When a Christian is saved, is she thereby deified? This is how Eastern Orthodox theologians describe Christian salvation, and it is a common saying that this is distinctive of Eastern Christian theology, but not of Western.

In this episode, Dr. Carl Mosser (Associate Professor at Eastern University, on leave, and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Philosophy of Religion at the University of Notre Dame) challenges this assumption, taking us on a fascinating journey through the ancient and recent history of Christian theology. He's working on two books on this topic - one historical, the other theological.

He argues that people now make this assumption in large part because of super heavyweight German scholar, Adolph von Harnack (1851-1930). But in Dr. Mosser's view, we shouldn't just take von Harnack's word for it, but we should read the historical sources for ourselves.

Next week I'll talk with Dr. Mosser about the idea of salvation as deification in the Bible.

Links for this episode:

Dr. Mosser's papers at Academia.edu

a handout by Dr. Mosser: "Biblical, Western, and (Even) Reformed: Correcting Misconceptions about Deification"

The Gospel of John and Christian Theology

The Mormon World

The New Mormon Challenge (kindle)

Adolph von Harnack

his works at CCEL

encyclopedia entry

To the contrary, it seems possible that there be just one perfect being, one self who is all-knowing, all-powerful, completely good, and so on.

Professor Swinburne: we can argue from reason alone that the one God is a Trinity.

In September of 2014 I was privileged to attend a conference in honor of the greatest living natural theologian. For the uninitiated, this is what "natural theology" is (also here). The initiated hold Swinburne in awe because of his writings.  Richard Swinburne has produced an unparalleled string of carefully argued, in many cases ground-breaking books in philosophy of religion and in analytic theology (see the links below).

Many "big guns" of philosophy of religion came out to present at the conference, and to a person they related how Swinburne had inspired them to think deeply and carefully about various philosophical and theological issues. For my part, his The Christian God was the book that inspired and provoked me to look deeply into the issue of the Trinity. Professor Swinburne has a manly way of taking a stand on hard issues, fashion be damned. You may agree or disagree, but you will think.

The conference was called  Faith and Reason: Themes from Swinburne, and it was hosted by Purdue University. On a warm September  day-after-the-conference, Professor Swinburne and I sat outside on a bench on Purdue's lovely campus. In this episode, I interview Professor Swinburne about his life and work. How has he been so productive? What advice does he have for aspiring analytic  theologians? How has his work influenced academic theology?

You can also listen to this episode on Stitcher or iTunes (please subscribe, rate, and review us in either or both – directions here). It is also available on YouTube (scroll down – you can subscribe here). If you would like to upload audio feedback for possible inclusion in a future episode of this podcast, put the audio file here.

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Next episode: an interview with Professor Swinburne on his views on the Trinity.

Links for this episode:

Professor Swinburne's home page

an encyclopedia entry which partially analyzes his work

Conference organizers Dr. Jeffrey Brower and Dr. Michael Bergmann, and the conference website (lecture videos coming soon)

Swinburne's books on philosophy of religion and analytic theology

The Coherence of Theism (1st edition - 2nd, substantially re-written edition out shortly)

The Existence of God, 2nd ed. (kindle)

Faith and Reason, 2nd ed. (kindle)

The Evolution of the Soul, 2nd ed. (kindle)

Revelation: From Metaphor to Analogy, 2nd ed. (kindle)

Responsibility and Atonement (kindle)

The Christian God (kindle)

Providence and the Problem of Evil (kindle)

Is There a God?, 2nd ed. (kindle)

Was Jesus God? (kindle)

The Resurrection of God Incarnate (kindle)

Mind, Brain, and Free Will (kindle)

debates

Unbelievable Radio Show / podcast debate with Dr. Bart Ehrman on "God's Problem" - evil and belief in God

2006 debate: Does God exist? vs. R. Joseph Hoffmann

2012 Amsterdam Veritas Forum debate: Is there a God? vs. Herman Philipse

2011 panel discussion: Is there a ghost in the machine?

lectures

2011  lecture at Notre Dame - What does the Old Testament mean?

