Assignment – Essay 1

Compare & Contrast the Social and Economic Trinity. Which of these concepts best
describes the Trinitarian understanding and practice of your work based learning
provider.

Name of Student:

Name of University:
 Assignment – Essay 2

Introduction

There are various perceptions about the social and economic beliefs about the Trinity. The
supporters of the concept of Trinity claim that it is originated not just on religious tradition but
also according to the message of the Bible. In this regard “the major doctrine of Christianity” is
called by the Greek Orthodox Church. Even it is also said that Christians are only those people
who agree Christ as God (Barth, 2010, p. 11). In some of the books it is also mentioned that the
Father is no one but God, the Son is no one but God and the Holy Spirit is no one but God. In
this concept, the model of relationship is explained. The teaching of social trinity focuses that
God likes to be social and He is inherently social being. This essay covers the comparison and
contrast for the social and economic trinity.

Discussion

The unity of human being approaches to the idea of the unity of God by empathy, self-giving and
adoration for each other, etc. (Congar, 1983, p. 12). According to the Christian Doctrine, the
term Trinity means God as three Holy persons, the Father, the Son as the Jesus Christ, and the
Holy Soul or Spirit. These three persons are not the same however harmonize with the unity of
mutual coordination.  This doctrine explains that there is only one God but present in the form of
three persons (Drane, 2005, p. 32). Each person can be stated as Almighty and all the three
persons are equally Almighty, no one is greater or lesser than the other one. All of the three
persons are without origination and having their eternal existence.

Overview of the concept

Each of the persons can be said as a complete God with a complete sense that contains all the
attributes of God. Every one of the three persons is equal in every sense concerning power,
position, and knowledge (Drane, 2005, p. 32). The concept of economic trinity means that
Christians have lived in societies with different ranges. These societies of Christians are highly
influenced by a great range of norms and cultural values and it is based on exchanging within a
huge range of economies. Apparently, Christians who are related to diverse economies would be
 Assignment – Essay 3

more or less expected to improve appropriate exchange patterns and unselfish manners (Congar,
1983, p11).

Furthermore, doctrinally the discussion can be about the improvement in holiness, certainly any
proactive and substantial growth at all, as the courteous effort of God.  How do variations in the
economic trinity with some important outcomes link to the working effort of the Father, Son, and
Spirit? (Drane, 2005, p. 32). What is most contrasting question of this essay is how these changes
in the economy share to the work of God, as it is compared to the concept of social trinity.
Although Christians perceive that the expectation of involvement in the divine nature is basically
the sanctity, and affection. It is normally not clear how to be a contributor in such certainties
currently whereas also sharing in a market economy (Drane, 2005, p. 32).

Religious Declarations

What do certain religious declarations have to do with the labour and selection of profession,
with financial investments, for example, savings accounts in banks, or credit or debit card, with
the manner that is managed and evaluated by the employees by an organization, or sometimes it
can also effect on the buying decisions at the shopping centre or the nearest mall? (Fee, 1994,
p.67). Many Christians can easily make a list of moral criticisms to be detected in the different
markets, but a person surprises whether some moral limitations are the best the method that
Christian belief communicates to what is for a normal civilian in any developed country the
prime space within which the time is dedicated, that is certainly the market place (Drane, 2005,
p. 32).

It is observed that almost at the end of the second century, the number of Christians was united
and they believed in one prime concept that is all the Christians believed in the sovereignty of
the God Father. All the Christians believed that God the Father is the Almighty and he is alone
and supreme (Fee, 1994, p.67). At that time all the Christians also believed in God the Father is
ineffable, immutable, and without any origination. However with time, after the second century,
the religious leaders and theologians and the Church itself altered this believed and they slipped
slowly towards the concept of Trinity.

 The fundamental Doctrine of Trinity

 Assignment – Essay 4

The core concept about the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the toughest thoughts in Christianity,
however, it is the ultimate belief to all Christians and the reasons are: (Fiddes, 2000, p. 18)

 It states what Christians have faith in God is like and who God is.
 It plays an important role in the worship activities of Christians.
 This concept focuses that God is really different from common people.
 It reflects the different manners by which Christians consider God comes across to them
 It is the ultimate factor of Christian distinctiveness (Congar, 1983, p12).
 It clarifies the important facts about relationship and community of Christians.
 It tells that God can be perceived only as a divine a practice whose secret inspires
amazement and cannot be understood reasonably.

The Common Misconception about Trinity

The common mistakes about the concept of Trinity is:

 Three different divine persons who together to make a single God.

 Three different divine Gods (father, son, spirit) united together (Fiddes, 2000, p. 18).
 Three main characteristics of God.

