Christian theology Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Attributes of God=== {{Main|Attributes of God in Christianity}} ====Classification==== Many [[Calvinism|Reformed]] theologians distinguish between the ''communicable'' attributes (those that human beings can also have) and the ''incommunicable'' attributes (those which belong to God alone).<ref>[[Herman Bavinck]], ''The Doctrine of God''. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1979.</ref> ====Enumeration==== Some attributes ascribed to God in Christian theology<ref>The [[Westminster Shorter Catechism]]'s definition of God is merely an enumeration of his attributes: "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth."[[Westminster Shorter Catechism]], Question and Answer 4. The [[Westminster Larger Catechism]] adds certain attributes to this description, such as "all-sufficient", "incomprehensible", "every where present" and "knowing all things". [[Westminster Larger Catechism]], Question and Answer 7. This answer has been criticised, however, as having "nothing specifically Christian about it."[[James B. Jordan]], "[http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/biblical-horizons/no-82-what-is-god/ What is God?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222000602/http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/biblical-horizons/no-82-what-is-god/ |date=22 December 2010 }}," ''Biblical Horizons Newsletter'', No. 82.</ref> are: *[[Aseity]]—That "God is so independent that he does not need us."<ref>[[D. A. Carson]], ''The Gagging of God'' (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 1996.</ref> It is based on [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 17:25, where it says that God "is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything" ([[NIV]]). This is often related to God's ''self-existence'' and his ''self-sufficiency''. *[[Eternity]]—That God exists beyond the [[time|temporal]] realm. *[[Grace (Christianity)|Graciousness]]—That God extends His favor and gifts to human beings unconditionally as well as conditionally. *[[Sacred|Holiness]]—That God is separate from sin and incorruptible. Noting the refrain of "[[Sanctus|Holy, holy, holy]]" in [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 6:3 and [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 4:8, *[[Immanence]]—That although God is [[transcendence (religion)|transcendent]] and holy, He is also accessible and can be dynamically experienced. *[[Immutability (theology)|Immutability]]—That God's essential nature is unchangeable. *[[Impassibility]]—That God does not experience emotion or suffering (a more controversial doctrine, disputed especially by [[open theism]]). *[[Impeccability]]—That God is incapable of error ([[sin]]). *[[Incorporeality]]—That God is without physical composition. A related concept is the ''[[spirituality]]'' of God, which is derived from [[Jesus]]' statement in [[Gospel of John|John]] 4:24, "God is spirit." *[[Love]]—That God is care and compassion. [[1 John]] 4:16 says "God is love." *[[Mission (Christianity)|Mission]]—That God is the supreme liberator. While the [[Missio dei|Mission of God]] is not traditionally included in this list, [[David Bosch]] has argued that "[[Mission (Christianity)|mission]] is not primarily an activity of the church, but an attribute of God."<ref>[[David Bosch|David J. Bosch]], ''Transforming Mission'' (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1991), 390.</ref> *[[Omnibenevolence]]—That God is omnibenevolent. [[Omnibenevolence]] of God refers to him being "all good". *[[Omnipotence]]—That God is supremely or all-powerful. *[[Omnipresence]]—That God is the supreme being, existing everywhere and at all times; the all-perceiving or all-conceiving foundation of reality. *[[Omniscience]]—That God is supremely or all-knowing. *Oneness—That God is without peer, also that every divine attribute is instantiated in its entirety (the qualitative [[infinity]] of God). See also [[Monotheism]] and [[Divine simplicity]]. *[[Divine providence|Providence]]—That God watches over His creation with interest and dedication. While the [[Divine providence|Providence]] of God usually refers to his activity in the world, it also implies his care for the universe, and is thus an attribute. A distinction is usually made between "general providence" which refers to God's continuous upholding the existence and natural order of the universe, and "special providence" which refers to God's extraordinary intervention in the life of people.<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Providence.aspx#1O101-Providence Providence] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417135306/http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Providence.aspx#1O101-Providence |date=17 April 2011 }} in ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions''.