Introduction to Trinitarian Theology

Dancing with the Real Star: An Introduction to Trinitarian Theology by J.E. Rose

I was probably still a teenager when I first read this passage from C.S. Lewis about the triune God dancing.

The whole dance, or drama, or pattern of [God’s] three-Personal life is to be played out in each one of us: or (putting it the other way round) each one of us has got to enter that pattern, take his place in the dance. There is no other way to the happiness for which we were made … Once a man is united to God, how could he not live forever? …

But how is he to be united to God? How is it possible for us to be taken into the three-Personal life? … The whole offer which Christianity makes is this: that we can, if we let God have His way, come to share in the life of Christ … The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else." (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Growing up in a strict fundamentalist home, dancing was forbidden. It struck me as odd back then to imagine God dancing, let alone us dancing with him. Yet decades later, as I read more deeply in theology, I learned that Lewis was not just making this up. He was referencing an ancient theological truth called “perichoresis.”

The word perichoresis is now understood as “dance around.” It was first used by Gregory of Nazianzus (around 350 AD) to describe the connection of Jesus’ divine and human natures. Later, John of Damascus (700 AD) used the term of the relational interactions of the three persons of the trinity.

Perichoresis originally meant “make room for” and suggested a kind of “interpenetration” yet without “comingling.” In 325 the theologians gathered at the Council of Nicea had scrupulously worked out precise wording to describe how Jesus could be both God and man and how the persons of the trinity could be one and yet three. This was not just counting angels on the head of a pin. It was essential to fight the doctrinal errors abounding throughout the Christian world.

Though many passages of Scripture described God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, their profound internal relational dynamics were uniquely mentioned by Jesus in his high priestly prayer: he prayed that his disciples would be “one, just as you Father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us.” Notice the words, “you Father are in me and I in you.” That’s perichoresis. Each of the three persons is in the other and yet each is different from the other. And the living, dynamic interaction is in many ways like a “dance.”

Over the generations, careful theologians would hammer out even more details. A thousand years after Nicea they had a well-refined and articulated trinitarian theology, often summarized in this image called the trinitarian shield:

The three small circles represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These are placed in a larger circle (shield) with latin words connecting and separating them. The words “non est” (is not) and “est” (is) describe the three persons and how each is different from the other. The Father is not the same person as the Son. The Son is not the same person as the Spirit. But notice the three lines from each person. The Father is God (Deus). The Son is God; the Holy Spirit as well. If you are wondering why all that matters, just recall what I said about the time period leading up to Nicea. All kinds of false teachings about Jesus and the trinity were corrupting the church. Those false doctrines were so dangerous they would undermine Christianity itself unless stopped. To this day, when the non-negotiable truths described at Nicea are watered down because they seem irrelevant or irrational, what we potentially lose is the clear testimony of the Bible, not to mention the possibility of faith itself.

This is why I am so concerned that all Christians not only embrace but also keep growing in their knowledge of trinitarian theology. Statistical surveys indicate that very few professing Christians agree with me. In a scientifically validated study, only 16% of self-identified Christians in the United States said they believe in the trinity. That was not much more than the general adult population--11% said they believed it. The same survey showed that even among those who claim to believe the Bible, only 38% think that includes belief in the trinity.

https://www.arizonachristian.edu/2025/03/26/new_research_reveals_most_christians_reject_trinity/

Solid Foundations

Jesus told the story of two men building a house.

`Everyone who hears what I say and obeys me will be like a man who has good sense. He built his house on a rock. 25 It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. But it did not fall down. It was built on a rock. But everyone who hears what I say and does not obey me, will be like a man who has no sense. He built his house on the sand. It rained hard. The water in the rivers came up high. The winds were strong and beat on the house. It fell down with a loud noise!' (Matthew 7)

I believe this is true for trinitarian theology. It is the solid foundation for all of our other beliefs and practices in the Christian life. As he said, when a house is built on a solid foundation, the storms of life will not knock it down. On the other hand, a house built on sand will not survive the storms. It may be difficult to see why and how our beliefs about the three-in-one God are a necessary foundation for life, it is nonetheless true and two thousand years of church history prove the point.

