Archpriest John Behr
Some
thirty years ago, Karl Rahner claimed that most Christians are “mere
monotheists,” that if the doctrine of the Trinity proved to be false, the bulk
of popular Christian literature, and the mindset it reflects, would not have to
be changed. Unfortunately, this is largely still true.
Defining the doctrine of the Trinity as a mystery that
cannot be fathomed by unaided human reason invites a position such as
Melanchthon’s: “We adore the mysteries of the Godhead. That is better than to
investigate them.” But the danger of not reflecting carefully on what has been
revealed, as it has been revealed, is that we remain blinded by our own false
gods and idols, however theologically constructed.
So how can Christians believe in and worship the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit, and yet claim that there is only one God, not three?
How can one reconcile monotheism with Trinitarian faith?
