OpenTheo

Q&A#6 Trinity and Modalism

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#6 Trinity and Modalism

May 19, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's Question: I follow what you are saying about the error of saying that there are three 'centers of consciousness' in God's Triune nature, and how that would involve a denial of the unity and simplicity of the Divine Being and ultimately involve tritheism. However, isn't that different from affirming three subsistent consciousnesses, or three self-conscious Persons within the nature of God? Would not a denial of that involve the opposite error of modalism? I am concerned that in our right concern to flee from tritheism, we are not seeing an implicit embrace of modalism.

Leave your own questions in the comments, on my blog, or on my Curious Cat account.

http://alastairadversaria.com/

https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More on OpenTheo

Did Jesus Ever Experience Fear?
Did Jesus Ever Experience Fear?
#STRask
December 12, 2024
Questions about whether Jesus ever experienced fear, why Jesus would pray three times for something he already knew he would be denied, and a song tha
How Would You Respond to the Current Mainstream View of the Historical Jesus?
How Would You Respond to the Current Mainstream View of the Historical Jesus?
#STRask
November 18, 2024
Questions about how to respond to the current mainstream view of the historical Jesus and the allegations that Jesus just ripped off material from anc
How Do We Know if the Good Things We Experience Are the Result of God’s Actions?
How Do We Know if the Good Things We Experience Are the Result of God’s Actions?
#STRask
October 7, 2024
Questions about how we know if the good things we experience are the result of God’s actions, whether something can be considered a miracle if it can
If I’m Not Being Persecuted, Does That Mean I’m Not Living a Godly Life?
If I’m Not Being Persecuted, Does That Mean I’m Not Living a Godly Life?
#STRask
November 28, 2024
Questions about whether a lack of persecution means you’re not living a godly life, what to think about your faith if your suffering doesn’t bring you
It's About Time
It's About Time
Alastair Roberts
November 26, 2024
The following was first published over on The Anchored Argosy Substack: https://argosy.substack.com/p/35-the-depths-of-time. A version of it was also
Advent Absence
Advent Absence
Alastair Roberts
December 19, 2024
The following was first published over on The Anchored Argosy Substack: https://argosy.substack.com/p/42-an-obituary-and-advent. Follow my Substack,
How Is Biblical Inspiration Different from Automatic Writing?
How Is Biblical Inspiration Different from Automatic Writing?
#STRask
October 31, 2024
Questions about how biblical inspiration differs from automatic writing, whether or not we don’t know who wrote 74% of the New Testament, signing a ma
Desacralizing and Evangelizing Politics
Desacralizing and Evangelizing Politics
Alastair Roberts
November 5, 2024
The following was first published over on The Anchored Argosy Substack: https://argosy.substack.com/. Keeping Faith In and Out of Politics: https://a
The Life and Ministry of R.C. Sproul with Stephen Nichols
The Life and Ministry of R.C. Sproul with Stephen Nichols
Life and Books and Everything
November 21, 2024
Recently, Steve Nichols spoke at the Faithful Conference, an annual conference for Christ Covenant Church. After giving a lecture on R.C. Sproul, Stev
What Progressive Christian Teachings Should I Look Out For?
What Progressive Christian Teachings Should I Look Out For?
#STRask
November 7, 2024
Questions about what progressive Christian teachings one should look out for and whether John 16:12–13 provides justification for the views of progres
Making the Most of Your Youth
Making the Most of Your Youth
Knight & Rose Show
December 20, 2024
Wintery Knight and Desert Rose offer advice to children, teenagers and young adults about how to get the most out of their young years. They talk abou
Life on the Silent Planet (with Susannah Roberts, Rhys Laverty, & Jake Meador)
Life on the Silent Planet (with Susannah Roberts, Rhys Laverty, & Jake Meador)
Alastair Roberts
December 6, 2024
Rhys Laverty (Senior Editor at Ad Fontes and Senior Managing Editor of the Davenant Press), Jake Meador (Editor-in-Chief of Mere Orthodoxy), and Susan
John 21: A Fitting Epilogue
John 21: A Fitting Epilogue
Alastair Roberts
November 19, 2024
The following was first published over on The Anchored Argosy Substack: https://argosy.substack.com/p/32-intellectual-salons-and-a-new. Follow my Sub
How Can So Many Professing Christians Support Things That Are Anti-Christian?
How Can So Many Professing Christians Support Things That Are Anti-Christian?
#STRask
December 19, 2024
Questions about how so many professing Christians can support things that are anti-Christian, such as LGBTQ issues and abortion on demand, and how to
What Instruments in Church? w/ Will Drzycimski
What Instruments in Church? w/ Will Drzycimski
For The King
October 2, 2024
What instruments should the Church use on the Lord's day? Brother Will helps us think about this in a helpful way. This conversation was prompted from