Einfach Gott : Trinitätstheologie im 21. Jahrhundert

Abstract

This paper reflects on the recent discussions on divine simplicity in the context of the renaissance of trinitarian theology at the end of the 20th century. The philosophical principle of divine simplicity, which is aimed at excluding any composition and any difference between potency and act from God’s being, is considered in three contexts: with reference to the biblical witnesses, in connection with interreligious dialogue and in the context of the relational communicative structure of Christian worship. On the basis of Luther’s understanding of the Trinity as an eternal conversation in God, the paper explores whether the understanding of God as conversation, developed in the context of an ontology of communicative relations, can do justice both to God’s being-in-relation and to the principle of simplicity, interpreted as a grammatical rule for discourse about God.