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The Doctrine of Trinity

Final Tenets (Page 4)

Introduction

Below I list what seem to me to be the more obscure tenets, and it so happens that most of them are matters of contention between Western and Eastern “churches”. It’s important that you learn the basic tenets first. They are much more fundamental to the doctrine.

Final Tenets (Definition)

Western vs. Eastern Doctrines

  1. Relations of Origin
    • Western: The Father generates, the Son is begotten, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Footnote 4
    • Eastern: The Son is born from the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father[5] through the Son.[6] Footnote 5 Footnote 6
  2. Substance
    • Western: (Summary:) The three Divine Persons consist of the same one Divine essence, the same one Divine nature, the same one Divine substance. Footnote 7
    • Eastern: (Summary:) The three Divine Persons consist of the same one Divine essence, the same one Divine nature, but each is of a distinct Divine substance. Footnote 8 Footnote 9
  3. Unity of Will and Action
    • Western: The ad extra acts of the Blessed Trinity are common to the three Divine Persons. (Note: “ad extra” meaning “external to God”.) Footnote 10
    • Eastern: (Summary:) The three Divine Persons are always united in will and in action. Footnote 11

Final Tenets (Explanation)

1. Relations of Origin.
Explanation of the Term
We can describe the term “relations of origin” by asking questions. Both of these questions are answered by the topic “relations of origin”.
  • From where does each of the three Divine Persons come?
  • What causes each of the three Divine Persons to appear?
The Western Doctrine
The Father generates, the Son is begotten, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
  • The Father
    • Is the generator of the Son and so has a father-to-son relationship with the Son.
    • In union with the Son sends forth the Holy Spirit, by spiration (breath, word) rather than by generation.
    • Summary: the Father sends (forth) both the Son and the Holy Spirit.
  • The Son
    • Is generated by the Father and so has a son-to-father relationship with the Father.
    • In union with the Father sends forth the Holy Spirit.
    • Summary: the Son is sent (forth) by the Father and the union of the Son and the Father sends (forth) the Holy Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit
    • Does not have a son-to-father relationship with the Father.
    • Is sent forth by the union of the Father and the Son.
    • Summary: the Holy Spirit is sent (forth) by the union of the Father and the Son.
The Eastern Doctrine
The Son is born from the Father, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son.
In light of the explanation of the Western doctrine, the Eastern doctrine is largely self-explanatory. I will point out the significant differences here.
  • In the Eastern, the Father and the Son do not form a union distinct from the Holy Spirit.
  • In the Eastern, the Father sends the Holy Spirit through the Son. In the Western, the union of Father and Son sends the Holy Spirit. So in the Western, the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit, while in the Eastern the Father alone sends the Holy Spirit (no “and the Son” which phrase is (in)famously known as “the filoque clause”).
2. Substance.
Introduction

The fundamental difference between this particular aspect of the Western and Eastern doctrines is what is believed to be the cause of the three Divine Persons being distinct from each other.

The Western Doctrine
The three Divine Persons consist of the same one Divine essence, the same one Divine nature, the same one Divine substance.

The Western doctrine describes the three Divine Persons as being of the same one Divine substance. The Western doctrine interprets the Greek word “hypostasis” as “Person” but not as “substance”. In the Western doctrine, what makes the three Divine Persons distinct from each other is the relations that exist between them. One can say (in the Western Doctrine) that the three Divine Persons perceive each other as distinct persons and relate to each other as distinct persons even though they are of the same one Divine substance. Footnote 12

The Eastern Doctrine
The three Divine Persons consist of the same one Divine essence, the same one Divine nature, but each is of a distinct Divine substance.

The Eastern doctrine describes the three Divine Persons as not being of the same one Divine substance. The Eastern doctrine interprets the Greek word “hypostasis” as “substance” rather than as “Person”. (I.e. just the opposite of the Western interpretation.) So in the Eastern doctrine what makes the three Divine Persons distinct is not only their relations. They are also distinct in that that they each consist of distinct Divine substance. Even though the substance of all three Divine Persons is the same type of substance (Divine substance), it is not one whole substance but, rather, three distinct concrete realities. Footnote 13

3. Unity of Will and Action.
The Western Doctrine
The ad extra acts of the Blessed Trinity are common to the three Divine Persons.