2011 Cambridge on Simplicity, Complexity, Science, Dawkins and God

2014 on The Probability of the Resurrection of Jesus

2012 Biola interviews

on atonement

on arguments for God's existence

with Dr. Timothy O'Connor on Neuroscience and the Soul

on doubt and faith

on the future of philosophical theology

on the defense of Christian doctrine

on creedal Christianity

on the "new atheists"

Closer to Truth interviews with Robert Kuhn (all of them)

arguments for atheism

Is God perfect?

 other interviews

2014 interview by Total Philosophy: part 1, part 2, part 3

2008 Brazil interview by Desiderio Murcho

Locke fired back twice against Edwards's criticisms of Locke's The Reasonableness of Christianity.

John Edwards (1637-1726) was an Anglican Calvinist and would-be defender of Christian orthodoxy. Seemingly at the last minute, he tacked on to his Some Thoughts Concerning the Several Causes and Occasions of Atheism (1695) a critique of Locke's Reasonableness. Guns blazing, he charged Locke (among other things) with promoting "Socinianism" (aka "Racovian" theology, i.e. the type of unitarian theology famously expounded by the Polish Brethren, aka the Minor Reformed Church of Poland in the 17th c.), with despising the epistles of the New Testament, and so promoting biblical ignorance, perhaps, speculated Edwards, in service to Roman Catholicism! After a somewhat unsatisfying reply by Locke, Edwards followed with Socinianism Unmask'd (1696), in which he objects that if Locke is right, every Muslim is automatically a Christian - which, of course, is absurd.

In this episode, we hear from Edwards's books, and I point out some shortcomings of Edwards's arguments. He can't seem to stop himself from arguing ad hominem - against the man, criticizing Locke's character - rather than sticking to the topic of dispute. And Edwards assumes that because Locke doesn't mention all the things Edwards would put into a summary of Christian belief, then Locke either denies or simply doesn't value them.

In truth, probably Locke did deny some, and consider others as speculations, while believing others as firmly as Edwards. But what's important is that Edwards is missing the point. Of course, Locke agrees that Christians must believe whatever is divinely revealed (and he's far more concerned than Edwards about Christian disputes about the contents of revelation).But Locke is not listing what Christians should believe, but rather, what one must believe (or as I suggested in episode 53, must confess) in order to join the club. This latter list should be a lot shorter than the former list, lest there be a high barrier to entry into God's kingdom; it would be unwise for God to want to save many, and then to require beliefs which only a few are capable of. This is one of Locke's main points (and he thinks God has acted exceedingly wisely), but Edwards doesn't grapple with it.

You can also listen to this episode (and all others) on youtube (scroll down), stitcher, or itunes (please rate us there).  If you would like to upload audio feedback for possible inclusion in a future episode of this podcast, put the audio file here.

Next week, in episode 55, we'll hear some of Locke's A Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity, & etc., where Locke calls out some shortcomings of Edwards's case, and makes some important points the ethics of belief, and about disagreements between informed, sincere, humble, and biblically literate Christians. We'll also discuss some shortcomings of Locke's responses.

Links for this episode:

John Locke: The Reasonableness of Christianity as Delivered in the Scriptures. A reprint edition, which also includes reprints of two follow-up books in which Locke defends himself. Includes helpful introduction by philosopher Victor Nuovo.

John Locke: Vindications of the Reasonableness of Christianity. The definitive scholarly edition of the two follow-up books, edited with extensive notes by Victor Nuovo. Extracts of numerous writings relevant to Locke’s book and the ensuing controversy.

