Week 6 The Trinity

The icon was created by Russian painter Andrei Rublev in the 15th century. It is regarded as one of the highest achievements of Russian art. It depicts the Holy Trinity in the form of the three angels who visited Abraham at the oak of Mamre (Genesis 18,1-15).

Explanation: https://sacredheartpullman.org/documents/2017/8/Trinityicon.pdf

 In Fr.  Richard Rohr’s book, The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation,  he explores ideas and themes about the Trinity. 

In his first meditation, Fr. Rohr suggested that we begin thinking about our Triune God by praying the following simple prayer. I commend it to you today for your own contemplation and for any discussion you might want to offer.

• • •

God for us, we call you “Father.”
God alongside us, we call you “Jesus.”
God within us, we call you “Holy Spirit.”
Together, you are the Eternal Mystery
That enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,
Even us and even me. 

Every name falls short of your goodness and greatness.
We can only see who you are in what is.
We ask for such perfect seeing—
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.

Amen.

Richard Rohr: "Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation" | Talks at Google

Starting at the 11' 50" mark

A fresh insight into the idea of trinity comes from contemporary Western theology’s rediscovery of the idea of perichoresis.  (Perichoresis = Greek for “a revolving around.”) Some theologians muse that trinitarian perichoresis conjures up the lovely picture of God’s inner life as a divine round dance.  And the metaphor can be extended further: if God is dancing, why not step out to the contagious rhythms of salsa, meringue, calypso, swing, or reggae, or to the intricate a-rhythmic patterns of modern dance?  The point is, with the three circling around in a mutual, dynamic movement of love, God is not a static being but a plenitude of self-giving love.

• A sharing of Catherine Mowry LaCugna on  Karl Rahner. S.J. (handout)

• A Look at Elizabeth Johnson's work on the Trinity

No matter what Christians profess to believe, if we are not living in relationships that serve the reign of God, then we don’t have a clue about who God is.

  The point:  The first Christians’ awareness of salvation, which they experienced as coming from God through Jesus in the power of the Spirit, was such a powerful encounter with the Holy that it required new language. Trinitarian language is really Christian code for the experience that the living God, known through Jesus and the Spirit, is dynamic love encompassing the universe.   But in recent centuries, the doctrine of the Trinity has become unintelligible – even religiously irrelevant – on a wide scale.  This chapter looks at how the idea of the Trinity became disconnected from Christian life, and how some contemporary theologians are working to weave them together again.