Trinity sunday, officially called "the solemnity of the most holy trinity," is one of the few celebrations of the christian year that commemorates a reality and doctrine rather than a person or event.Cognitive learning objectives examples on trinity sunday, christians remember and honor the eternal god: the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Trinity sunday is celebrated the sunday after pentecost, and lasts only one day, which is symbolic of the unity of the trinity.Cognitive learning objectives examples eastern churches have no tradition of trinity sunday, arguing that they celebrate the trinity every sunday. Westerners also commemorate the trinity at every eucharist, although they set aside a special feast day for the purpose as well.Cognitive learning objectives examples

The trinity is one of the most fascinating - and controversial - christian teachings. The trinity is described as a "mystery." by mystery the church does not mean a riddle, but rather the trinity is a reality above our human comprehension that we may begin to grasp, but ultimately must know through worship, symbol, and faith.Cognitive learning objectives examples it has been said that mystery is not a wall to run up against, but an ocean in which to swim.

Essentially the trinity is the belief that god is one in essence (greek ousia), but distinct in person (greek hypostasis).Cognitive learning objectives examples the greek word for person means "that which stands on its own," or "individual reality," and does not mean the persons of the trinity are three human beings.Cognitive learning objectives examples therefore christians believe that the father, the son, and the holy spirit are somehow distinct from one another (not divided though), yet completely united in will and essence.Cognitive learning objectives examples how can this be? Well, think of the sight of two eyes. The eyes are distinct, yet one and undivided in their sight. Another illustration to explain the trinity is the musical chord.Cognitive learning objectives examples think of a C-chord. The C, E, and G notes are all distinct notes, but joined together as one chord the sound is richer and more dynamic than had the notes been played individually.Cognitive learning objectives examples the chords are all equally important in producing the rich sound, and the sound is lacking and thin if one of the notes is left out.

The son is said to be eternally begotten of the father, while the holy spirit is said to proceed from the father through the son.Cognitive learning objectives examples each person of the trinity interpenetrates one another, and each has distinct roles in creation and redemption, which is called the divine economy.Cognitive learning objectives examples for instance, god the father created the world through the son and the holy spirit hovered over the waters at creation.

The nicene definition of the trinity developed over time, based on scripture and tradition.Cognitive learning objectives examples the scriptures call the father, the son, and the holy spirit "god," yet the three are also clearly distinct. For instance, st. John gives jesus the titles theos and monogenes theos (god and only-begotten god) and has jesus saying that the father and son are one, yet in his gospel jesus also states that the father and son are not one witness, but two (john 1:1, 18; 8:17-18; 10:30).Cognitive learning objectives examples so john tells us that jesus is god but not god the father? Jesus is one with the father, but they constitute two witnesses? It is scriptures such as these that led to the development of the trinity doctrine.Cognitive learning objectives examples the church had to reconcile the divinity of christ and the holy spirit with jewish monotheism. Over time, and with the aid of the holy spirit, the church reflected on the implications of god's nature, and even began using the word trinity by the middle of the 2nd century to describe the relationship between the father, son, and spirit.Cognitive learning objectives examples when in the 4th century a presbyter named arius denied the father and son were both true god and co-eternal, his bishop alexander of alexandria challenged him and deposed him.Cognitive learning objectives examples eventually the arian controversy spread, and the emperor constantine, newly fascinated with christianity, convened a council of bishops in AD 325 in nicaea to deal with arianism.Cognitive learning objectives examples it is there that the church drew up the beginnings of the current nicene creed. In the latter half of the 4th century the church dealt with those who specifically denied the divinity of the holy spirit, adding more text to the creed.Cognitive learning objectives examples

Ultimately, trinitarianism posits a dynamic god, whose ultimate nature is beyond human conception, yet who voluntarily operates within the created world.Cognitive learning objectives examples trinitarianism also shows a loving god that is willing to become as we are so that we may become like him. The implications of believing in arius' god, a god unwilling to involve himself in our redemption, but who instead sent an angel of the highest order, did not escape the earliest christians.Cognitive learning objectives examples as st. Athanasius was fond of saying "that which has not been assumed has not been redeemed," meaning that unless god truly became completely human, we could not be fully redeemed, because only god himself is capable of truly redeeming humanity; an angel does not have this ability.Cognitive learning objectives examples thus, the trinity is not about greek philosophy or pointless metaphysical speculation, but about the heart of our salvation. For more information, please check out the nicene creed: ancient symbol of the catholic faith.Cognitive learning objectives examples history

The church has been celebrating the trinity in its life and worship since the earliest days of the church, as evidenced by the trinitarian baptismal formula.Cognitive learning objectives examples the earliest known liturgies (including that contained in the apostolic tradition of hippolytus) include many references to the persons of the trinity, including prayers that end with trinitarian doxologies.Cognitive learning objectives examples

Nonetheless, there was no general feast of the trinity in the early church. Over time, dioceses and churches began celebrating feasts of the trinity locally, perhaps in response to arianism.Cognitive learning objectives examples early dates of the localized feasts include the first sunday after pentecost, or the first sunday before advent. Both placements have symbolic value.Cognitive learning objectives examples the post-pentecost date celebrates the trinity as the final celebration of the church year, after christ's resurrection, ascension, and the descent of the holy spirit at pentecost.Cognitive learning objectives examples the pre-advent date, no longer observed, began the church year with the celebration of the trinity, the source of all creation. Both show the importance of the trinity as the foundation, beginning and end, of christian belief and experience.Cognitive learning objectives examples pope john XXII established the feast day for universal observance in the western church in AD 1334 on the present date. In addition to the yearly observance of trinity sunday, the church's weekly, daily, and hourly worship is strongly trinitarian in nature.Cognitive learning objectives examples trinity sunday has been especially popular in england, perhaps because thomas becket was consecrated on trinity sunday, AD 1162.

