Nontrinitarianism (or antitrinitarianism) includes all Christian A Christian (pronounced /ˈkrɪstʃən/ ) is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe is the Messiah (the Christ in Greek-derived terminology) prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, and the son of God. Most Christians believe in the doctrine of belief systems Christian theology is discourse concerning Christian faith. Christian theologians use Biblical exegesis, rational analysis, and argument to understand, explain, test, critique, defend or promote Christianity. Theology might be undertaken to help the theologian understand Christianity more truly, make comparisons between Christianity and other that reject, wholly or partly, the doctrine Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system. The Greek analogy is the etymology of catechism of the Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Since the beginning of the third century the doctrine of the Trinity has been stated as "the one God, namely, the teaching that God is three distinct yet coeternal and coequal hypostases In Christian usage, the Greek word hypostasis has a complicated and sometimes confusing history, but its literal meaning is "that which stands beneath" who are indivisibly united in one essence or ousia Ousia is the Ancient Greek noun formed on the feminine present participle of εἶναι (to be); it is analogous to the English participle being, and the modern philosophy adjectival ontic. Ousia is often translated (sometimes incorrectly) to Latin as substantia and essentia, and to English as substance and essence; and (loosely) also as ( (see also Consubstantiality Consubstantiality is a term used in Latin Christian christology, coined by Tertullian in Against Hermogenes 44, used to translate the Greek term homoousios. "Consubstantiality" describes the relationship among the Divine persons of the Christian Trinity and connotes that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are "of).
Nontrinitarian persons and groups do not generally use the term nontrinitarian to describe themselves.[1] Unitarians Unitarianism is a nontrinitarian Christian theology which holds that God is only one person, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity have adopted a name that speaks of their belief in God as subsisting in a theological or cosmic unity. Modern nontrinitarian views differ widely on the nature of God God the Father is the title and attribution given to God in many monotheist religions. In Judaism, God is called Father because he is the creator, law-giver, and protector. In Christianity, God is called Father because of the mystery of the Father-Son relationship revealed by Jesus Christ and because of the reasons mentioned above, Jesus Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus, including his divinity, humanity, and earthly life. Generally speaking, adhering to the Christian faith requires a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah or Christ. Jesus refers to himself as both the Son of Man and Son of God in the, and the Holy Spirit In Christianity, the Holy Spirit, is the spirit or essence of God. In Trinitarian Christian belief, the Holy Spirit is third person of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Pneumatology is the theology of the Holy Spirit.
Various nontrinitarian views, such as Adoptionism Adoptionism, sometimes called dynamic monarchianism, is a minority Christian belief that Jesus was born of Joseph and Mary in the normal way. Jesus was adopted as God's son at his baptism. By Jewish-Christian accounts, Jesus was chosen because of his sinless devotion to the will of God. Early Jewish Christians understood Jesus as the Messiah and, Monarchianism Monarchianism is a set of beliefs that emphasize God as being one person. The term was given to Christians who upheld the "monarchy" of God against the Logos theology of Justin Martyr and apologists who had spoken of Jesus as a second divine person begotten by God the Father before the creation of the universe, and Arianism Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity ('God the Father', 'God the Son' and 'God the Holy Spirit') and the precise nature of the Son of God. Deemed a heretic by the First Council of Nicaea of 325, Arius was later exonerated in 335 at, existed prior to the formal definition of the Trinity doctrine in AD 325.[2] Nontrinitarianism was later renewed in the Gnosticism Gnosticism refers to diverse, syncretistic religious movements in antiquity consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that the material cosmos was created by an imperfect god, the demiurge with some of the supreme God's pneuma; this being is frequently identified with Yahweh, (as opposed to the Gospel according to the of the Cathars Catharism was a name given to a Christian religious sect with dualistic and gnostic elements that appeared in the Languedoc region of France and other parts of Europe in the 11th century and flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries. Catharism had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and the Bogomils of Bulgaria with whom the Paulicians in the 11th through 13th centuries, in the Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment is the era in Western philosophy and intellectual, scientific and cultural life, centered upon the eighteenth century, in which reason was advocated as the primary source and legitimacy for authority of the 18th century, and in some groups arising during the Second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a period of great religious revival that extended into the antebellum period of the United States, with widespread Christian evangelism and conversions. It was named for the Great Awakening, a similar period which had transpired about half a century beforehand. It generated excitement in church congregations of the 19th century.
