Doctrine of the Trinity

"Of all the things that Christians say about God,

the most distinctive is that one God is three persons."

--Bruce L. Shelley, PhD. University of Iowa, former senior

Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, Denver Seminary.

The following is adapted from Dr. Shelley's book, Church History

in Plain Language, 5th edition, Marshall Shelley, Revision Editor

No other major religion confesses or worships a three-in-one deity . . . Christians are hard-pressed to explain what they mean when they sing of the 'blessed Trinity. Most treat the doctrine as a sublime mystery. 

It wasn't so in the early church. When believers tried to identity God or address Him in worship, they spoke of Father, Son, and Spirit. Yet, when describing God's nature, they answered that He was one—a unity.

Fourth-century Christians were unsettled about the doctrine. It was the age that formulated the doctrine. But what did they mean by Trinity? What is the orthodox Christian understanding of the triune God? 

Making Sense of Mystery

Belief in the Trinity moved to center stage after Constantine's conversion. Soon, the new Roman emperor became troubled by reports of the bitterness of Christians over this and other theological issues. He had no choice but to intervene to stop the bickering (or worse) and to make his Christian subjects agree on their own beliefs.