Since the advent of the internet, many traditional christians are coming in contact with groups that deny the trinity.Cognitive learning objectives examples there is a laundry list of groups that deny the trinity, including messianics, jehovah's witnesses, and apostolic pentecostals. They all deny the trinity for different reasons.Cognitive learning objectives examples all share one thing in common: a rejection of the historical church's role as interpreter of scripture.

Messianics are often jews themselves, or probably more commonly, gentiles who adopt jewish customs, that accept that jesus was the predicted jewish messiah.Cognitive learning objectives examples being heavily influenced by judaism, many messianics (not all) deny that jesus is god, because jewish thought has traditionally denied the possibility of god becoming man.Cognitive learning objectives examples in addition, the idea of one god in three persons strikes many jewish persons as too close to pagan polytheism. However, we must remember that jewish thinkers have roundly rejected the claim that jesus is the messiah as well, so appealing to jewish thought to settle a christian doctrinal dispute creates problems.Cognitive learning objectives examples as to the trinity being pagan, see #2 below.

Jehovah's witnesses, members of the watchtower bible and tract society, a 19th century american apocalyptic sect, deny the trinity because they see no clear scriptural evidence for it.Cognitive learning objectives examples they make an issue of the doctrine of the trinity because the word itself is not in scripture. However, many theological words and concepts they use are not in scripture either, and as catholics and orthodox, we have not set up the same criterion: that in order for something to be true the word identifying it must be in scripture.Cognitive learning objectives examples we also must remember that scripture must be interpreted. Rather than looking to the witness of the historical church, whose views of scripture span all time periods and regions, jehovah's witnesses, and many other american groups from the late 19th century, rely on rationalist and mechanistic principles of scriptural interpretation heavily influenced by the 18th century enlightenment.Cognitive learning objectives examples there is little room for mystery in this modernistic system of interpretation. While jehovah's witnesses have been called modern-day arians, they are only arians in regard to their understanding of the trinity; arius would not recognize many of their distinctive 19th century american trappings.Cognitive learning objectives examples

Some groups, namely the united pentecostal church, believe the father, son, and holy spirit are all god. However, they believe that they are not distinct in any way, but one being that changes roles.Cognitive learning objectives examples for instance, when god created, he played the role of father. When god came to earth, he played the role of son. This is called modalism or sabellianism, and is even older than arianism.Cognitive learning objectives examples the problem with this theory is that it doesn't take into account the differences the scriptures give to the father, son, and holy spirit. As st.Cognitive learning objectives examples john writes, the father and son are two witnesses, not one. Also, the scriptures have all three persons interacting at once. Many christians unknowingly hold to this view because on the surface it seems the most appealing.Cognitive learning objectives examples however, upon reflection it creates many philosophical and historical problems, including that this theory has all of god being crucified on the cross.Cognitive learning objectives examples this why modalism is often called patripassianism, "suffering father," because modalistic theology ends up with a crucified god the father.Cognitive learning objectives examples

Many pagan religions did have triads of gods. However, before we jump to too many conclusions, we must remember that many other christian doctrines are well-paralleled in pagan religions: the resurrection, baptism, and the virgin birth.Cognitive learning objectives examples in fact, scholars of comparative religion have studied the pagan dying and rising agricultural deities and written on their similarity to jesus.Cognitive learning objectives examples A type of baptism was common in many greek "mystery cults," and this pagan baptism had many similarities to the christian rite. Also, virgin births were somewhat common in pagan literature, and famous pagan heroes were often born under remarkably similar circumstances as that of jesus.Cognitive learning objectives examples what does all of this prove? Very little really. Do these facts render the resurrection, baptism, and the virgin birth untrue? No.

Even if someone could prove that christians purposely borrowed these doctrines from pagans (which I will not grant, because the thesis is far too simplistic), it still doesn't make them untrue or evil.Cognitive learning objectives examples pagan religions all had some elements of truth, and according to C.S. Lewis, it makes christianity more true that it shares things in common with other religions.Cognitive learning objectives examples as far as I know, the trinity is unlike any other pagan triad, which are often either clearly tritheistic or modalistic. The concept of three persons sharing one divine essence is uniquely christian, and as outlined above, based on the witness of scripture, tradition, and the implications of salvation and redemption.Cognitive learning objectives examples celebrating the trinity is thus celebrating a loving and dynamic god.

No. Truth unfolds, or rather, the implications and hows and whys of certain truths unfold.Cognitive learning objectives examples it took a hundred years after jesus' birth for a gospel clearly outlining jesus' divinity to appear, even though the earliest gospels hint at jesus having the authority and attributes of god.Cognitive learning objectives examples the old testament hints at many christian doctrines, but they were not made clear until hundreds of years later. The delay in officially dogmatizing the trinity does not mean that god was not a trinity until AD 325, or that the early christians did not believe in some type of divine triad.Cognitive learning objectives examples rather, over time, with reflection and with the aid of the holy spirit, the church came to a deeper understanding of god's nature. The same happened in the old testament, as we witness the jewish people come to a deeper understanding of god, the afterlife, and other concepts that are more clearly developed in later biblical writings than earlier ones.Cognitive learning objectives examples thus, in the church and the bible, later explanations of certain truths (like the trinity) will be more complex than earlier explanations. Remember that the church, starting in the new testament, bestowed upon the father, son, and holy spirit the title "god": in 325 AD (and at other times), the church simply clarified the nature of the relationship among the three persons.Cognitive learning objectives examples