Category: Christian Doctrine
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From the Mail: Trinity and Incarnation
Dr. Vallicella, Thank you for some exceptionally helpful posts lately! Regarding your point (1) “Is there a clear scriptural basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?” It would seem that a part of that question, or perhaps a prior question to it is: (1*) “Is there a clear scriptural basis for the doctrine of the…
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Some Questions About the Trinity Distinguished
It may help to distinguish the following questions. 1. Is there a clear scriptural basis for the doctrine of the Trinity? 2. Is the doctrine, as formulated in the Athanasian creed and related canonical documents, true? 3. Is it possible for human reason, unaided by divine revelation, to know the doctrine to be true? 4.…
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De Trinitate: The Statue/Lump Analogy and the ‘Is’ of Composition
Thanks to Bill Clinton, it is now widely appreciated that much rides on what the meaning of ‘is’ is. Time was, when only philosophers were aware of this. In our Trinitarian explorations with the help of our Jewish atheist friend Peter we have discussed the ‘is’ of identity and the ‘is’ of predication. We saw that…
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Is The Doctrine of the Trinity Logically Coherent? (Peter Lupu)
In this installment, Peter Lupu, atheist, defends the logical coherence of the doctrine of the Trinity. My critical comments follow in blue. It may be somewhat of an astonishment to those who know me well that I should venture to defend the doctrine of the Trinity. I am not a Christian; I am not religious;…
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Three Concepts of Salvation: Physical, Mystical, Religious
Salvation is a religious concept, and every religion includes a doctrine of salvation, a soteriology. Or can you think of a religion that does not? It is not essential to a religion that it be theistic, as witness the austere forms of Buddhism, but it is essential to every religion as I define the term…
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Imago Dei in Relation to Aquinas and Christology
This just over the transom from Will Duquette: A fool rushes in… In your comment on Peter Lupu's guest post, you say > Man was not created in God's material image, since he has none; he > was created in God's spiritual image. But this implies that what is > essential to man is not…
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Imago Dei and the Meaning of Life (I)
This is a guest post by Peter Lupu. Lightly edited by BV with his comments in blue. In a post titled Imago Dei, (December 4, 2009), Bill clarifies the meaning of this important theistic concept. However, in his typical way, he does much more. He offers us guidelines to see and appreciate the broader implication…
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Imago Dei
Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram . . . (Gen 1, 26) Let us make man in our image and likeness. . . Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam. . . (Gen 1, 27) And God created man in his image. . . I used to play chess with an old man by…