So, what’s your TTL (Trinity Teaching Level)?
Do you avoid the Trinity at all costs? Only give the “water, ice, steam†analogy when asked about the Trinity? Do you try to pray at least once in the “Father, Son, Holy Spirit†formula during worship? Have nightmares about your theology professor standing at the gates of heaven telling you that you can get in as soon as one of your parishioners can explain the doctrine of the Trinity?
I’ve been thinking a lot about my TTL and I admit, I come up short. To deal with my obvious failures as a teacher of this doctrine, I have done the only practical thing, which is to blame my upbringing. I started out my spiritual journey as a blommin’ Baptist (we were mainly in church when the lilies and poinsettias were in full color) and at that church we only prayed to Jesus. God was the Father was mentioned on occasion, but appeared to mainly hang out in the first part of the Bible smiting people. The Holy Spirit meant you raised your hands, and we didn’t do that at our church. Then after my mom’s encounter with a Jimmy Swaggert crusade, we were in the local Assemblies of God church every Sunday. There I heard a lot more about the Holy Spirit, but mainly about the results of being filled with the Spirit. That meant you spoke in tongues (Did I, you ask? That’s another blog) and occasionally went down on the floor when an elder laid hands on you. Then, back to the Baptists and to seminary, where I learned that if you tried to explain the Trinity, you would always fall into one of 3 main heresies, and fail theology for the year. And the point of seminary was to graduate, right?
I don’t think I’m all that unusual in my reticence to try to develop a theologically sound and clear way to teach this important doctrine and I also believer most educators want to teach this doctrine well. It is the crucial doctrine of our faith. If we are not Trinitarian, then we are either worshippers of 3 gods or we do not have a divine Jesus. Furthermore, I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t want to understand the doctrine of the Trinity. Church members really want to explore the subject and find a way to incorporate a sound understanding of the Trinity into their faith journey. The Trinity can help us understand the role of the Church in bringing about the Kingdom, and also the role of each individual in their spiritual growth.
So, enough blaming. I’m working on a 4-6 week study on the Trinity for our Wednesday night Bible Study. It has been a lot of fun so far, and I think its coming together pretty well. And I haven’t had that stupid dream about my theology professor in weeks.
On the journey together, Greg
When I was a pastor, I would always use Trinity Sunday to try to lay the groundwork, hopefully in an engaging and memorable way. We also ran the Alpha Course for a few years and I got to take a quick stab at it during the talks that deal with the Holy Spirit. Pretty much any time anybody had questions about the Holy Spirit (I think I was in some of the same Baptist churches you were), I tried to put it in the context of the Trinity. Leaning on my church history professor’s lectures, I always try to emphasize the Trinity as an expression of love and community that Christians are supposed to (1) participate in by virtue of their salvation and (2) mirror in their earthly relationships.
The church year is a great tool for teaching, and Trinity Sunday is an excellent way of having at least one Sunday each year when we focus on this doctrine. The churches I grew up in did not use the church year , but I do now.
The social understanding of the Trinity is a wonderful way of teaching the Trinity. As part of this study I’m working on, I’m doing some research on Bonaventure, Richard of St. Victor, and Augustine. It is interesting to look at how they formulated their understanding of the doctrine.
Thanks for reading and for you comment, D.P. Hope we meet again on the journey!
On the journey together, Greg
Thanks, Greg, you are both brave and responsible in educating your congregation in trinitatian theology.
The Church Year affords many opportunities to educate congregational members in key theologies of the Church, including, as you and D.P. have pointed out Trinity Sunday.
On the ocassions it was my turn to do the “children’s sermon” on Trinity Sunday (I always wondered how it was determined that it would be MY turn on the particular Sunday!) I’d risk teaching heresy by using an egg as a focal point.
I’d have the egg in a bag and ask the kids to guess what I had in the bag. After allowing two or three playful guesses I’d take the egg out.
Then I’d say, “Here’s a question I want you to think about, and then raise your hands when you have an answer. Here’s the question: How many parts does this egg have?”
I’d call on kids who raised their hands. If they said, “One.” I’d say, you’re right, it’s only one thing, one egg. Any other answers?”
Some kid would guess “Two,” and I’d say, yes, that’s right also, it has an inside and an outside. Anyone else?”
Someone inevitably says, “Three!” And I’d say, yes, it has the “yellow part” the yoke, the white, and the shell. It is three-in-one.”
(Once some kid said “Four” which is also correct, just mention the membrane).
I’d explain that it was Trinity Sunday and the reason I had the egg is because it is an ancient symbol of the Trinity. Ancient icons often depicted a saint holding an egg, the symbol of the trinity—three in one, like God is “three in one.”
I’d always end the talk by saying, “Well, today is Trinity Sunday, and I probably didn’t explain it very well. So I want you to do this for me: after church today, as you’re returning home with your parents, ask your parents to explain the Trinity to you. They’ll do a better job than I did.” [Always a big laugh from the parents].
LOL at Israel! I never had the guts to throw it back to the parents, but I probably should have—at least once! Another approach I’ve used once or twice with adults (especially more educated ones) is to compare it to the paradox in physics that light seems to behave as both a wave and a particle. Well, which is it? As best we can determine, it is both at the same time. If we have to fall back on that paradox to describe phenomena in the physical universe, it shouldn’t surprise us that there is something similar—and even more complex—in the nature of God. Is God Father, Son, or Holy Spirit? Christian theology says (with some nuances and fine tuning, to be sure), God is all three at the same time.
A web page titled “Can you explain the Trinity?” Apparently the answer is “no.” It alludes to the two illustrations mentioned, water and the egg, but (1) does not explain fully WHY those similies are incorrect, and (2) does not actually “explain” the Trinity. But then, other than brother Aquinas, who can? I am pleased that they raised the question, nevertheless.