The Contrast of Social and Economic Trinity

In Social Trinity, it is referring to the point that God is three in one. There are three individuals
in God (Father, Son, and the Spirit) all three are one being. The social structure of the Trinity is
based on the concept of unity. This is an uncomplicated theology of Trinity. United diversity is
the concept of Godhead (Drane, 2005, p. 32). Unified and united means as the Christians believe
in oneness, which means only one, God. It is somehow different in the logic the Christians
believe that although God is only one. The existence of God is in three different Persons.

Every person means God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit means God is different
from the other individuals (Congar, 1983, p12). By this logic, it can be said that God the Father
is not the Son, God the Son is the not the Spirit, similarly the God the Spirit does not mean that
he is a Father. In the terms of the economic Trinity, the concept is dealing with different roles. It
can be differentiated among the individual persons of the Godhead concerning the economy of
 Assignment – Essay 5

God (Fiddes, 2000, p. 18). According to the economic Trinity, it is God the Father who drives
God the Son into this earth for the improvement of human beings. God the Father gives the
power to the Son who can bring improvements and redemption.

Furthermore it is God the Spirit who implements these improvements and redemption to the
common people (Hiebert, & Hiebert-Menses, 1995, p. 62). According to economic Trinity
Christians do not have three gods but only one God in three individuals, and these three
individuals are different concerning the jobs they perform. The economic Trinity focuses on the
equivalent divisions of the three different gods (Holmes, 2006, p. 8).

One-self theories and Trinity

One-self theories state the Trinity, regardless of original forms, to comprise precisely oneself.
One-self theories mean, the acquisition of knowledge, planned action, and social relationships. A
god is usually assumed to be a nature of unexpectedly self (Hiebert, & Hiebert-Menses, 1995, p.
62). The theory of Trinity holds this perception of the single and alone God as the highest self to
have to be either improved or succeeded by the future revelation that means the one God in
certain logic to be three individuals.

Difficulties with one-self Theories of Trinity

Many philosophers said that the analogy of Left tow is not very helpful due to the travel of time
is not possible (Holmes, 2006, p. 8). In the same way, it is also objected that Leftow was
attempted to illuminate the doubts. Relation of God to the cosmos is also one of the difficulties
about the one-self theories. It means that God is significantly the creator and the saviour (Fee,
1994, p.67). This also implies that it is nearly impossible for this universe to be without creation
or to be no fallen creatures (Holmes, 2006, p. 8). God could not have escaped creating beings in
requirement of improvement.

The problems of Trinity

The most important problem related to the concept of Trinity is to say that God is not similar to a
common people and human beings get in the confusion when they attempt to explain God uses
the same kind of language or verbal communication and understand that they try to elaborate
 Assignment – Essay 6

further on people (Hardy, 2016, p.33). However, people don't have some different language,
therefore they have to ensure the best that they can with the same available language.

That is fair, as long as human beings remember that the entire fact of the nature of God is just
beyond all these things. Therefore the principle of the Trinity just tries to deliver an elementary
outline of the secret of the nature of God, rather than a complete explanation of what God is alike
(Holmes, 2006, p. 8).God is a secret, before that people should stand in admiration.

Social Implications and the Trinity as a power structure

The dealings with God as a Trinity question every classified the power structure is represented
by the lower dominated with the above dominated. In its place, using the case of the Trinity
indicates a perfect arrangement of shared values and care in search of a mutual goal (Hardy, and
Foster, 2019, p. 49). Therefore the social Trinity means the approach God wishes the Earth to be
run and the authority configurations that he commends to all the humanity. This appears to
oppose the customary concept of God as one Ultimate Existence, He the superior to all, but
should be understood as representing the non-hierarchical means of God in Himself, without
weakening the actual status of God in association with others (Hardy, 2016, p.33).

This concept of social Trinity can be established in the life of the Church:

 In the classified model control and power in the church run in single dimension from
God, through high-ranking and low-ranking of the priesthood, down to the layman.
 In the social Trinity model, there is a church of joint self-offering and equivalence that
compete with the public of the social Trinity (Hardy, and Foster, 2019, p. 12).

Economic Implications and the Trinity as a power structure

There are certain difficulties in economic Trinity arise from misconception between the inner life
and means of the economic Trinity itself and the outer essence of life that is self-revelation of
God. The simple thing mankind can openly know about God and its existence (Kärkkäinen,
2002, p. 56). According to economic implications, there are two methods of looking at God in
terms of economic Trinity:
 Assignment – Essay 7

 The Crucial economic Trinity looks at the spirit or the core of God; it means what God
really appreciates in himself as he is different from the universe that is created by God
himself. This is how God seems to be God in real means (Hardy, and Foster, 2019, p. 12).
 The Economic Trinity usually deals with the experiences of humanity and mankind; in
the creation of human lives, in redemption; and originates the attributes of God from that
involvement and practice (Hardy, 2016, p.33). This is just how God gives the impression
to people.
 In the economic Trinity, it is also stated by some theologians that just the Son and the
Spirit are directly encountered with each other in the perception of the Economic Trinity.

