Although it is difficult to tell exactly, how the Doctrine of the Trinity shapes our understanding of community and its practice, this essay argues that we can discern at least three primary outcomes of its consequences.
Firstly, this essay favors ‘social trinitarianism’ that stressing only immanent trinity is wrong that it has to go with economic Trinity, which argues that divine communion in Trinity reflects our human communion. Secondly, egalitarian Trinity view rightly expresses the oneness in the divine glory in Triune God, which rightly shapes our ecclesiology in community, whereas subordination Trinity view make us confuse whether we can offer praise and prayer to Son and Spirit. Thirdly, limiting the doctrine of Trinity with assurance of our ‘salvation’ is wrong, which is held by Catholic, because doctrine of Trinity also carries other aspects, which is ‘mission’, reflecting Triune God’s glory to the world. Overall, this essay argues that the doctrine of the Trinity shapes our identity as Christian community and also its history that we can be part of God’s redemptive history by reflecting His image in our community and its practice of ecclesiology, which give all the glory and honor to One and Three, the Triune God.
Be human in this most inhuman of ages; guard the image of man for it is the image of God.
Thomas Merton
וֹ׃אֹת עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים דְמוּתבִּ אָדָם אֱלֹהִים בְּרֹא
Genesis 5:1
The doctrine of the Trinity, like the rest of canonical doctrines, has had a long history of contention amongst scholars. What appears as a straightforward question, on how the doctrine of the Trinity shapes our understanding of Christian community and its practice in our church and by the individual, is quickly bound up in cerebral debate over theology of Trinity, ecclesiology and historicity.
This essay seeks to set much of that debate aside, contending that the doctrine of Trinity has three fundamental aspects to shape the designation of
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