Holy Trinity

The "Trinity" or, "Holy Trinity" of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

• note: see glossary entry on "Holy"

The Holy Trinity is called collectively the "Godhead" or the "Triune"

• also, the "Blessed Trinity"

Terminology of the Trinity

Godhead

The Trinity may also be referred to as the "Godhead"

• = God in the full nature of the Trinity
  • from Middle English God + hede (nature of)
• note: the Father is the "source and origin" of the Godhead, but the Godhead indivisibly consists of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
  • see CCC 2789

hypostasis

refers to the "Persons" of God; in Latin persona

• from Greek for "substance"
  • from hypo- (under) + stasis (standing or position)

• hypostasis is singular for "Person"
• hypostases is plural for "Persons"
• "hypostatic union" refers to the "union of the divine and human natures... of the Son of God, Jesus Christ" (CCC Glossary)

Triune

a similar reference to "Godhead" for the Holy Trinity

• but also used as an adjective, as in "the Triune God"

Athanasian Creed

or Quicunque vult

• an important early Church statement and explanation of the Holy Trinity

• from from CCC 266

"Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another, the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal, their majesty coeternal"  (Athanasian Creed: DS 75; ND 16). 

• See
  • entry on Athanasian Creed
  • The "Athanasian" Creed (slightly different translation from EWTN)

The Trinity

The Holy Trinity is the mystery of God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

• the Trinisy consists of the
  • Persons of God: Father Son and Holy Spirit
  • Natures of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier
• the Trinity was source of much conflict and contention in the early Church
• and, ultimately, a core tenant of Church doctrine
  • Jews were offended that fellow Jews worshiped Christ, as Judaism was supposed to be monotheistic
  • Romans considered Christians atheistic, as they rejected Roman gods and refused to worship Caesar
  • gnostics and other heretics believed that Jesus fully God and not a Man, thus he was either not a man or not God

Shield of the Trinity (Scutum Fidei)

Basic "Shield of the Trinity" diagram (wikipedia)

Four variants of the "Shield of the Trinity"

• derived from the Athanasian Creed
• God (DEUS) is at the center
• the three Persons are at the corners
• the shiled was consiered the "Herald of God"

The forumulation of the Shield

• note that all the links (connections) are bi-directional (go both ways)
• EST means "is"
• NON EST means "is not"

Thereby:

• "The Father is God"

• "The Son is God"
• "The Holy Spirit is God"
• "God is the Father"
• "God is the Son"
• "God is the Holy Spirit"
• "The Father is not the Son"
• "The Father is not the Holy Spirit"
• "The Son is not the Father"
• "The Son is not the Holy Spirit"
• "The Holy Spirit is not the Father"
• "The Holy Spirit is not the Son"

St. Thomas Aquinas on the Trinity

St. Thomas Aquinas thought deeply about the Trinity in Summa Theologica

• his thought extends from the concepts of the Trinity and the Oneness of God:
• One God
• Two Processions
  1. The Father > The Son (Generation)
  2. The Father and The Son > Holy Spirit (Spiration)
  • Three Persons
    1. The Father
    2. The Son
    3. The Holy Spirit
  • Four Relations
    1. The Father > The Son = Paternity
    2. The Son < The Father = Filiation
    3. The Father and The Son > The Holy Spirit = Active Spiration (originiation)
    4. The Father and The Son < The Holy Spirit = Passive Spiration (procession)
  • Five Notions
    1. The Father > innascibility or unbegottennes
    2. The Father > paternity, i.e. The Father > The Son
    3. The Father and The Son "spirate" the Holy Spirit
    4. The Son = both Filiation and Spiration
    5. The Holy Spirit = Procession
  • notes:
    • St. Thomas wrote in Summa Theologica,
      • "Although there are four relations in God, one of them, spiration, is not separated from the person of the Father and of the Son, but belongs to both;"
    • these relations, originatinos, and processions are internal to God and not related to temporal process (outside of time)
    • See:
      • Univ Notre Dame: trinityhandout.pdf
      • The 'Relations' in the Blessed Trinity - Catholicism.org
      • Summary of Chapter 23: Trinitarian Relations and Notional Names of Persons (from White’s book, The Trinity) – Prodigal Catholic