Hi Gabe,
If you look at the teaching statements in the Acts of the Apostles, and compare it with the 1st century 'Apostles' Creed' and 'Didache' (both extra-Biblical Christian texts belonging to the early Christian community), you'll see just how simple the original gospel message was (see
here).
You will also note there the complete absence of the trinity. The earliest Christian creedal statements preserved this original message, for the most part, insisting that there was one God, who was one person (the Father), and that Jesus Christ is His son (see
here).
If you look at the 'official' faith statements put together over the centuries by Christian groups, you will be able to see how the original 1st century teachings were gradually diffused, diluted, and finally abandoned. As you can see
here, by the 5th century there's almost nothing left of the original creedal statement, and the trinity has become fully formed.
Then there's the fact that the trinity was developed by Christians who enjoyed the support of the state, and who were able to enforce their beliefs by state legislation and violence as they developed them. Here's the quick version:
* 4th century: Emperor
Constantine supports the
Nicene version of Christianity over the other versions
* 4th century: Emperor
Theodosius I makes the Nicene version of Christianity
the official state religion, and creates laws punishing those who believe otherwise (it is now illegal to deny the trinity, among other doctrines)
* 5th century: Roman empire collapses under repeated invasions from surrounding tribes and states, and the so called 'barbarian kings' take over, with Italy itself being made a vassal state to the Goths, who belonged to the Arian version of Christianity (which had spread rapidly throughout the Roman empire prior to the rise of the Nicene version, and had remained unaffected by the decrees of Constantine and Theodosius)
* 5th-6th century: Emperor
Justinian I, ruler of the Eastern Roman empire, flies to the defence of the beleagured Nicene Christians in Italy, at the behest of the Bishop of Rome. In a series of
devastating and bloody wars, he subdues the invading barbarians and reasserts the primacy of Nicene Christianity. He passes new laws
condemning all other versions of Christianity as heresy, as well as laws persecuting the pagans and the Jews.
* Early 7th century: Boniface I, Bishop of Rome, successfully appoints himself 'Universal Father', head of all Christian churches everywhere, claiming temporal power over all Christians such that they must all submit to his decrees. The term 'pope' is used in its conventionally understood sense. He has the support of the emperor, and the mighty weight of the Codex Justinian (the laws passed by Justinian I), to support his authority.
By the time Western Europe entered the medieval era, the so called 'Catholic Church' was the dominant form of Christianity, and had been so for at least 200 years. With each development from Constantine's era onwards, one version of Christianity gained supremacy, not by theological discussion but by force of arms and legal coercion. Other forms of Christianity were marginalised by physical persecution and legal restriction. Precious few alternative Christian sects arose over the next few centuries up to the Reformation, and those which did were hunted down mercilessly.
The Reformation successfully overturned many of the old ideas, but was not wholly unshackled by dogma. The vast majority of the early Reformers differed very little theologically from the Roman Church from which they had come out, and because they dared not challenge the early church councils, they were not prepared to call into question doctrines such as the trinity. Sharing the Aristotleian epistemology with the Roman Church, they found much of the Roman Catholic exposition still valid, and so failed to reform completely.
A brief presentation with some relevant historical information, in chronological order
here.
There is a history of non-trinitarian Christianity which is centuries old. I won't bore you with statistics or lengthy descriptions, I'll just throw out a couple of the big names (Michael Servetus, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Faustus Socinus, Sir Isaac Newton, Joseph Priestley), and that discussion can be picked up in another thread if necessary.
As for this:
Quote
The following quotes show that the doctrine of the Trinity was indeed alive-and-well before the Council of Nicea.
No they don't. What they do is show that some Christians believed Jesus was a Divine being of some kind, some believed him to be 'God', some believed him to be 'a god', and some believed various other strange things. What they don't do is articulate the trinity. But that aside, it's important to note that the Nicene Creed didn't define the trinity either. We look in vain for the trinity in the Nicene Creed. It just isn't there. The Nicene Creed didn't define the trinity, it was just one step along in the development of the ideas which finally resulted in the trinitarian doctrine the next century. You need to look to the Athanasian Creed to find the trinity articulated by a church council. Note the differences
here.
It's also worth noting that the Early Christian Fathers admitted that Jesus
did not claim to be God, and that the apostles didn't teach he was God either.
Edited by Fortigurn, 12 July 2007 - 09:31 AM.
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