The Trinity: a Concept Without Logical Coherence and with Syncretic Roots

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the central pillars of traditional Christianity: one God in three distinct persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, when analyzed through rational, philosophical, and historical tools, this concept appears deeply problematic, lacking logical coherence and strongly influenced by beliefs originating in earlier civilizations.

From a logical standpoint, the Trinity claims that God is one and at the same time three, and that each of the three persons is fully God, yet they are not three gods. This assertion violates the principle of non-contradiction, a cornerstone of rational thought: something cannot be both identical to and different from itself in the same respect.

Theological explanations attempt to resolve this issue by appealing to vague notions such as the “mystery of faith” or the “unity of substance and distinction of persons.” However, these formulations do not truly clarify the problem; they merely circumvent it. When an idea cannot be explained without resorting to mystery, it is not evidence of profound truth, but rather of a conceptual limitation.

Another critical point is that the Trinity is not explicitly formulated in the earliest biblical texts. In the early Jewish-Christian Gospels, Jesus never clearly claims to be God in a Trinitarian sense, nor does he present a structured doctrine of the Trinity. Early Christians were largely strict monotheists, deeply influenced by Judaism, for which the idea of a “divided” God would have been unacceptable.

The Trinitarian dogma was formalized only centuries later, particularly at the Councils of Nicaea (325 CE) and Constantinople (381 CE), in a political and cultural context far removed from the origins of Christianity.

The idea of a tripartite divinity is by no means original. Many earlier civilizations had already developed divine structures based on triads:

Ancient Egypt: Osiris, Isis, and Horus

India: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

Mesopotamia: triads of gods associated with heaven, earth, and the underworld

Greek world: divine and philosophical triads (such as being, intellect, and soul)

It is difficult to ignore the fact that Christianity, as it expanded into Hellenistic and pagan environments, absorbed concepts already familiar to those cultures in order to make the new religion more acceptable and comprehensible to converted populations.

The Trinity thus appears to have emerged more as a theological and political compromise than as a divine revelation. It served to reconcile different Christian currents: those who viewed Jesus as a man, those who saw him as God, and those who considered him an intermediate being. Rather than adopting a clear position, a complex, ambiguous doctrine was constructed—one that is difficult to defend on rational grounds.

Ultimately, the Trinity not only lacks logical coherence, but also appears to be a concept constructed over time, shaped by earlier religions and by historical and political necessities. Defining it as a “mystery” does not make it more true; instead, it highlights the difficulty of sustaining it rationally. Belief is a personal choice, but confusing faith with logic means abandoning critical thinking.

Universal Christian Church