Work-based learning and Understanding of Trinity

There are some work-based key areas to understand the concept of Trinity (Kärkkäinen, 2002, p.
56). The Trinity is simply valid in the scenario of the local church. It is observed that without
having a good understanding of musical taste, everyone has gone through the experience of
listening and enjoying the favourite composition of musical notes. The harmony of music
depends upon the togetherness of the playing of all musical instruments in synchronization
(Kärkkäinen, 2002, p. 56). The music can only be appreciated by the different sounds of every
single instrument. Every instrument is important at the same time. The whole composition can be
off if a single instrument is not properly tuned.

Similarly when a team usually promotes its captain or leader who is responsible to get the credit
for the success or failure of the team (Yong, 2013, p. 241). In fact, the team is agreed to a unified
decision to select a captain. In this case, the team stands or falls together based on their
performance as a team and as an individual player. The same situation applies to the church. In
the same period, the church is consisted of different groups of persons with diverse
circumstances and backgrounds, with different demonstrations, and understandings (Drane,
2005, p. 32). God has combined the Holy place of Christians means the church with many divine
favours. It would not be true to claim that the individual with the skills of teaching is superior to
the one with the skills of administration.

Then the church is considered a united range of people with different categories such as men,
women, youngsters, elder persons and they all are one in Christ (Yong, 2013, p. 241). Similarly,
 Assignment – Essay 8

it shows that every individual plays a different role in the State of God. Some people are
dedicated to preaching. Some people are dedicated to teachers. Some people are dedicated to
giving others. Some people are dedicated to serving others. It means all the people are equal but
distinct characters. This socio-economic model of Trinity can be applied to different areas
(Drane, 2005, p. 32). It can also be applied in the home with different gender roles, community,
etc. Both social and economic Trinity is essential for the understanding of orthodox Christians,
all spirituality is useful and practical (Yong, 2013, p. 241). The Christian culture is greatly
influenced by a greater values of norms and cultural standards and it is because of the
exchanging of different values and morals. Actually, Christians who are connected to different
economies would be more or less expected to improve appropriate exchange outlines without
any selfish means.

Conclusion

The main idea of social and economic Trinity is the unity of God. This concept is not separate
from the three individuals of the Trinity, and it is what makes the perception of social Trinity and
economic Trinity. This kind of love is ethical correspondence to God, however, it is also
considered as the stark contrast to the unity of being of God.

This concept explains that God as three divine persons. The first of God as the father, the second
is God as the Son and the third is God as the Holy Spirit. All these divine persons are different
from each other. All three persons are co-existed in the form of unity and are co-equal,
consubstantial as well as co-eternal. The social trinity means the Christian interpretation of the
Trinity. Social and Economic Trinities are not two distinct things but somehow it is really
different – as it is just two different methods of looking at God. At the end ultimately it can be
stated that social Trinity is more favourable as for the theory of Christian doctrine. Social Trinity
is the complete idea that explains the whole concept of Trinity as compare to economic Trinity.
 Assignment – Essay 9

References

Barth, K., 2010. The Doctrine of the Word of God: Church Dogmatics (2nd ed., Vol.1.1).
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Congar, Y., 1983. I Believe in the Holy Spirit (Vol. III). New York: Geoffrey Chapman.

Drane, J., 2005. Do Christians Know How to be Spiritual? The rise of new spirituality, and the
mission of the church. London: DLT.

Fee, G. D., 1994. God’s Empowering Presence. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Fiddes, P. S., 2000. Participating in God: A Pastoral Doctrine of the Trinity. Louiville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press.

Hiebert, P. G., & Hiebert-Menses, E., 1995. Incarnational Ministry: Planting Churches in Band,
Tribal, Peasant, and Urban Societies. Grand Rapids, IL: Baker.

Holmes, P., 2006. Trinity in Human Community. Carlisle: Paternoster.

Hardy, A., 2016. Pictures of God: Shaping Missional Church Life. Watford: Instant Apostle.
(Available to purchase from the college’s head office)

Hardy, A. and Foster, K., 2019. Body and Blood: The Life of the Church in the Community.
Eugene, OR: Cascade.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M., 2002. Introduction to Ecclesiology. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical

Yong, A., 2013. ‘What Spirit(s), which public(s)?: the pneumatologies of global Pentecostal-
Charismatic Christianity’, International Journal of Public Theology, 7(3), pp. 241–259.
Assignment – Essay 10