Critique of the Historical Godhead [48 pages]
by K. Michael Errington rated at 1.0 (5 votes so far)
Many consider the configuration of the Trinity to have occurred in the Apostolic Age despite the word having never occurred inside the scriptures, much less any basic outline articulated by any of its authors. What is compelling is that any church historian with an ounce of integrity will recognize the basic configuration of the Central Doctrine to have developed over the course of centuries through ecumenical councils. More profound is the idea that eternal salvation rests on belief in this mysterious formula. The aim here is reduce the mysteriousness of the Central Doctrine’s development by uncovering decisions made by these ecumenical councils. History has a story to tell and if we look close enough more wonder should follow. There were 178 ecumenical councils between 263 and 431 A.D., yet the Catholic Church recognizes only 3 of these. The intention of this paper is to identify the historical development of the Central Doctrine and pinpoint the work that was overlooked at the Reformation.
books
These books, written by people from diverse backgrounds, express the simple truth that God is one. Some of them are more scholary while others are more autobiographical. In addition, a few of them are available to read online. If you would like more in depth treatment of christian monotheism, these books are the next step to take. Note: if you know of other books, not listed here, please leave us feedback.
featured item
A "Preexistent" Jesus in Philippians 2:6-11?
by David Maas [5 pages]
rated at 1 (out of 5 votes)
Philippians 2:5-11 is not Paul’s attempt to explain the “Incarnation” or how a divine being divested himself of his divine prerogatives. It is not an exposition about the preexistence of Christ. Instead Paul uses a real life example from the life of Jesus to illustrate his appeal for humility and mutual submission. Like Adam Jesus was in the “form of God.” Unlike Adam he did not attempt to become “like God.” Instead he chose to deny himself his rights and took on the form of a servant. In obedience to his Father he embraced the shameful death of the cross rather than attempt to seize likeness with God.