2 Responses to “Are Mormons trinitarian? If not, are they polytheists or hen…”
Mateo Ramos
2007-12-25 01:05:50
To quote Jeffery R. Holland, one of the world-wide leaders of the Mormon Church: "We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the scriptures because it is not true."
The Mormon view of the Godhead is just as monotheistic (no more, no less) as the traditional Christian view of the Trinity. There are no theologically significant differences between the two. To make a nerdy analogy, it doesn't matter whether you have three computer processors in one computer tower, or three separate computers perfectly networked together. The power and function is the same; there is no practical difference.
Whether or not either the concept of the Trinity or the concept of the Godhead constitute "Abrahamic monotheism" is up for debate. Muslims would say (incorrectly, I believe) that both are polytheistic, and for the same reasons.
It is not correct to say that Mormons are polytheistic or henotheistic. Polytheism implies the form of worship common in ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece. It implies a pantheon of gods which often find themselves in conflict with one another and even engage occasionally in immoral acts. The connotations of "polytheism" go far beyond a belief in multiple gods.
Likewise, henotheism does not accurately describe Mormonism. While it may be true that some individual Mormons are henotheistic, from my perspective the Church does not officially endorse henotheism, and many Mormons (like myself) reject it. Truth be told, Abraham may have been a henotheist, not a monotheist.
I personally believe that the definition of Trinity as given in the Athanasian Creed is sufficiently vague to include the Mormon concept of the Godhead. That creed defines the Trinity in this way: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal." As a Mormon, I can honestly say I believe in every word of that definition.
However, there are many non-Mormons and Mormons alike (Elder Holland, who I cited above, being one of them) that would say that Mormons are not trinitarian. While I question that viewpoint, I can certainly respect it. However, even if one argues that Mormons are not trinitarian, the allegation that they are polytheists or henotheists is simply inaccurate.
There many not be a word that accurately describes the Mormon view of God. "Tritheistic" is one I've heard that may have some merit.
To hear a Mormon theologian (to use that term loosely) discuss this very topic, visit mormonmisc.podbean.com.
Mateo Ramos
2009-02-02 00:47:24
Subsequent to writing the answer above, I did find a description that, in my opinion, accurately describes Mormon thought. The notion of "social Trinity" as described by the Christian theologians Karl Rahner and Jürgen Moltmann comes very close to describing Mormon belief. I would say, then, that Mormons are social Trinitarians, but not Nicean Trinitarians.
The Mormon view of the Godhead is just as monotheistic (no more, no less) as the traditional Christian view of the Trinity. There are no theologically significant differences between the two. To make a nerdy analogy, it doesn't matter whether you have three computer processors in one computer tower, or three separate computers perfectly networked together. The power and function is the same; there is no practical difference.
Whether or not either the concept of the Trinity or the concept of the Godhead constitute "Abrahamic monotheism" is up for debate. Muslims would say (incorrectly, I believe) that both are polytheistic, and for the same reasons.
It is not correct to say that Mormons are polytheistic or henotheistic. Polytheism implies the form of worship common in ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece. It implies a pantheon of gods which often find themselves in conflict with one another and even engage occasionally in immoral acts. The connotations of "polytheism" go far beyond a belief in multiple gods.
Likewise, henotheism does not accurately describe Mormonism. While it may be true that some individual Mormons are henotheistic, from my perspective the Church does not officially endorse henotheism, and many Mormons (like myself) reject it. Truth be told, Abraham may have been a henotheist, not a monotheist.
I personally believe that the definition of Trinity as given in the Athanasian Creed is sufficiently vague to include the Mormon concept of the Godhead. That creed defines the Trinity in this way: "We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, the majesty coeternal." As a Mormon, I can honestly say I believe in every word of that definition.
However, there are many non-Mormons and Mormons alike (Elder Holland, who I cited above, being one of them) that would say that Mormons are not trinitarian. While I question that viewpoint, I can certainly respect it. However, even if one argues that Mormons are not trinitarian, the allegation that they are polytheists or henotheists is simply inaccurate.
There many not be a word that accurately describes the Mormon view of God. "Tritheistic" is one I've heard that may have some merit.
To hear a Mormon theologian (to use that term loosely) discuss this very topic, visit mormonmisc.podbean.com.