Department
Seminary/School of Divinity
Date of Paper/Work
Spring 5-2020
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.)
Type of Paper/Work
Thesis
Advisors
Stephen Hipp S.T.D., Mark McInroy Th.D., John Froula Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the connections between the Trinitarian Persons, their relations, and the hierarchy of created beings, particularly in the structures of marriage, civil societies, and the Church. First, the discussions around each of these three areas are presented. With regards to the marriage debate there are two main camps: egalitarians and complementarians. Some complementarians argue for a functional or eternal subordination of function of the Son to the Father and see this as analogous to the way in which marriages should be structured. By contrast, egalitarians appeal to perichoresis or the mutual indwelling of the Persons and argue that this ought to inform marriage. Likewise, egalitarians claim that the Trinity supports democratic and/or socialistic rules of governance. In regard to the Church, egalitarians argue that the Trinity supports the collapse of the clerical hierarchy. Instead, this paper will argue that the relationships between the Persons, though not hierarchical in itself, supports a hierarchical structuring of marriage, civil societies, and the Church on account of the order of the processions.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Furey, Daniel R., "Whether the Doctrine of the Trinity Supports Egalitarianism" (2020). School of Divinity Master’s Theses and Projects. 26.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/sod_mat/26