</ref> See also [[Sovereignty]]. *[[Righteousness]]—That God is the greatest or only measure of human conduct. The righteousness of God may refer to his holiness, to his [[justice]], or to his saving activity through Christ. *[[Transcendence (religion)|Transcendence]]—That God exists beyond the natural realm of physical laws and thus is not bound by them;<ref>{{cite book |first=Machen, J. |last=Gresham |title=God Transcendent |publisher=Banner of Truth publishers |year=1998 |isbn=0-85151-355-7}}</ref> He is also wholly [[Other (philosophy)|Other]] and [[epistemology|incomprehensible]] apart from [[general revelation|general]] or [[special revelation|special self-revelation]]. *[[Trinity|Triune]]—The Christian God is understood (by trinitarian Christians) to be a "threeness" of [[God the Father|Father]], [[God the Son|Son]], and [[Holy Spirit]] that is fully consistent with His "oneness"; a single infinite being who is both within and beyond nature. Because the persons of the [[Trinity]] represent a personal relation even on the level of God to Himself, He is personal both in His relation toward us and in His relation toward Himself. *[[Veracity (ethics)|Veracity]]—That God is the Truth all human beings strive for; He is also impeccably honest. [[Epistle to Titus|Titus]] 1:2 refers to "God, who does not lie." *[[Wisdom]]—That God fully comprehends [[human nature]] and the world, and will see His will accomplished in heaven and on earth. [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 16:27 speaks about the "only wise God". ====Monotheism==== [[File:Christ in Gethsemane.jpg|thumb|upright|''Christ in Gethsemane'', [[Heinrich Hofmann (painter)|Heinrich Hofmann]], 1890]] Some Christians believe that the God worshiped by the Hebrew people of the pre-Christian era had always revealed himself as he did through [[Jesus]]; but that this was never obvious until Jesus was born (see [[John 1]]). Also, though the [[Angel of the Lord]] spoke to the Patriarchs, revealing God to them, some believe it has always been only through the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit of God]] granting them understanding, that men have been able to perceive later that God himself had visited them. This belief gradually developed into the modern formulation of the [[Trinity]], which is the doctrine that God is a single entity ([[Yahweh]]), but that there is a trinity in God's single being, the meaning of which has always been debated. This mysterious "Trinity" has been described as [[Hypostasis (religion)|hypostases]] in the [[Greek language]] ([[Consubstantial|subsistences]] in [[Latin]]), and "persons" in English. Nonetheless, Christians stress that they only believe in one God. Most Christian churches teach the Trinity, as opposed to Unitarian monotheistic beliefs. Historically, most Christian churches have taught that the nature of God is a [[Sacred mysteries|mystery]], something that must be revealed by [[special revelation]] rather than deduced through [[general revelation]]. Christian orthodox traditions (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant) follow this idea, which was codified in 381 and reached its full development through the work of the [[Cappadocian Fathers]]. They consider God to be a [[Wiktionary:triune|triune]] entity, called the Trinity, comprising the three "Persons"; [[God the Father]], [[God the Son]], and [[God the Holy Spirit]], described as being "of the same substance" ({{lang|grc|[[ousia|ὁμοούσιος]]}}). The true nature of an infinite God, however, is commonly described as beyond definition, and the word 'person' is an imperfect expression of the idea. Some critics contend that because of the adoption of a tripartite conception of deity, Christianity is a form of [[tritheism]] or [[polytheism]]. This concept dates from [[Arianism|Arian]] teachings which claimed that Jesus, having appeared later in the Bible than his Father, had to be a secondary, lesser, and therefore distinct god. For [[Jews]] and [[Muslims]], the idea of God as a trinity is [[heresy|heretical]]– it is considered akin to [[polytheism]]. Christians overwhelmingly assert that monotheism is central to the Christian faith, as the very [[Nicene Creed]] (among others) which gives the orthodox Christian definition of the Trinity does begin with: "I believe in one God". In the 3rd century, [[Tertullian]] claimed that God exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the three personae of one and the same substance.<ref name=UCP>''Critical Terms for Religious Studies.'' Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1998. ''Credo Reference''. 27 July 2009</ref> To trinitarian Christians God the Father is not at all a separate god from God the Son (of whom [[Jesus]] is the incarnation) and the Holy Spirit, the other ''[[Hypostasis (religion)|hypostases]]'' (Persons) of the [[Godhead (Christianity)|Christian Godhead]].<ref name=UCP/> According to the Nicene Creed, the Son (Jesus Christ) is "eternally begotten of the Father", indicating that their divine Father-Son relationship is not tied to an event within time or human history. In [[Christianity]], the [[doctrine]] of the Trinity states that God is one being who exists, simultaneously and [[eternity|eternally]], as a [[perichoresis|mutual indwelling]] of three Persons: the Father, the Son (incarnate as Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). Since earliest Christianity, one's salvation has been very closely related to the concept of a triune God, although the Trinitarian doctrine was not formalized until the 4th century. At that time, the [[Constantine I and Christianity|Emperor Constantine]] convoked the [[First Council of Nicaea]], to which all bishops of the empire were invited to attend. [[Pope Sylvester I]] did not attend but sent his [[Papal legate|legate]]. The council, among other things, decreed the original Nicene Creed. ====Trinity==== {{Main|Trinity}} [[File:Rublevtrinität ubt.gif|upright|thumb|"Holy Trinity" from the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, by [[Andrei Rublev]], c. 1400, but more properly known as the "Hospitality of Abraham." The three angels [[Christian symbolism|symbolize]] the Trinity.]] For most Christians, beliefs about God are enshrined in the doctrine of [[Trinitarianism]], which holds that the three persons of God together form a single God. The Trinitarian view emphasizes that God has a will and that [[God the Son]] has two wills, divine and human, though these are never in conflict (see [[Hypostatic union]]). However, this point is disputed by Oriental Orthodox Christians, who hold that ''God the Son'' has only one will of unified divinity and humanity (see [[Miaphysitism]]). The Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of [[God the Father|Father]], [[God the Son|Son]], and [[Holy Spirit]] as three persons in [[monotheism|one Godhead]].