Modern nontrinitarian Christian denominations Worldwide, Christians are divided, often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and another are defined by doctrine and church authority. Issues such as the nature of Jesus, the authority of apostolic succession, and papal primacy separate one denomination from another include Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism; they report convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual Memorial attendance of over 18 million. They are, Latter Day Saints The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830. The Latter Day Saint movement is one of a number of separate movements that arose during the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century, many of, Unitarians, Christadelphians 'Christadelphian' are a Christian group that developed in the United Kingdom and North America in the 19th century. The name was coined by John Thomas, who was the group's founder. Although no official membership figures are published the Columbia Encyclopedia gives an estimated figure of 50,000 Christadelphians in 120 countries established in, Oneness Pentecostalism Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the theological doctrine of Oneness. This movement claims an estimated 24 million adherents today. Oneness Pentecostal denominations are listed at Oneness Pentecostal denominations. This movement first emerged around and Iglesia ni Cristo The Iglesia ni Cristo ; Tagalog for Church of Christ; also known as INC, or Iglesia and previously known as Iglesia ni Kristo or INK, is the largest entirely indigenous Christian religious organization that originated from the Philippines and the largest independent church in Asia. Due to a number of similarities, some Protestant writers describe. But most Protestant and Orthodox denominations do not consider the nontrinitarian groups to be Christian[3].
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All nontrinitarians take the position that the doctrine of the earliest form of Christianity (see Apostolic Age The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission until the death of John the Apostle (c. 100). Since it is believed that John lived so long and was the last of the twelve to die, there is some overlap between the "Apostolic Age&) was not Trinitarian. Typically, nontrinitarians believe Christianity was altered by the edicts of Emperor Constantine I The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity following his victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312[citation needed]. Under his rule, Christianity rose to become the dominant religion in the Roman Empire, and for his example of a "Christian monarch" Constantine is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox, which resulted in the eventual adoption of Trinitarian Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Because it was during a dramatic shift in Christianity's status Constantinian shift is a term used by Anabaptist and Post-Christendom theologians to describe the political and theological aspects of the 4th-century process of Constantine's legalization of Christianity. The term was popularized by the Mennonite theologian John H. Yoder that the doctrine of the Trinity attained its definitive development, nontrinitarians typically consider the doctrine questionable. Nontrinitarians see the Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith (Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Πίστεως) that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene (pronounced /ˈnaɪsiːn/) because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in A.D. 325. The Nicene Creed has as an essentially political document, resulting from the subordination of true doctrine to state interests by leaders of the Catholic Church, so that the church became, in their view, an extension of the Roman Empire.
Although nontrinitarian beliefs continued to multiply, and among some people (such as the Lombards The Lombards were a Germanic people originally from Northern Europe who settled in the valley of the Danube and from there invaded Byzantine Italy in 568 under the leadership of Alboin. They established a Lombard Kingdom, later named Kingdom of Italy, which lasted until 774, when it was conquered by the Franks. Their influence on Italian political in the west) were dominant for hundreds of years after their inception, the Trinitarians gained prominence in the Roman Empire. Nontrinitarians typically argue that the primitive beliefs of Christianity were systematically suppressed (often to the point of death), and that the historical record, perhaps also including the scriptures of the New Testament, was altered as a consequence. Nontrinitarian followers of Jesus fall into roughly four different groups:
- Those who believe that Jesus is not God, but that he was a messenger from God, or prophet, or the perfect created human. This view was espoused by ancient sects such as the Ebionites The Ebionites were a Jewish sect that regarded Jesus as the Messiah but not as divine, and insisted on the necessity of following Jewish religious law and rites.. The Ebionites used only the Jewish Gospels, revered James the Just as the head of the Jerusalem Church and rejected Paul of Tarsus as an apostate towards the Law. Their name suggests. A specific form of nontrinitarianism is Arianism Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity ('God the Father', 'God the Son' and 'God the Holy Spirit') and the precise nature of the Son of God. Deemed a heretic by the First Council of Nicaea of 325, Arius was later exonerated in 335 at, which had become the dominant view in some regions in the time of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor, Augustus. Arianism taught about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but held that the Son was not co-eternal with the Father. However, Arians did not consider worship of Jesus to be wrong.[4] Another early form of nontrinarianism was Monarchianism Monarchianism is a set of beliefs that emphasize God as being one person. The term was given to Christians who upheld the "monarchy" of God against the Logos theology of Justin Martyr and apologists who had spoken of Jesus as a second divine person begotten by God the Father before the creation of the universe.
