Ep. #169 – Trinitarian Challenges to Divine Simplicity w/ Dr. Dolezal

Summary

Why do many Christians object that divine simplicity conflicts with the Trinity? What does divine simplicity teach? How can St. Thomas’ doctrine of divine simplicity be viewed as compatible with orthodox trinitarianism? Don’t the relations between the persons introduce accidents into God? Aren’t all such Thomistic answers an example of special pleading? Doesn’t saying the Father is identical to the divine nature introduce an irresolvable transitivity issue? Dr. James Dolezal joins us to discuss these questions and more.

Guest Bio

James Dolezal serves as Director and Professor of Theology at Radius Theological Institute in Bakersfield, CA. Also, he teaches in the School of Divinity at Cairn University in Langhorne, PA. He is the author of two books: God without Parts: Divine Simplicity and the Metaphysics of God’s Absoluteness and All That Is in God: Evangelical Theology and the Challenge of Classical Christian Theism. He and his wife live in California with their three children. Also, he’s a recent contributor to a 2020 volume on Divine Impassibility.

Topics

• What has Dr. Dolezal been working on since our last conversation?
• Give us an overview of what you cover in this book chapter on the Trinity and Simplicity.
• What is the core meaning of DDS and how have some critics misrepresented it?
• Some insist that if there are any real distinctions or real relations in God, then that contradicts divine simplicity on its face. What do you make of that objection?
• If there are relations in God, doesn’t that introduce accidents into the Godhead?
• How can we understand the notion of a “subsistent relation” and why is it important to Thomas’ Trinitarian teaching?
• If the Father and Son are both identical to the divine nature, then doesn’t that make them identical (full stop) by the transitivity of identity?

Resources

The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God by Fr. Gilles Emery O.P.

The Trinitarian Theology of St. Thomas Aquinas by Fr. GIlles Emery O.P.

Divine Simplicity and the Holy Trinity by Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P. (International Journal of Systematic Theology)

Nicene Orthodoxy and Trinitarian Simplicity by Fr. Thomas Joseph White O.P. (American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly)

Conciliar Trinitarianism, Divine Identity Claims, and Subordination by Dr. Timothy Pawl (Theologica)

A Trinitarian Trilemma for Deniers of Divine Simplicity (blog post) by Christopher Tomaszewski

Related Episodes

Ep. #64 – Absolute Divine Simplicity w/ Dr. Dolezal

Ep. #144 – Classical Theism & God incarnate w/ Dr. James Dolezal

Ep. #82 – Divine Impassibility w/ Dr. Dolezal

Ep. #65 – Simplicity & the Trinity w/ Paul Chutikorn

Ep. #67 – Simplicity & Incarnation w/ Dr. Tim Pawl