Journal: Journal of Dispensational Theology
Volume: JODT 22:65 (Autumn 2018)
Article: Confessing God: How The Doctrine Of The Trinity Was Taught In Catechisms And Confessions Of Faith In The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries
Author: John M. Wiley

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Confessing God: How The Doctrine Of The Trinity Was Taught In Catechisms And Confessions Of Faith In The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries

John M. Wiley

* John M. Wiley, M.A., M.A.; D.Min. student and advising professor, Tyndale Theological Seminary

The doctrine of the Trinity has been widely accepted by Christians as an essential tenet of the faith. Protestants and Catholics underwent intense debates over theology and practical concerns after the Reformation, but one area of agreement concerned Trinitarianism. Indeed, within Protestantism itself, there was a broad consensus. However, despite the concurrence of Trinitarianism among Christians, the numerous catechisms and confessions of faith in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries presented the doctrine of the Trinity in different ways from one another, but in a restrained manner to retain orthodoxy, which has been largely overlooked by theologians and historians of Christianity. The variations in the teaching of Trinitarianism ought to be evaluated, not only for a greater historical awareness of denominational diversity in the explanation of the Trinity, but also for pedagogical insights as to how the complexities of the Triune God can be most effectively elucidated.

Introduction

Throughout church history, safeguards were put in place so that Christians could be guided in biblical truth, including the enormously important doctrine of the Trinity. Many of these safeguards were in the form of either catechisms or confessions of faith, in addition to creeds, which have usually had a liturgical focus. Catechisms are usually written in a question-and-answer format, with the intention of helping ground believers in basic doctrine. Martin I. Klauber explained, “In the Reformation era, the catechism was very popular because of the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers,” and though catechisms were occasionally used for adults, many had been designed for the instruction of children and youth.1 Confessions

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of faith were generally more detailed than creeds or catechisms, and often had the goal of promoting Christian unity in doctrinal beliefs, whether in a local context or in a broader denomination.2 Furthermore, Joel R. Beeke wrote that a confession of faith is not “simply a summary of statements taken from Scripture,” but is “an exercise in hermeneutics,” leading to the church’s “united affirmation of the truth.”3 Although some streams of Christianity have been less inclined to subscribe to catechisms and confessions of faith, many...