- Those who believe that the heavenly Father, the resurrected Son and the Holy Spirit are different modes or aspects of one God, as perceived by the believer, rather than three distinct persons in God himself. This is a doctrine known originally as Sabellianism In Christianity, Sabellianism, is the nontrinitarian belief that the Heavenly Father, Resurrected Son and Holy Spirit are different modes or aspects of one God, as perceived by the believer, rather than three distinct persons in God Himself or modalism In Christianity, Sabellianism, is the nontrinitarian belief that the Heavenly Father, Resurrected Son and Holy Spirit are different modes or aspects of one God, as perceived by the believer, rather than three distinct persons in God Himself, although it is explained somewhat differently in the churches that now hold these beliefs. Examples of such churches today are Oneness Pentecostals Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the theological doctrine of Oneness. This movement first emerged around 1914 as the result of doctrinal disputes within the nascent Pentecostal movement and claims an estimated 24 million adherents today. For a list and the New Church The New Church is the name for a religious movement developed from the writings of the Swedish scientist and theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). Swedenborg claimed to have received a new revelation from Jesus Christ through continuous heavenly visions which he experienced over a period of at least twenty-five years. In his writings, he.
- Denominations of the Latter Day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830. The Latter Day Saint movement is one of a number of separate movements that arose during the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century, many of movement (including the largest, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) teach the divinity of God the Father, his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; however, they also teach that the Godhead is composed of the three distinct, separate persons. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds that the Father A father is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother, Son A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter, and Holy Ghost In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream (Trinitarian) Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son are three separate and distinct individuals,[5] but that they act together in perfect unity of purpose as a single monotheistic entity (the "Godhead In the Latter Day Saint movement, the Godhead is the focus of worship and devotion within the faith. It consists of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Depending on era and denomination, the Latter Day Saint movement accommodates a variety of doctrines concerning the interrelationship and metaphysical nature of the Father, Son, and Holy") for the common purpose of saving mankind, Jesus Christ having received divine investiture of authority from the heavenly Father in the pre-mortal existence Pre-existence , beforelife, or pre-mortal existence refers to the belief that each individual human soul existed before conception, and at conception (or later, depending on when it is believed that the soul enters the body) one of these pre-existent souls enters, or is placed by God, in the body. This belief is held to a varying degree in.
- Denominations within the Sabbatarian Church of God Armstrongism refers to the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God , and is professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were revealed to him by God during his study of the Bible. (Mystery of the Ages, pp. 7–30). The term "Armstrongite& tradition, who accept the divinity of the Father and Jesus the Son, but do not teach that the Holy Spirit is a being. The Living Church of God, for example, teaches, "The Holy Spirit is the very essence, the mind, life and power of God. It is not a Being. The Spirit is inherent in the Father and the Son, and emanates Emanationism is an idea in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems. Emanation, from the Latin emanare meaning "to flow from", is the mode by which all things are derived from the First Reality, or Principle. All things are derived from the first reality or perfect God by steps of degradation to lesser from Them throughout the entire universe". This view has historically been termed Semi-Arianism Semi-Arianism is a name frequently given to the Trinitarian position of the conservative majority of the Eastern Christian Church in the 4th century, to distinguish it from strict Arianism. More precisely it is reserved for the party of reaction headed by Basil of Ancyra in 358[dubious – discuss] or Binitarianism Binitarianism is a Christian theology of two personae, two individuals, or two aspects in one Godhead . Classically, binitarianism is understood as strict monotheism — that is, that God is an absolutely single being; and yet with binitarianism there is a "twoness" in God. The other common forms of monotheism are "unitarianism".
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Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:48:51 PDT
The Jehovah's Witness booklet 'Should you Believe in the Tinity?' asserts that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is pagan because ... youtube.com.
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ue, 16 Mar 2010 11:42:04 GM
This version of unitarianism is more commonly called . Nontrinitarianism. , rather than Unitarianism. Liberal Unitarians sum up their faith as the religion of Jesus, not a religion about Jesus. Historically, they have encouraged ...
Q. All nontrinitarians take the position that the doctrine of the earliest form of Christianity was not Trinitarian. Typically, nontrinitarians explain that Christianity was altered as a direct and indirect consequence of the edicts of Constantine the Great, which resulted in the eventual adoption of Trinitarian Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. Because it was at this time of a dramatic shift in Christianity's status that the doctrine of the Trinity attained its definitive development, nontrinitarians typically find the doctrine questionable. It is in this light that the Nicene Creed is seen by nontrinitarians as an essentially political document, resulting from the subordination of true doctrine to State interests by… [cont.]
Asked by wwhy - Sun Sep 23 01:17:23 2007 - - 17 Answers - 0 Comments
A. Yes. It is very clear that in the Old Testament there is an emphasis on one and only god plus the pagan influence with the number three. Unfortunately there are so many contradictions there will never be any way to know. I have left that link for many people. It is quite interesting isn't it?
Answered by alana - Sun Sep 23 01:20:57 2007

