Trinity And Economy In Thomas Aquinas -- By: Steven J. Duby

Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 21:2 (Summer 2017)
Article: Trinity And Economy In Thomas Aquinas
Author: Steven J. Duby


Trinity And Economy In Thomas Aquinas

Steven J. Duby

Steven J. Duby is Instructor of Theology at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. He earned his PhD in Systematic Theology at the University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland. He is the author of Divine Simplicity: A Dogmatic Account (T&T Clark, 2015) and various articles in journals such as International Journal of Systematic Theology, Modern Theology, and Journal of Reformed Theology. Dr. Duby’s primary research interests are in the doctrine of God and Christology.

Introduction

The doctrine of the Trinity is a catholic teaching, a common possession of Christ’s whole church which expresses our understanding of the one who possesses and keeps us by his redeeming grace. Yet this doctrine that ought to foster a sense of unity among all orthodox believers has been a point of contention in recent times, not least in the world of evangelical theology where questions about the nature of the Son’s submission to the Father’s authority have generated significant controversy.1 My task in this essay is not to address any of these recent proposals directly but rather to consider how one of the church’s greatest theologians, Thomas Aquinas, handles the doctrine of the Trinity and how reflection on his work helps to cultivate the kind of theological discernment needed for faithful articulation of trinitarian teaching today. I propose to do this by focusing especially on the way in which Thomas sees God’s triune existence shaping God’s action in the economy of salvation. More specifically, we will focus on the question of how closely God’s own triune being corresponds to his activity in the incarnation. To show how Thomas’s perspective provides a helpful pathway into this matter, I will seek to do three things. First, I will set forth the basic concepts and

structure of Thomas’s trinitarian doctrine, particularly his understanding of the divine processions, relations, persons and personal properties. Second, I will examine how this view of the processions and mutual relations of the persons gives shape to Thomas’s view of the mission and incarnation of the Son. Finally, I will comment on the strength of Thomas’s position on the correspondence between God’s trinitarian existence and his activity in the incarnation in dialogue with two alternative approaches to the question (those of Karl Barth and some Reformed orthodox theologians).

The Structure Of Thomas’s Trinitarian Theology

In his Summa Theologiae, Thomas begins his account of the Trinity with a discussion of the triune processions (i...

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