The great dance - a dynamic understanding of the Trinity

Perichoresis and traditional perspectives on the Trinity

Baxter Kruger, author of "The Great Dance" revives the early trinitarian analogy of a dance to describe the Trinity. The term 'perichoresis' was first used by John of Damascus to capture both indwelling and distinctiveness of relations within the Trinity. Perichoresis is characterized by reciprocal love and total empathy. Kruger describes a 'shared life that is full and rich and passionate, creative and good and beautiful' , and focuses on God as a tri-unity. This position distinguishes Kruger somewhat from the traditional emphasis of God as 'one'. Allistair McGrath states that God as 'three' is best described by the Tertullian understanding of persona, and as 'one' by the modern sense of 'person'. Tertullian's formulation of 'one, eternal divine substance' existing in three hypostases provided a foundation for the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine and Thomas. The Cappadocian Fathers accentuated perichoresis within the Godhead, while Augustine elevated 'oneness' over 'threeness'. According to Kruger, the prevailing dominance of 'oneness' over 'threeness' led to identifying 'God' as transcendent over the Trinity. Kruger refers to God understood this way as 'G.O.D.', a being defined primarily by holiness not fellowship. The renewed interest in the Trinity in the twentieth century led to a re-examination of sociality within the Trinity, and discomfort towards the understanding of God encapsulated by Kruger's 'G.O.D.'

Hierarchy and the Trinity

Kruger's rejection of 'G.O.D' eliminates hierarchy within the Trinity. Perichoretic relationship rules out domination of or by any member of the Trinity. Kruger stresses that trinitarian relations are characterized by equality and mutual respect. The ecumenical creed attributed to Athanasius clearly poses the members of the Trinity as 'co-eternal and co-equal'. In more recent times subordination or hierarchy within the Trinity has been hotly debated, with protagonists arguing both sides. McGrath's hierarchical explanation of the Trinity emphasizes origin and rank. Jurgen Moltmann critically labels this approach as modern 'Sabellian, modalistic monotheism'. This explanation has ramifications for legitimizing subordination in human relationships - you can read more about the implications of Kruger's alternate social understanding of the Trinity here.

The Trinity reflected in humanity

In 'The Great Dance' Kruger devotes considerable attention to the human reflection of the Trinity. Possibly the recognition of the trinitarian life in daily life led Kruger to his perspective of the Trinity - he describes an awareness of 'the dance' before realizing the source. Kruger's 'earthed' description of the Trinity manifested through joy found in ordinary human experience is considered the very life of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit lived out in us. Traditional perspectives of the Trinity did not look for human reflection of the Trinity in this manner. For Augustine, the image of God is reflected when 'man consciously focuses upon God. Augustine believed there should be something about humanity that witnesses God's tri-unity, but sought this to be expressed within the single person, possibly paralleling Augustine's stress of the 'oneness' of God over 'threeness'.

Humanity and the perichoretic relationship of the Trinity

According to Kruger, the Trinity is not merely expressed through humanity. God desires to draw humanity into the perichoretic relationship between the Father, Son and Spirit, a view shared by Moltmann and Torrance. Kruger identifies this as the purpose of both creation and the incarnation. The incarnation placed trinitarian life within reach of humanity, as intended from before creation. I have not found consideration of this aspect of the relationship between humanity and the Trinity in traditional perspectives. Kruger steps beyond traditional and many modern perspectives when he states that all of humanity has been brought into the perichoretic relationship of the Trinity, whether people acknowledge it or not. Kruger states that the atonement has brought all humanity into relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but not all see this truth. Kruger finds support in the Pauline passage stating that Jesus died for all, and 'therefore all died'. For Kruger, being 'lost' is defined by whether or not we know we are united to God and the impact of not knowing. Kruger likewise challenges the view that incompatibility between God's legal holiness and fallen humanity is the primary motivation behind the incarnation of Jesus, the one who satisfies the 'holiness and justice of God'. Rather, Kruger embraces the language of adoption in Ephesians 1 - the incarnation reflects God's plan from before the creation of the world to adopt humanity into the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through Jesus.