The Trinity

Plotinus' trinity theories propose that God exists in three progressively more lesser forms, but in complete divinity (Larson, pg. 45). The unchanging soul, the mind, and the absolute. The absolute is the root of all things, the aim of existence, and is beyond all human understanding. The third, the universal soul, is the principle of life, and the intellect is the highest mediating knowledge of reality. He contends that the three types are equivalent in that they are both principles, but only vary in how they are seen. I can relate with a seven on a scale of ten with Plotinus’s view on the three forms of one God, his view of the absolute concur with God the father in Christianity, who is the creator of everything. The mind and the universal soul both reflect the Holy Spirit in modern Christianity. Their existence in divinity is also a similarity. Augustine explained that God’s image is rationally and spiritually related to the character of humans, excluding the animals. He continues to explain that man’s image is divinely consisted in a trinity like that of God. Man’s memory capacity, his ability to know and love constitute the human trinity (Larson, pg. 23). God, the father, and son are suggested be predicted relationally to show the relationship of God to himself.

Augustine rejects this idea of God’s true prediction being relational since some terms may imply equality of the divine persons while others imply superiority to one of the three. He gives the notion that, the 'trinity' is a manifestation of one God in three forms. It is as simple as one person being spoken of in relation to another. Evidently, being used as a foundation in the development of philosophy and Christian doctrines, implications are that, there is some sense in Augustine’s notion of God’s image. His view has influenced many doctrines including the Athanasian Creed.



























Work Cited

Larson, Paul. "Occultism." Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer US, 2014. 1239-1242.