John Locke and Christianity: Contemporary Responses to The Reasonableness of Christianity, ed. Victor Nuovo. Includes partial versions of Edwards's Some Thoughts Concerning the Several Causes and Occasions of Atheism and his Socinianism Unmaks'd - quoted in this episode.

podcast episode 52 – John Locke’s The Reasonableness of Christianity, Part 1

podcast episode 53 – John Locke’s The Reasonableness of Christianity, Part 2

This week I start with a long and insightful listener comment. Among other things, he asks how one's theology as unitarian or trinitarian affect one's discipleship, or how one follows Jesus as Lord. I give a short answer from my own experience here, confessing how my own confusions hindered my spiritual life.

The listener also asks: doesn't Locke require too little? In particular, mustn't a Christian also, minimally, believe that Jesus was raised from the dead, and that he is now ruling as Lord?

I argue that Locke, correctly, thinks that belief in Jesus as Messiah implies those beliefs as well, and I argue that he doesn't properly separate matters of belief (to what one must be committed in one's mind) from the issue of confession (what one must be willing to sincerely and publicly assert). Of course, to sincerely confess Jesus as Lord (or as Messiah) requires having certain beliefs, and I go through a long, and surely not exhaustive list of those here. Then we briefly compare this list to the famous "Apostles' Creed".

Finally, we hear more from Locke, including the last portion of his book, a well-crafted plea that we should believe that God must have revealed as required for salvation only beliefs which ordinary folk are capable of understanding, and so, believing.

Next week, we'll hear the very words of Locke's vehement critic, the Calvinist Anglican divine John Edwards. (1637-1716) We'll also hear a little of Locke's replies.

You can also listen to this episode on youtube.

Links for this episode:

Part 1 - podcast episode 52

My main discussion of "negative mysterianism" about the Trinity. (See also here.)

A previous post on the negative mysterian approach to the Trinity.

podcast episode 12, on the "Apostles's creed"

my interviews with William Hasker

my interviews with Stephen Holmes

What are the essential teachings which one must accept to be a Christian?

Dr. Ravi Zacharias is a popular, Indian-born, evangelical apologist, the author of many books and articles, a frequent public speaker, and a veteran of Christian radio.

Recently here at the trinities blog I received a reader question about an answer Dr. Zacharias gave about the Trinity in a recent public talk. In this episode, I review and critically examine that answer, and a few other of his statements on the Trinity which can be found on youtube (links below).

In the end, I find it hard to discern just what Dr. Zacharias thinks the Trinity doctrine is.Tweet This Some of his statements seem to imply that the Trinity is a self, and others seem to imply that it is a group of three selves. I don't find persuasive his argument that if God is perfect, then he must not be a single self. On the other hand, I find myself in agreement with him when he's preaching in a biblical mode.

You can also listen to this episode on youtube.

Links for this episode:

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (bio, youtube channel)

Ravi Zacharias explains the Trinity

Ravi Zacharias Q & A: The Contradiction of the Trinity and DesCartes

Ravi On The Trinity

(The final sermon quoted here has been removed from all online video sites at the demand of the church at which he preached.)

My discussion of three-self vs. one-self Trinity theories is free here and available in print form here.

Preprint of my paper "On the Possibility of a Single Perfect Self".

Dr. Laurence Brown is an opthamologist, author, and Muslim apologist. In this episode of The Deen Show ("Deen" is Arabic for "religion" or "religious practice."), he gave his "Top 10 Reasons Why The Trinity Is Invalid." Does he disprove or undermine trinitarian theology? In this episode, I interact with and evaluate his reasons.

You can also listen to this episode on youtube.

This this 50th episode of the trinities podcast? Do you like the podcast, or have suggestions? Which were the best episodes? Upload some audio feedback here, for possible inclusion in a future episode.

Links for this episode:

The Deen Show

Dr. Laurence Brown's home page

podcast episode 11 - Tertullian the unitarian

podcast episode 30 - The Council of Nicea

Who Should Christians Worship? - Is worshiping Jesus idolatry?

God and his Son - the logic of the New Testament - on John 10

How Trinity Theories Conflict with the New Testament