"Not Three Gods, but One" – Why Reductionism Does Not Serve Our Theological Discourse

Abstract

The triune nature of God is one of the most complex doctrines of Christianity, and its complexity is further compounded when one considers the incarnation. However, many of the difficulties and paradoxes associated with our idea of the divine arise from our adherence to reductionist ontology. I will argue that in order to move our theological discourse forward, in respect to divine and human nature, a holistic interpretation of our profession of faith is necessary. The challenge of a holistic interpretation is that it questions our ability to make any statement about the genuine, ontological individuation of persons (both divine and human), and in doing so raises the issue of whether we are ontologically bound to descend to a form of pan(en)theism. In order to address the "inevitable" slide in to pan(en)theism, I will examine the impact of two forms of holistic interpretation, Boolean and Non-Boolean, on our understanding of the world. I tentatively examine the kind of Trinitarian relations that may be allowed within a world governed by Boolean holism.