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Theological Epistemology

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Trinitarian Theology in Medieval and Reformation Thought

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Abstract

This chapter examines how it is that one can know God is Trinity. It begins with a discussion of early medieval attempts to prove that God is Trinity by means of rational argumentation. And, while it is clear that this tradition had some influence in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, one observes that formal demonstrations for the triunity of God waned by the thirteenth century. In the subsequent sections of the chapter, we explore how medieval Christians argued that the Trinity is known through vestiges, Scripture, the Son (cognitio per Filium), and prayer.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Calvin, Institutes (1559), I.5.1 (CO 2, 41).

  2. 2.

    See Susan E. Schreiner, Theater of His Glory.

  3. 3.

    Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 1.18 (46–47).

  4. 4.

    Calvin, Institutes (1559), I.6.1 (CO 2, 53).

  5. 5.

    Anselm, Monologion, prol. (I.7).

  6. 6.

    Ibid.

  7. 7.

    Sandra Visser and Thomas Williams, Anselm, 14–19.

  8. 8.

    John T. Slotemaker, Anselm of Canterbury, 6–8, 17–20.

  9. 9.

    Ibid. 31–41.

  10. 10.

    R.W. Southern, Scholastic Humanism, 33.

  11. 11.

    Hugh, Sententiae de divinitate III (Coolman-Coulter, 156). I have cited the English translation.

  12. 12.

    Ibid. 157.

  13. 13.

    See Hugh, De Sacramentis I.3.1 (PL 176, 217). Cf. Bonaventure’s reading of Hugh, Quaestiones disputatae de mysterio Trinitatis I.1 (V, 45).

  14. 14.

    Constant J. Mews, Abelard and Heloise, 105n14.

  15. 15.

    Abelard, Theologia ‘summi boni’ III.5 (CCCM 13, 200–201); id., Theologia ‘Scholarium’ II (CCCM 13, 497–498).

  16. 16.

    Calvin, Institutes (1559), I.5.3 (CO 2, 43).

  17. 17.

    Ibid. I.5.6–8 (CO 2, 44–47).

  18. 18.

    Aquinas, ST I.1.2–3 (IV, 8–14).

  19. 19.

    Aquinas, ST I.32.1 (IV, 349–350).

  20. 20.

    Aquinas, ST I.32.1.2 (IV, 350).

  21. 21.

    Ibid.

  22. 22.

    Bonaventure, Itinerarium 6 (V, 310–312).

  23. 23.

    Bonaventure, Sent. I.3.1.4 (I, 76b).

  24. 24.

    Scotus, Quodlibet 14.34 (Alluntis-Wolter, 323).

  25. 25.

    Ibid.

  26. 26.

    Scotus, Reportatio I-A, I.3.3 (Wolter-Bychkov, 206).

  27. 27.

    While this is found in Scotus, it is also present in Bonaventure, Quaestiones disputatae de mysterio Trinitatis I.2, concl. (V, 54–56).

  28. 28.

    Ibid.

  29. 29.

    Thomas, ST I.93 (V, 401–412); Scotus, Reportatio I-A.3.7 (245–248).

  30. 30.

    Cf. Augustine, De Trinitate 6.10.11 (CCSL 50, 241–242).

  31. 31.

    Gracilis, Sent. I.4 (R, fol. 23v).

  32. 32.

    Luther, Sermon 27 (1535), (WA 41, 275).

  33. 33.

    Augustine, De Trin., 1.2.4 (CCSL 50, 31–32).

  34. 34.

    Ibid. 1.6.9 (CCSL 50, 37–38), 1.7.14 (CCSL 50, 44–46).

  35. 35.

    Augustine, De Trin. 2.10.19–2.12.22 (CCSL 50, 105–109).

  36. 36.

    Ayres, Augustine and the Trinity, 142–173. Cf. Luigi Gioia, Theological Epistemology.

  37. 37.

    Augustine, De Trin. 1.1.1 (CCSL 50, 27). See Anatolios, Retrieving Nicaea, 243.

  38. 38.

    Lombard, Sent. III.37.1.1 (II, 206).

  39. 39.

    Bonaventure, Collationes de decem praeceptis I.3–5 (V, 507–508).

  40. 40.

    Cf. Ibid. II–IV (V, 511–522).

  41. 41.

    Auriol, Compendiosa, fol.127r–v.

  42. 42.

    Cf., for example, Melanchthon, Loci (1559) I, (CR 21, 619–621).

  43. 43.

    Luther, Sermon 27 (1535), (WA 41, 277–278).

  44. 44.

    Luther, Annotationes Matthaei 11 (WA 38, 525).

  45. 45.

    Luther, Reihenpredigten über Johannes 1–2 (WA 46, 669). While this view was generally accepted, some questioned whether the technical terms of trinitarian theology are justified. See, for example, Servetus, De trinitatis erroribus, and Melanchthon, Loci (1521), prol. (CR 21, 85).

  46. 46.

    Augustine, Ep. 11.4 (CCSL 31, 28).

  47. 47.

    Ayres, Augustine, 142–173.

  48. 48.

    Thomas, ST III.1.1 (11, 6–7).

  49. 49.

    Ibid.

  50. 50.

    Thomas, Super Ioannem 1, lect. 1 (CT).

  51. 51.

    Thomas, Super Ioannem 1, lect. 11 (CT).

  52. 52.

    Luther, Sermon 31 (1526), (WA 20, 388).

  53. 53.

    Luther, Sermon 27 (1535), (WA 41, 272).

  54. 54.

    Ibid.

  55. 55.

    Calvin, In acta apostolorum (CO 48, 416).

  56. 56.

    Cf. William, Aenigma (PL 180, 397–399).

  57. 57.

    Ibid.

  58. 58.

    Benedict, Rule, Chap. 7.

  59. 59.

    Calvin, Ep. ad. Rom. (CO 49, 157).

  60. 60.

    Ibid. 144–145. Cf. id. Inst., III.20.37 (CO 2, 663).

  61. 61.

    Calvin, Ep. ad. Rom. (CO 49, 157).

  62. 62.

    Ibid.

  63. 63.

    Melanchthon, Loci (1559), I. Translation from J.A.O. Preus, The Chief Theological Topics, 38–39.

  64. 64.

    Here we follow Hester Gelber, “Logic,” Chaps. 7 and 8.

  65. 65.

    Chatton, Lectura I.2.6.4 (I, 485–486).

  66. 66.

    Ockham, Summa Logicae II.4.11 (OP I, 822).

  67. 67.

    Campsall’s argument must be reconstructed using Chatton, Letura I.2.6.4 (I, 483).

  68. 68.

    Here I am following John T. Slotemaker and Jeffrey C. Witt, Robert Holcot, 73–84.

  69. 69.

    Holcot, Sent. I.5 (L e.8vb).

  70. 70.

    Ibid. L f.2ra.

  71. 71.

    It is important to note that in his Quodlibetal questions Holcot follows the approach of Ockham.

  72. 72.

    Holcot, Sent. I.5 (L f.2ra).

  73. 73.

    Ibid. L e.8va.

  74. 74.

    Ibid. L e.8vb.

  75. 75.

    See Henry Totting of Oyta, Sent. I.8.2, edited in Alfonso Maierù, “Logica aristotelica e theologia trinitaria,” 481–512.

  76. 76.

    I am grateful to Chris Schabel for bringing this material to my attention.

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  1. Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT, USA

    John T. Slotemaker

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Slotemaker, J.T. (2020). Theological Epistemology. In: Trinitarian Theology in Medieval and Reformation Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47790-5_2

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