khanpadawan | trinities 239 - Dr. Beau Branson on the monarchy of the Father - Part 1 @khanpadawan | Uploaded October 2018 | Updated October 2024, 14 hours ago.
trinities.org/blog/podcast-239-dr-beau-branson-on-the-monarchy-of-the-father-part-1 According to Orthodox analytic theologian Dr. Beau Branson the right way to understand the Trinity is that the one true God is none other than the Father, although there are three divine persons. There is no triune God, no tripersonal God. In his view, this is the Eastern Orthodox understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In this first portion of his presentation “One God, the Father: The Neglected Monarchy of Father and the Analytic Debate about the Trinity“ he disputes my definitions of what “trinitarian” and “unitarian” theologies are. Dr. Branson’s definitions are:
(TB) A Trinitarian Theology says that:
(1) There are exactly three divine “persons” or individuals. Nevertheless,
(2) There is exactly one God.
(So, the persons can’t all = the One God).
(Presumably each one bears some important relation to the one God or has a “claim” to being called “God,” but our definition won’t settle how that works.)
(UB) A Unitarian Theology says that:
(1) There is exactly one divine “person” or individual, and
(2) There is exactly one God.
(Presumably these will just be identical, or at least “numerically one,” but again we won’t rule on that point in our definition.)
In contrast, in “Tertullian the unitarian,” I say,
A ‘trinitarian’ Christian theology says that (1) there is one God (2) which or who in some sense contains or consists of three ‘persons’, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, (3) who are equally divine, and (4) (1)-(3) are eternally the case.
In contrast, a ‘unitarian’ Christian theology asserts that the (1) there is one God, (2) who is numerically identical with the one Jesus called ‘Father’, (3) and is not numerically identical with anyone else, (4) and (1)-(3) are eternally the case.
Dr. Branson also explains what he calls the doctrine of the monarchy of the Father, which in his view, is a key to correctly understanding the Trinity. He also explain what he calls “egalitarian” or “symmetrical” views on the Trinity, which he contrasts with “monarchical” views.
He has some interesting criticisms of my work on Trinity theories, and in his view, my work is not properly grounded in the historical sources, especially neglecting the Cappadocian Fathers and later Orthodox writers.
Do you accept his definitions or mine or neither, and why?
Links for this episode @ trinities.org/blog/podcast-239-dr-beau-branson-on-the-monarchy-of-the-father-part-1
Dr. Branson’s homepage
preprint of “Ahistoricity in Analytic Theology“
Dr. Branson’s slides with the unedited audio are posted here (today’s episode covers his Part 1 and the first portion of his Part 2).
“Trinity“
podcast 189 – The unfinished business of the Reformation
podcast 238 – Dialogue with a Catholic Listener
podcast 11 – Tertullian the unitarian
podcast 28 – Interview with Dr. William Hasker about his Metaphysics and the Tripersonal God – Part 2
podcast 27 – Interview with Dr. William Hasker about his Metaphysics and the Tripersonal God – Part 1
John Zizioulas
Dr. John Behr (on the Father as the one God)
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
Articuli Fidei
Weekly podcast exploring views about the Trinity, and more generally about God and Jesus in Christian theology and philosophy. Debates, interviews, and historical and contemporary perspectives. Hosted by philosopher of religion / analytic theologian Dr. Dale Tuggy.
This week's thinking music is "Thy Resurrection" from Chants of the Russian Orthodox Church 2. archive.org/details/Chants_of_the_Russian_Orthodox_Church2
trinities.org/blog/podcast-239-dr-beau-branson-on-the-monarchy-of-the-father-part-1 According to Orthodox analytic theologian Dr. Beau Branson the right way to understand the Trinity is that the one true God is none other than the Father, although there are three divine persons. There is no triune God, no tripersonal God. In his view, this is the Eastern Orthodox understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In this first portion of his presentation “One God, the Father: The Neglected Monarchy of Father and the Analytic Debate about the Trinity“ he disputes my definitions of what “trinitarian” and “unitarian” theologies are. Dr. Branson’s definitions are:
(TB) A Trinitarian Theology says that:
(1) There are exactly three divine “persons” or individuals. Nevertheless,
(2) There is exactly one God.
(So, the persons can’t all = the One God).
(Presumably each one bears some important relation to the one God or has a “claim” to being called “God,” but our definition won’t settle how that works.)
(UB) A Unitarian Theology says that:
(1) There is exactly one divine “person” or individual, and
(2) There is exactly one God.
(Presumably these will just be identical, or at least “numerically one,” but again we won’t rule on that point in our definition.)
In contrast, in “Tertullian the unitarian,” I say,
A ‘trinitarian’ Christian theology says that (1) there is one God (2) which or who in some sense contains or consists of three ‘persons’, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, (3) who are equally divine, and (4) (1)-(3) are eternally the case.
In contrast, a ‘unitarian’ Christian theology asserts that the (1) there is one God, (2) who is numerically identical with the one Jesus called ‘Father’, (3) and is not numerically identical with anyone else, (4) and (1)-(3) are eternally the case.
Dr. Branson also explains what he calls the doctrine of the monarchy of the Father, which in his view, is a key to correctly understanding the Trinity. He also explain what he calls “egalitarian” or “symmetrical” views on the Trinity, which he contrasts with “monarchical” views.
He has some interesting criticisms of my work on Trinity theories, and in his view, my work is not properly grounded in the historical sources, especially neglecting the Cappadocian Fathers and later Orthodox writers.
Do you accept his definitions or mine or neither, and why?
Links for this episode @ trinities.org/blog/podcast-239-dr-beau-branson-on-the-monarchy-of-the-father-part-1
Dr. Branson’s homepage
preprint of “Ahistoricity in Analytic Theology“
Dr. Branson’s slides with the unedited audio are posted here (today’s episode covers his Part 1 and the first portion of his Part 2).
“Trinity“
podcast 189 – The unfinished business of the Reformation
podcast 238 – Dialogue with a Catholic Listener
podcast 11 – Tertullian the unitarian
podcast 28 – Interview with Dr. William Hasker about his Metaphysics and the Tripersonal God – Part 2
podcast 27 – Interview with Dr. William Hasker about his Metaphysics and the Tripersonal God – Part 1
John Zizioulas
Dr. John Behr (on the Father as the one God)
St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
Articuli Fidei
Weekly podcast exploring views about the Trinity, and more generally about God and Jesus in Christian theology and philosophy. Debates, interviews, and historical and contemporary perspectives. Hosted by philosopher of religion / analytic theologian Dr. Dale Tuggy.
This week's thinking music is "Thy Resurrection" from Chants of the Russian Orthodox Church 2. archive.org/details/Chants_of_the_Russian_Orthodox_Church2