<ref name="EB-purgatory">[https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9061946/purgatory Encyclopædia Britannica: Purgatory in world religions:] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820181124/http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9061946/purgatory |date=20 August 2008 }} "The idea of purification or temporary punishment after death has ancient roots and is well-attested in early Christian literature. The conception of purgatory as a geographically situated place is largely the achievement of medieval Christian piety and imagination."</ref> The doctrine states that [[God]] is the Triune God, existing as three ''persons'', or in the [[Koine Greek|Greek]] ''[[hypostasis (religion)|hypostases]]'',<ref>See discussion in {{CathEncy|wstitle=Person}}</ref> but one being.<ref>Grudem, Wayne A. 1994. ''Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.'' Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press; Grand Rapids, MI: [[Zondervan]]. p. 226.</ref> Personhood in the Trinity does not match the common Western understanding of "person" as used in the English language—it does not imply an "individual, self-actualized center of free will and conscious activity."<ref name=Olsen>{{cite book |last=Olson |first=Roger E. |title=The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform. |publisher=InterVarsity Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8308-1505-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofchristian00olso }}</ref>{{rp|185–186.}} To the ancients, personhood "was in some sense individual, but always in community as well."<ref name=Olsen/>{{rp|p.186}} Each ''person'' is understood as having the one identical essence or nature, not merely similar natures. Since the beginning of the [[Christianity in the 3rd century|3rd century]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.ix.ii.html |title=Tertullian, Against Praxeas, chapter II |publisher=Ccel.org |date=1 June 2005 |access-date=2010-08-08}}</ref> the doctrine of the Trinity has been stated as "the one God exists in three Persons and [[homoousios|one substance]], Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."<ref name="ODCC-Doctrine" /> Trinitarianism, belief in the Trinity, is a mark of [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodoxy]] as well as other prominent Christian sects arising from the [[Protestant Reformation]], such as [[Anglicanism]], [[Methodism]], [[Lutheranism]], [[Baptist]], and [[Presbyterianism]]. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church'' describes the Trinity as "the central dogma of Christian theology".<ref name="ODCC-Doctrine">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=he Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-19-280290-3 |title=Trinity, doctrine of the}}</ref> This doctrine contrasts with [[Nontrinitarian]] positions which include [[Unitarianism]], [[Oneness Pentecostalism (doctrine)|Oneness]] and [[Modalism]]. A small minority of Christians hold non-trinitarian views, largely coming under the heading of [[Unitarianism]]. Most, if not all, Christians believe that God is spirit,<ref>{{bibleverse|John|4:24}}</ref> an uncreated, [[Omnipotence|omnipotent]], and eternal being, the creator and sustainer of all things, who works the redemption of the world through his Son, Jesus Christ. With this background, belief in the [[Christology|divinity of Christ]] and the Holy Spirit is expressed as the doctrine of the [[Trinity]],<ref>J.N.D. Kelly, ''Early Christian Doctrines'' pp. 87–90; T. Desmond Alexander, ''New Dictionary of Biblical Theology'' pp. 514–515; Alister E. McGrath, ''Historical Theology'' p. 61.</ref> which describes the single divine ''[[ousia]]'' (substance) existing as three distinct and inseparable ''hypostases'' (persons): the [[God the Father|Father]], the Son ([[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] the [[Logos (Christianity)|Logos]]), and the [[Holy Spirit]].<ref>{{bibleverse|1John|5:7||1 Jn 5:7 }}</ref> The Trinitarian doctrine is considered by most Christians to be a core tenet of their faith. [[Nontrinitarians]] typically hold that God, the Father, is supreme; that Jesus, although still divine Lord and Savior, is the [[Son of God]]; and that the Holy Spirit is a phenomenon akin to God's will on Earth. The holy three are separate, yet the Son and the Holy Spirit are still seen as originating from God the Father. The [[New Testament]] does not have the term "Trinity" and nowhere discusses the Trinity as such. Some emphasize, however, that the New Testament does repeatedly speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to "compel a trinitarian understanding of God."<ref name=Stagg-p38>{{cite book |last=Stagg |first=Frank |title=New Testament Theology |publisher=Broadman Press |year=1962 |isbn=978-0-8054-1613-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newtestamenttheo0000stag/page/38 38 ff] |url=https://archive.org/details/newtestamenttheo0000stag/page/38 }}</ref> The doctrine developed from the biblical language used in New Testament passages such as the baptismal formula in {{bibleverse|Matthew|28:19}} and by the end of the [[Christianity in the 4th century|4th century]] it was widely held in its present form. 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