A Seminar on the History of the “TRINITY”. Register for either the Online & Live course in NYC.
Dates: Five Sundays in March 2019
Tutor: Dr Ron Choong, BA, LLB Hons, MDiv, ThM, STM, PhD
In 381 AD, a Church Council made the historic announcement that henceforth, God is THREE in ONE. Today, this is known as the doctrine of the Trinity. Much ink has been spilled to explain what this means and how one branch of monotheistic Judaism evolved to become the new religion of Trinitarian Christianity.
This is part of a series of annual seminars which examines the history of Christian teachings. Learn the story of how Christian beliefs became Church doctrines. Many teachings were inherited, adopted and adapted. Others were abandoned while some were replaced by new ones.
Spiritual insights, secular pressures and discoveries of the natural world contributed to the evolution of beliefs which became doctrines.
In 2019, we shall trace the developments of 3 doctrines as they evolved in response to new knowledge from scientific discoveries, technological innovations and medical advances.
This year, we shall continue with a historical study of the doctrines that make up the Trinity: God the Father (Patrology), Jesus the Son (Christology) and The Holy Spirit (Pneumatology).
Register Here: http://bit.ly/2MJWA2s
The Trinitarian doctrine is arguably the most important doctrine that finally set Christianity apart from Judaism and permanently paved the way for the emergence of a new and distinct religion. Henceforth, every Hebrew Bible teaching had to be understood through the lens of the Christian Covenant known today as the New Testament. This led to a Christian interpretation of what became known as the Old Testament.
Readings will include Volume 1 of my "A Global History of Christianity: First 500 Years - Emergence of a Faith."
The earliest followers of Jesus had no Bible, no statement of belief or professional pastors. By the 2nd century, all the writings of the New Testament had been written. By the 4th century, Christianity was a distinct religion from Judaism.
The confessions about Jesus were discussed at councils that influenced creeds. In this way, oral expressions became written statements. This is why the Church became a community of the Book and writings became the most important source for faith. Today, every preacher relies on the Bible as the final authority for every sermon.
We shall begin with the earliest Christian writings, the creeds, some of which predated the Bible itself. The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creeds of 325 and 381 continue to be the most popular ones in use to this day.
This online version of this course may be taken at anytime from anywhere. If you have ever wondered how and why Christians came to believe what they do, this seminar is for you, crafted for the busy lay person. No background in theology is necessary. Join us for this exciting learning opportunity alongside students from around the world.
Tutor: Dr Ron Choong, BA, LLB, MDiv, ThM, STM, PhD
Patrology- GOD the Father
God the Father is the first person of the triune God. Is God the Father ‘a father’ who is prior to the Son and Spirit? We shall ask the following questions: Is God male? Is God a person? Is God good? Does God care? Can God suffer? Is God holy? Knowing who the Father is enriches our understanding of the creator who is more than the ‘one God’, of which there are several claimants (some forms of Hinduism and later Buddhism, as well as Islam). Patrology identifies the God of Adam, of Noah and of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, as one of three persons in the Godhead. The Father does not exhaust the description of the God who is One.
Christology- GOD the Son
The Christian believes that Jesus is the second person of the triune God. Soteriology concerns the work of Jesus the Christ while Christology concerns the person of Jesus the Christ. Why do we call Jesus ‘the Son of God’ when we do not mean that he is a biological issue of the Father? If we mean it metaphorically, why don’t we say so? No name truly captures the description of this eternal member of the Godhead but he is known as the Word (Logos), Jesus, and the Christ. We shall consider the historical, the theological and the biblical Christ, and engage with the description that the natural sciences and other world religions make of him. Knowing who Jesus is enables us to better understand the redeemer of creation (and not only of nature).
Pneumatology- GOD the Spirit
The Christian believes that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God. Is the Spirit an attribute (like love, mercy or even power) of God, or is he more than that? Can we worship the Spirit in the way we worship God the Father? What is the notion of ‘holy’ and how do we ‘become’ holy? The role of the Spirit is illumination – what is that? Why did Jesus call the Spirit ‘the advocate’? How can we relate to the Spirit? Knowing who the Spirit is helps us to acknowledge the importance of power relations within the Godhead.
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