1. Lecture 6: The Trinity I - VIII
Dr. Ann T. Orlando

2. Outline Historical Background Influences on Augustine
Writing De Trinitate
How to Approach the Structure
Summary of Books I - VIII

3. Latin Background: Tertullian
Father of Latin Theology ( )
North African, deeply effected Cyprian
And then both Catholic and Donatists in North Africa
May of may not have been a lawyer; may or may not have been a Montanist
In Against Praxesis uses word Trinity and describes Trinity as unity of persons (persona)

4. 4th Century Christological and Trinitarian Controversies
Who was Jesus Christ? What was the relationship between His divinity and humanity?
What happened at the Incarnation?
Recall that earliest heresy denied His humanity (docetism)
How to describe the relationship of the “persons” in the Trinity?
Three Gods?
One God with three aspects?
Controversies used technical philosophical language
Controversies hinged on proper interpretation of Scripture:
Proverbs 8:22 ff
Genesis 1-3
John 1:1-14

5. Greek Background: Arianism
Arius ( ) studied in Antioch, ordained presbyter in Alexandria
Jesus as Word, but Word created
“there was when he was not”
Wanted to firmly support monotheism
But 4th C dispute also a dispute about Origen

6. A Neoplatonic Connection
Augustine wants to convince the Neoplatonists of the need for a diving mediator, Jesus Christ
See Book VII of Confessions
By mid-4th C some Platonists adopted Arianism as the preferred form of Christianity
One good creator God
Jesus as the wisdom teacher
Augustine may have written De Trinitate in part to address these philosophical tendency

7. Background to Nicene Creed
Council of Nicea called by Constantine in 325
to resolve Arian controversy and
bring unity to Church, and
therefore unity to Empire
Virtually all Eastern bishops and some Western bishops attended
Bishop Alexander of Antioch succeeded in routing the Arian bishops

8. Nicene Creed Based on various “Rules of Faith”
Lex orandi, lex credendi; the law of prayer is the law of faith
What the Church prays is what the Church believes
Based on Scripture, but wanted to be philosophically precise
Used a word not found in Scripture: homoousia

9. Arianism after Nicea Continued to be a very potent heresy
Also, politically well connected: Constantine may have been baptized by an Arian bishop
His son, Constanstius, d. 360 took side of Arians;
Sent Arian missionaries to Germany
Alaric and the Goths who sacked Rome in 410 were Arian Christians
His cousin, Julian the Apostate, d. 363 tried to return the Empire to paganism
Of the claimants to Empire after Julian
Valantinian I in West, pro-Nicene (although his mother was an Arian)
Valens in East was a semi-Arian
Finally ‘settled’ with Theodosius the Great,
Council of Constantinople, 381, promulgates Nicene-Constantinople Creed,
What we now have
Note structure of CCC

10. St Hilary of Poitiers (315-368)
Like Augustine, a Neoplatonist who converted to Catholic Christianity
Became bishop of Poitiers and taught St. Gregory of Tours
Ardent foe of Arianism in the West
Most important work was De Trinitate
Influenced Augustine; see Trin. I.4.7; VI.10.11; XV.3.5

11. “Athanasian” Creed
Not really from Athanasius, but a Latin Creedal statement from the 4th – 5th C
In opposition to Arianism
Referred to as ‘Athanasian’ because Athanasius was so forcefully anti-Arian
Also known by its first words: quicumque vult or “Whoever wishes”
Some attribute it to St. Hilary of Poitiers
May have been part of an instruction to the Rude
Augustine knows at least some aspects of this creed

12. Augustine and The Trinity
Let me remember you, let me understand you, let me love you. Increase these things in me until you refashion me entirely. De Trinitate XV.28.51, from Concluding prayer.
Meditation on Trinity probably the most important personal meditation by Augustine
Always thinking about and writing about the Trinity
Although opposed to Arians, Augustine’s Trinitarian works are far more than a refutation of Arianism
Understood that the Trinity was ultimately mystery, but always looked for ways to approach that mystery

13. Writing De Trinitate
I was a young man when I began these books on the Trinity which is the one true God, and I am now an old man as I publish them . Augustine to Bishop Aurelius of Carthage, Letter 174.
Augustine started writing c. 399, finishing c 420.
During this time, many eager to get Augustine’s thoughts on the Trinity started publishing sections without his approval
And much to his annoyance; see Revisions 15 (42)

14. Manuscripts and Translations
Latin manuscripts
Pl 42
CCL 50
Complete English translations
NPNF Series 1, Vol. 3
FC 45
WSA I.5 (Required)

15. Referencing De Trinitate
Augustine divided the work into 15 Books
Universally indicated by capital Roman numbers
No chapters, no paragraphs
Subsequent (Renaissance) editors of Augustine’s manuscript used varying indicators for chapter divisions within Books
Indicated in the WSA text as lower and upper case Arabic numerals
In WSA there is a separate division into Chapters
I suggest we reference using Book. Lower case division. Upper Case division.
Thus for example “The purpose of all the Catholic commentators I have been able to read…” should be references as I.4.7 (and ignore that this is in WSA Chapter 2)
This will keep us using the standard reference systems found in all secondary literature

