God-images and politics: the contribution of Trinitarian theology

English: The aim of this study is to determine whether Trinitarian theology could contribute positively towards the dialectical relationship between God-images and politics. The central question is, “In what way can the Trinitarian confession be related to the political dimension of society?” That God-images influence the political environment in which humans live their lives has been established through various studies. It is also generally accepted that a person’s God-image develops through various stages and, once formed, does not remain static but is fluid and changes with time as a result of his or her experience and gaining of additional knowledge. Interaction with other important persons in their lives, as well as religious education, affect the formation of God-images. Ethnic and social background also play a role in the development of a person’s God-image. The political nature of God-images is an indisputable fact. Changes in God-images are often followed by changes in the political structures within societies. Strict monotheism, where God is perceived as a solitary singe-person, has often in the past been employed for the justification of authoritarianism and hierarchy. It is argued that the one supreme ruler in heaven is represented on earth by one supreme ruler. It has been claimed that such a strict monotheism has promoted religious violence against the other who holds different convictions than those promulgated by the ruler. The twentieth-century Trinitarian renaissance has emphasized the relationality of the Divine. This new awareness of the doctrine of the Trinity and its practical implications for human existence, together with the move from a substance ontology to a relational ontology, has initiated a number of studies which concentrate on the relevance of the Trinity for social ethics. The biblical foundation of the doctrine has been placed under a microscope again as theologians started to realize the importance of this fundamental doctrine for Christian faith and life. The new emphasis on the Trinity started by Hegel was continued by theologians such as Barth and Rahner, and in their wake a number of prominent theologians have continued the discourse on the Trinity, with some exciting developments. One of the developments that has significance for the church’s understanding of the triune nature of God is the development of a social Trinity. Theologians such as Moltmann, Boff, Johnson and LaCugna, influenced by Zizioulas’ concept of personhood as relational, articulated the concept of a social Trinity. Interestingly, this move towards social Trinitarianism has mostly left an older generation of South African theologians unaffected, while it was picked up by the younger generation and incorporated into their theology. The move towards a relational Trinity and the emphasis on the practical relevance of the Trinity have been questioned by some scholars who caution that the difference between the Divine and human persons is just too significant. Prominent critics of the social Trinity and its correlation with society are, among others, Tanner, Kilby and Holmes. They reject the possibility of imitation of the Trinity and Tanner suggests participation in the life of the Trinity through Christ instead. The position taken in this study is that both imitation and participation are valid options with biblical justification and that the dichotomy, where one is set against the other, is the wrong approach towards addressing the problem. Humans are created in the image of God and should therefore reflect something, however vaguely, of God’s life in Trinity. Through Christ believers are drawn into the life of the Trinity and participate in the Divine community, while they are also commanded in the Bible to imitate the actions of mercy and righteousness of the triune God. The quality of the Trinitarian relationality could very well be reflected within society.