbolism

Formal symbolism

Conclusion: the necessary but limited nature of symbols

Part VI. The doctrine of the trinity in a changed cultural situation. Changes affecting the doctrine of the trinity

Approach roads to the trinity; Continuing and deepening tradition; Alternatives to the concept of "person"; A new starting-point: the community and social aspect of the trinity; Another new starting-point: the trans-sexist theology of the maternal father and paternal mother. Part VII. The communion of the trinity as basis for social and integral liberation. God is eternal living; What comprises life?; God as eternal self-realization

God is infinite communing; Analytical perspective; Philosophical perspective; Theological perspective

Perichoresis, communion and interpenetration of the three divine persons; What perichoresis means; The interpenetration of persons: principle of union in the trinity; The always triadic relationship between Father Son and Holy Spirit; The inclusiveness of the trinity: all in all

Trinitarian communion as critic of and inspiration for human society

Part VIII. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. The holy trinity as good news to men and women, especially to the poor

Reverence in the face of the mystery

We saw his glory!

Reasons for giving glory

Part IX. Glory be to the Father: origin and goal of all liberation. The invisible Father, unfathomable mystery

"No one knows the Father except the Son"

In the name of the Father, Jesus the Son liberates the oppressed

Fatherhood as the basis of universal fellowship

The maternal father and paternal mother

The father in the immanent trinity: the unoriginated origin

The mission of the father: the mysteriousness of creation. Part X. Glory be to the Son: mediator of integral liberation. How Jesus showed himself the Son

How Jesus behaved as a son

The feminine dimension of Jesus the Son

"The Only-Begotten Son who is in the Father's bosom"

The mission of the Son: the universe reflects back on the word

Part XI. Glory be to the holy spirit: driving force of integral liberation. The influence of the Holy Spirit on processes of change

The feminine dimension of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit co-eternal with the Father and the Son; The biblical sources for the procession of the Spirit; Does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son?; Attempts to mediate between the Greek and Latin approaches; Steps toward trinitarian balance; The simultaneity of the Spirit with the Father and the Son

The mission of the Holy Spirit: transformation and new creation. Part XII. As it was in the beginning: the immanent trinity, in itself. When the economic trinity is the immanent trinity and vice-versa

The Son and Holy Spirit communicate themselves in humiliation

The eternal doxology: the glory and joy of the trinity

Part XIII. Now and forever: the economic trinity, for us. The trinity creates in order to communicate itself to creation

Creation by the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit

Traces of the trinity in creation

Part XIV. Forever and ever: the trinity in creation and creation in the trinity. The age of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: providence, liberation, indwelling

Creation as the body of the trinity

Part XV. Amen: the whole mystery in a nutshell