What is Tritheism?
Tritheism is the belief that there are three gods. It is one way to deny trinitarianism. So I am not looking for the simple understanding of what tritheism is. I am trying to understand what it means to say that there are three gods. How is that to be distinguished from the claim of trinitarians that there are three persons, but one God?
One way to do this is by looking at some examples of multiple gods in various religions. Many forms of polytheism have deities that are born from other deities. These are cases of (at least) two different gods. So are deities that come into existence before or after other deities. There are also cases of deities that cease to exist before or after of deities. In all of these cases, multiple gods are in view. Polytheism does not contain more creative examples of multiple deities, but dualism does. In the form of dualism I am familiar with, one god is good and the other god is evil. Both are without beginning or end. Yet there are two gods rather than one. Some principle must underlie these cases, but what is it?
Looking at the polytheist example, one notices that if one divine person come into existence or ceases to exist at a different time than the other divine person, then there are two gods. Apart from the issue that any non-eternal being can't really be divine, let's look just at the numbering issue. in any case in which there are two individuals, one of which ceases to exist or begins to exist before the other, the two individuals are distinct beings. This is an example of a general principle. In the dualist example, we know that there two beings because they have incompatible properties. The same being cannot be continuously an advocate of good and a continuous advocate of evil at the same time. The temporal example is also an example of incompatible properties. So we could say that two individuals are distinct beings only if they have incompatible properties.
This will not be enough though. How do we know if two individuals lack incompatible properties? A further analysis of distinct beings is necessary. Let's suppose that two eternal and apparently compatible beings existed. The next question is to ask whether one of them could have existed without the other. If so, then the two individuals are also two distinct beings. So in general, for any two individuals, if one could exist without the other, then those two individuals are two different beings. If the two individuals are the same being, then one's existence is also the existence of the other.
If the trinitarian believes in one God, then she believes that the existence of the Son is the same existence as the Father and the Holy Spirit. She also believe that all three lack incompatible properties. With these understandings in place, it is impossible for anyone to believe in three gods. Tritheism is avoided. In that case, tritheism can be defined quite simply: there are three divine individuals and the existence of each individual is a different existence from the others.
One way to do this is by looking at some examples of multiple gods in various religions. Many forms of polytheism have deities that are born from other deities. These are cases of (at least) two different gods. So are deities that come into existence before or after other deities. There are also cases of deities that cease to exist before or after of deities. In all of these cases, multiple gods are in view. Polytheism does not contain more creative examples of multiple deities, but dualism does. In the form of dualism I am familiar with, one god is good and the other god is evil. Both are without beginning or end. Yet there are two gods rather than one. Some principle must underlie these cases, but what is it?
Looking at the polytheist example, one notices that if one divine person come into existence or ceases to exist at a different time than the other divine person, then there are two gods. Apart from the issue that any non-eternal being can't really be divine, let's look just at the numbering issue. in any case in which there are two individuals, one of which ceases to exist or begins to exist before the other, the two individuals are distinct beings. This is an example of a general principle. In the dualist example, we know that there two beings because they have incompatible properties. The same being cannot be continuously an advocate of good and a continuous advocate of evil at the same time. The temporal example is also an example of incompatible properties. So we could say that two individuals are distinct beings only if they have incompatible properties.
This will not be enough though. How do we know if two individuals lack incompatible properties? A further analysis of distinct beings is necessary. Let's suppose that two eternal and apparently compatible beings existed. The next question is to ask whether one of them could have existed without the other. If so, then the two individuals are also two distinct beings. So in general, for any two individuals, if one could exist without the other, then those two individuals are two different beings. If the two individuals are the same being, then one's existence is also the existence of the other.
If the trinitarian believes in one God, then she believes that the existence of the Son is the same existence as the Father and the Holy Spirit. She also believe that all three lack incompatible properties. With these understandings in place, it is impossible for anyone to believe in three gods. Tritheism is avoided. In that case, tritheism can be defined quite simply: there are three divine individuals and the existence of each individual is a different existence from the others.
Labels: christian theology, philosophy of religion
posted by Matthew at 11:39 AM
7 Comments:
I think you're starting to pinpoint some of the important issues here. However, I think at least one thing is in need refinement. In the first case, when you raised the issue of necessity I didn't find that you supported it. It seemed more of a bare claim. Why would the presence of necessity indicate that the two are not distinct beings?