16. Structure of De Trinitate
The structure has been a matter of debate in contemporary studies for over 50 years
Depending on the perspective of the scholar, various structures can be found
Human anthropology
Trinitarian ‘systematic’ theology
Trinity in the economy of salvation
My view:
Books I-VIII; what we believe about the Trinity, based on Scripture
Books IX-XV; how we can grow in understanding of the Trinity moving towards love
But Augustine himself gives us two synopses of his work
“Sermon 52”
Trin. Book XV (pp )

17. “Sermon 52”: A Summary of De Trinitate
Given for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord c. 410
Attempts to understand how the inseparable Trinity is manifested differently in Matt 3:13-17
Father’s voice
Son is Baptized
Spirit as dove
Augustine suggests part of the problem is we cannot relate to the purely incorporeal
Similarly concerned with Creedal statements relating to Jesus, but not Father or Spirit
Neither Father nor Spirit born of the Virgin Mary or suffered
Augustine suggests that the Incarnation is as much a mystery as the Trinity
Looking for a likeness (imperfect though it is) to help us understand, Augustine suggests we look at ourselves
Memory, Intellect, Will
“Look, I’ve found three things operating in you, indicated separately, operating inseparably…” (Serm 52.23)

18. How “Sermon 52” Approximately Tracks De Trinitate
WARNING: This is my reading
Trin. Book
Sermon 52
Key Issue I
2-3
Inseparable Trinity
II-III
5-10
Mission of Persons of Trinity IV 11
Incarnation, Christ the Mediator
V-VII
12-13
Arguments against the Arians
VIII
14-16
Summary and moving toward understanding
IX-X 17
Understanding the Trinity in creation
XI-XIII
18-20
Beginning to find Trinity in memory, understanding, will
XIV - XV
21-24
Ascending to the love of the Trinity

19. WSA Introduction General Outline
Chiastic structure
Books I-IV Mission of the Trinity, based in Scripture
Book V- VII Philosophical and Linguistic Contemplation of Trinity
Book VIII How God Communicates with us
Book IX – XI Human Psychology (Soul)
Book XII – XV Human history in relation to God in Scripture
NB: I am not a big fan of this structure; see article by Crawford

20. De Trinitate Books I-IV
Book I: Augustine addresses his readers
Importance of Catholic tradition
Rule for interpreting Scripture concerning the Trinity: Son is equal to Father in the form of God, less than the Father in form of a servant
Book II: Mission of persons of Trinity does not change equality among them
Old Testament theophanies
Book III: Angels and miracles in Old Testament

21. De Trinitate Book IV
Inseparability of persons of Trinity, but must be manifested to us separately because of our limitations
Jesus Christ the Mediator
Why did the Son become man
Relation between Feast of Annunciation (Incarnation) and Good Friday IV.5.9
Refer to Letter ; Christmas (Dec 25) not a sacrament
Jesus Christ as sacrament, sacrifice, priest
Definition of true sacrifice in IV ; see also CoG Book X
Offered by a holy and just priest
What is offered is received from those for whom it is offered
Offered without fault; a perfect offering

22. Books V - VII Book V: Analysis of words describing God
Refutation of Arian language
Spirit as datus, Son as natus
Book VI: Question of interpretation of 1 Cor 1:24 the power and wisdom of God
Refutation of Arians
Book VII: Continuation of 1 Cor. 1:24
Study of Greek word hypostasis

23. Book VIII God is Truth, God is Good, God is Love
Happiness is found in full knowledge and enjoyment of God
But how can we love God if we do not (cannot) know Him?
Definition of love: True love is that by which we should live justly by cleaving to the truth, and so for the love of men by which we wish them to live justly we should despise all mortal things. (VIII.7.10)
There you are with three: the lover, what is being loved and love (VIII.10.14)
Books XI – XV are how we ascend to the full enjoyment of the love of the Trinity in the happy life (See Crawford paper)

24. Assignment Begin with either (preferably BOTH):
“Sermon 52”
Trin. XV.3.4-5
You may find the discussion in WSA Introduction helpful
Read De Trinitate Books I, IV, VIII (at a minimum)
Translation MUST be by Edmund Hill, New City Press, 1991
Prepare paper #6
But let us rest our effort for a little while, not supposing that is has already found us what we are looking for, but as if finding a place where something has to be looked for…Thus we have said enough to provide ourselves as it were with a frame of a kind of warp on which we can weave what remains to be said. From Conclusion of Book VIII

25. Some works consulted
Ayers, Lewis. “Remember that you are Catholic: Augustine on the Unity of the Triune God,” Journal of Early Christian Studies, Vol 8, Number 1, Spring 2001, pp
Crawford, Nathan. “The Sapiential Structure of Augustine’s De Trinitate,” Pro Ecclesia 19 (2010): 434–52.