Eternal Frustration

Here are some recent thoughts that I have had about the topic of eternal generation. I was dialoguing with a Latin trinitarian. He stated that the Father possesses a property that causes him to emanate the Son.  So, naturally, I asked if the Son possesses that same property then it seems like he should emanate a son aswell.  This was his thoughts about that problem: Every property of the divine essence is firstly a hypostatic property of the Father; but each property which is communicated is instantiated distinctly by the distinct hypostases. Ergo, when you say “is THIS life-givingness, etc.” … Continue reading Eternal Frustration

Thomism and Nicene Orthodoxy

Most Thomist are Catholics(and some confessional protestants) that try to affirm the Nicene Creed but that leaves a tension in their doctrines. On the one hand, they are committed to a radical form of simplicity. On the other hand, they maintain distinctions in the Trinity(the persons). How do Thomist reconcile these issues? They do so by appealing to the notion that the persons are subsistent relations. Whatever that is there still lies the question about what relation do these relations play to the essence. In an exchange with a Catholic these comments were made: Thomasinos said: I mean that the … Continue reading Thomism and Nicene Orthodoxy

Why I’m not Eastern Orthodox

Eastern Orthodoxy is a non-existent issue in the western world and as a result, protestants have a difficult time communicating with them. It has a few pockets in this section of the world. It is mainly popular among people on the internet. This isn’t a complete list of reasons why I’m not Eastern Orthodox but a few of the main reasons why I reject it. I’m not an expert on Eastern Orthodoxy but I have interacted with some of them. 1. The Gospel: Many EOs deny that we are justified by faith in the way Protestants teach. They often maintain … Continue reading Why I’m not Eastern Orthodox

Richard Muller on the Trinity

In light of recent discussion (between those within the Council and its friends) on the doctrine of the Eternal Generation of the Son, here are Richard Muller’s relatively brief statements (from his theological dictionary) on the doctrine of the Trinity, which touch upon the issues that are part of the discussion (for more see here):   Trinitas: Trinity; viz., the existence of God as one in essence (essentia, q.v.) and three in person (persona, q.v.). The doctrine of the Trinity arises out of the church’s reflection on the biblical declaration that God is one but is known as Father, Son, … Continue reading Richard Muller on the Trinity

Francis Turretin on the Eternal Generation of the Son

Over the past six months or so, there has been some discussion within the Council concerning the doctrine of the Eternal Generation of the Son. While some of my dear brothers deny the doctrine, I affirm it and intend to defend and clarify it in the coming months as I have the time to do so. To begin, I thought it would be helpful to post a discussion of the topic from a learned reformed scholastic theologian of the 17th century: Francis Turretin (1623-1687). My hope is that the following excerpt will contribute to the discussion by putting forth not only … Continue reading Francis Turretin on the Eternal Generation of the Son