Also, I'm not sure that I find your use of "existence" clear enough for this issue. Are there different senses of existence that could be interpreted here? If so, which are you meaning?
Another issue that I think needs to be addressed here (or at least should be considered) is the three cognitive faculty issue that arose from Craig and Moreland's "Trinity Monotheism" view, which was discussed at the Trinities blog. I haven't read all of the posts and still need to actually read the section Craig and Moreland wrote in the book quoted from, but I didn't agree with the ways they were being interpreted. He seemed to peg the view down as a form of modalism, but if it is a false view I think it would lean more toward a tritheistic view than anything. It's because Craig argues that there are 3 cognitive faculties each sufficient for personhood. So it would seem he's saying there are 3 minds in God, each to its person. Yet most of the time when I read about these things I read of one mind and one will in God. I don't yet understand how he could have read this as modalism as opposed to tritheism, but as I've been thinking about this issue a lot I am inclined to agree with Craig's view. And I'm starting to think it may even be better a conception of the trinity than I've heard before. So an issue here is whether distinct minds (though they are clearly necessarily dependent upon one another and share the same existence as is pretty clear in the Cerberus analogy) amount to distinct beings rather than just distinct persons. Also you would need to add on the fact that he claims each mind to be sufficient for personhood (this of course is distinct from the two-minds view of Christ for both minds are not sufficient for personhood). But we may need Craig to be more clear about what he thinks are the requirements for personhood. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think this is relevant?
I do not know what you are claiming when you said that I claimed that the presence of necessity indicated that the two are not distinct beings. None of my present post requires that God be necessary. All it requires is that any two divine individuals must exist in exactly the same set of possible worlds if they are to be the same being. I also required that God be eternal, but that simply means that God has no beginning or end, it implies nothing about his existence across possible worlds.
Here I am working with a basic idea of existence. I am advocating the position that for any two beings, A and B, if A and B exist in exactly the same set of possible worlds, then there is only one being that exists (the two individuals cannot be distinguished on the basis of existence).
I wanted to avoid any discussion of personhood in detail, because it is a different subject from tritheism. I am attempting to use tritheism as a foil to develop a proper conception of monotheism. Whether Craig's view is tritheistic will depend on whether his view is in conflict with the idea that each divine individual shares the same existence. If they do, then they are the same being, if not then they are not.
Regarding necessity, I was confused because for some reason I read "necessity" not "necessary," which messed up how I understood that paragraph. Hah! Oh well.
From Robert W: Is there a group of Christian tritheists? I'd like to join.
Hi Robert W, I am a tritheist. I believe that there are the unity of three and only three Beings who have no beginning and no end of Three existences. I am looking for a tritheist group to join as well. I read that Mormones are tritheist but each human being has the potential to become a god. So they believe that there are three or more gods. And therefore they do not believe in the unity of three and only three Gods. I hope that we will find a group of tritheists to join. At least, you are welcome also to join in to my blog at www.HeavenlyTrioAndEqualities.net.
Hi Matthew, I appreciate your thoughts on Tritheism. Since Christian Gods are spirits before incarnation. Perhaps we can think about angelic spirits. Are they individuals or distinct persons? How do they identify each other without physical differences? How about identical human twins? Are they genetically totally the same but yet they are individuals and distinct persons? Thanks.
I know this post is old, but to seriously believe that there are three gods in one Eternal God is an act of paganism. This is what occurred when the Lord delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, for instance. They made golden calfs, and worshipped statues. Just like those who worship buddah. God does not condone those who worship other gods, which is idolatry. So why would three gods exist in the Almighty? The trinity doctrine has surfaced many years ago to rebel against the word of God (which is to me derived from tritheism). He is not three distinct beings in one, because distinct means separate. The Lord is omnipresent, meaning everywhere at once. Too many people base their thoughts on traditions after men, which clearly states in the bible. God is the "beginning and the end", and His name is Jesus Christ. There is no co-equal, co-eternal beings sharing rank with each other in heaven. All the fulness of the Godhead bodily dwells in Jesus, and many cannot accept the name "Jesus Christ". He died for our sins, but yet many follow after silly traditions of men. Since paganism is frownly looked up to the Lord, on the day of his coming, will shed light on the ones who truly does not follow after Christ. I pray that you all accept Jesus as you Lord and Saviour, and not after what you feel like is right, but is not.
Post a Comment
<< Home