Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments to the Second Edition
- Contents
- Introduction to the Second Edition
- I Introduction
- II The Sources
- III The Use of Reason in Religious Debates
- IV Trinity
- V Incarnation
- VI Transubstantiation
- VII Virgin Birth
- VIII Conclusions
- List of Abbreviations
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index of Citations
- General Index
IV - Trinity
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments to the Second Edition
- Contents
- Introduction to the Second Edition
- I Introduction
- II The Sources
- III The Use of Reason in Religious Debates
- IV Trinity
- V Incarnation
- VI Transubstantiation
- VII Virgin Birth
- VIII Conclusions
- List of Abbreviations
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index of Citations
- General Index
Summary
The Christian doctrine which the medieval Jewish polemicists subjected to the most comprehensive and varied philosophical criticisms was that of the Trinity. Though this belief is not fully developed in the New Testament, it was adopted by the Church Fathers, who taught it as authoritative and who gave it its philosophical foundations. Though not all Christians with whom the Jews were familiar agreed on all the details of the trinitarian doctrine, most followed the formulation of the Quicumque (Athanasian) Creed.
We venerate one God in the Trinity, and the Trinity in oneness; neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance; for there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, (and) another of the Holy Spirit; but the divine nature of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one, their glory is equal, their majesty is coeternal. Of such a nature as the Father is, so is the Son, so (also) is the Holy Spirit; the Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, (and) the Holy Spirit is uncreated; the Father is immense, the Son is immense, (and) the Holy Spirit is immense; the Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, (and) the Holy Spirit is eternal: and nevertheless there are not three eternals, but one eternal; just as there are not three uncreated beings, nor three infinite beings, but one uncreated, and one infinite; similarly the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, (and) the Holy Spirit is omnipotent: and yet there are not three omnipotents, but one omnipotent; thus the Father is God, the Son is God, (and) the Holy Spirit is God; and nevertheless there are not three gods, but there is one God; so the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, (and) the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three lords, but there is one Lord; because just as we are compelled by Christian truth to confess singly each one person as God and [and also] Lord, so we are forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there are three gods or lords. The Father was not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is from the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
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- Jewish Philosophical Polemics Against Christianity in the Middle Ages: With a New Introduction , pp. 45 - 104Publisher: Liverpool University PressPrint publication year: 2007