The Western doctrine differentiates actions internal to the trinity (actions directed and performed between the three Divine Persons) and actions external (“ad extra”) to the trinity. The Western doctrine teaches that all of the actions external to the trinity are the result of the three Divine Persons acting in unison.

The Eastern Doctrine
The three Divine Persons are always united in will and in action.

The Eastern doctrine teaches that the three Divine Persons are always united in will and in action regardless of the context of being internal or external to the trinity. Whatever one wills, all will. There is never any conflict between the wills of the three Divine Persons. Whenever one acts, all act in unison. None of the three Divine Persons ever engages in independent action.

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References

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  1. “The dogma of the Holy Trinity.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference, 1994, pp.66-67, tenets 253-256. Retrived 2017 July 27 from http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#66/z
  2. Hopko, Fr. Thomas. “The Holy Trinity.” The Orthodox Faith. Vol. I. St. Vladimirs Seminary Press, 2016. The Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved 2017 July 27 from https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-holy-trinity/the-doctrine-of-the-holy-trinity
  3. “The Holy Trinity.” The Doctrine of the Orthodox Church: The Basic Doctrines. Decani Monastery, Kosovo. Orthodox Christian Information Center. Retrieved 2017 July 27 from http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/doctrine1.aspx#Holy%20Trinity
  4. “The dogma of the Holy Trinity.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference, 1994, pg. 67, tenet 254. Retrived 2017 August 1 from http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#67/z Return to Text
  5. Hopko, Fr. Thomas. “One God, One Father.” The Orthodox Faith. Vol. I. St. Vladimirs Seminary Press, 2016. The Orthodox Church in America. Retrieved 2017 August 1 from https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-holy-trinity/one-god-one-father Return to Text
  6. “The Father and the Son revealed by the Spirit.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference, 1994, pp. 65-66, tenet 248. Retrived 2017 August 1 from http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#65/z Return to Text
  7. “The dogma of the Holy Trinity.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference, 1994, pp. 66-67, tenet 253. Retrived 2017 August 1 from http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#66/z Return to Text
  8. “The Holy Trinity.” The Doctrine of the Orthodox Church: The Basic Doctrines. Decani Monastery, Kosovo. Orthodox Christian Information Center. Retrieved 2017 August 1 from http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/doctrine1.aspx#Holy%20Trinity Return to Text
  9. Hopko, Fr. Thomas. “One God: One Divine Nature and Being.” The Orthodox Faith. Vol. I. St. Vladimirs Seminary Press, 2016. The Orthodox Church in America. Retrived 2017 August 1 from https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-holy-trinity/one-god-one-divine-nature-and-being Return to Text
  10. Arias, David. “God the Father, God the Son, and the ad extra Acts of the Blessed Trinity.” Johannine Themes in the Early Church Councils. Retrived 2017 August 3 from http://catholic-resources.org/John/Patristics-Trinity.html Return to Text
  11. Hopko, Fr. Thomas. “One God: One Divine Action and Will.” The Orthodox Faith. Vol. I. St. Vladimirs Seminary Press, 2016. The Orthodox Church in America. Retrived 2017 August 3 from https://oca.org/orthodoxy/the-orthodox-faith/doctrine-scripture/the-holy-trinity/one-god-one-divine-action-and-will Return to Text
  12. “The dogma of the Holy Trinity.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference, 1994, pg. 66, tenet 252. Retrived 2017 August 5 from http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html#66/z Return to Text
  13. “The Holy Trinity.” The Doctrine of the Orthodox Church: The Basic Doctrines. Decani Monastery, Kosovo. Orthodox Christian Information Center. Retrieved 2017 August 5 from http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/doctrine1.aspx#Holy%20Trinity Return to Text