So, what is the foundation for trinitarian theology? Let’s consider a house with four foundation walls underneath. I can’t explain each of them here. But if you want to build (or improve) your own foundation of trinitarian theology, you can go to the links below.

The Biblical Foundation of Trinitarian Theology

What do the Old and New Testament writers say about the three-in-one God? This is the biblical foundation. While it is true that the word “trinity” is not used in the Bible, the truth of it is. In the very opening words of the Bible, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are each portrayed at the dawning of time. Though not precisely by name, the Father was decreeing all things (“let there be…”), the Son was actively working to accomplish the decrees (we learn later that all things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made—John 1:3), and then Genesis tells us that the Spirit of God hovered over the primal waters of creation (Genesis 1:2) pointing to the day when the same Spirit would descend like a dove on Jesus at his baptism (Matthew 3:16).

How can I learn more about the biblical Foundation?

The Historical Foundation of Trinitarian Theology

Over the last 2,000 years of church history, how have the details of trinitarian theology been refined to protect from errors? We must never fail to appreciate how doctrinal errors in the church destroy the solid foundations of faith and practice. This is why I believe every Christian should have some familiarity with the historical foundations of this doctrine, particularly what are called creeds and confessions—like the Nicene Creed from the Fourth Century. You don’t have to be a history scholar to understand the necessity of this historical foundation, especially when viewed in the context of false teachings that always attempt to destroy trinitarian truth. The attacks have never abated and in our day continue an assault.

How can I learn more about the historical foundation?

The Covenant Foundation of Trinitarian Theology

How does an understanding of God’s covenant relationship with us depend on our understanding of the trinity itself? If you read any of my research you will realize how important it is to our understanding of th Bible and indeed all of life to build a solid covenant foundation. I find it helpful for modern audiences to contrast the ancient concept of “covenants” with our modern idea of “contracts.” Our failure to distinguish how they operate has profound implications in our relationships, both with other people and with God himself. Also, did you know the word “testament” (Old and New Testaments) is another word for covenant? This is why I say that the very concept of a covenant is a foundation for trinitarian theology.

How can I learn more about the covenant foundation?

The Practical Foundation of Trinitarian Theology

Why are so many self-proclaiming Christians who ignore this doctrine building their daily lives on sand? Even among the Christians who would say they believe in the trinity and might even believe it is important, few appreciate why it is and this is the fourth: I call it the practical foundation. “Practical” means useful and applicable in everyday life. And yes, that is true of a robust trinitarian theology as well. When we begin to grasp the truth of the three-in-one God and his relationship with us, it will transform the way we view ourselves and most importantly, the way we view God himself.

How can I learn more about the practical foundation?

Come Join the Dance

In 2005 the television program Dancing with the Stars became a worldwide phenomenon. As of this writing it has become more popular than ever, featuring famous celebrities paired up with unknown “nobodies” in intense training followed by fierce dance competition. Whatever your thoughts about social dancing might be (I told you how I grew up), there has always been something extraordinary about a famous person who interacts with someone no one else knows. This is why we love the story of a prince dancing with a “Cinderella.” These stories are not just about two people in harmonic movements on a dance floor but about a “star” bending down and even laying aside his own importance to create something beautiful with a “nobody.”

I titled this article, Dancing with the Real Star to capture this extraordinary truth in our trinitarian theology. In John 17, we read how Jesus prayed that his disciples would be “one, just as you Father are in me and I in you that they also may be in us.” In the metaphor of the perichoretic dance of the three in one God, Jesus prayed that his disciples would not merely watch them in their beautiful cosmic dance but that they would join in it themselves! That’s what C.S. Lewis meant: