One and Three by Nature: How the Trinity Defines Christianity

Although Christianity is an incredibly diverse religion, with disparate beliefs and practices over the centuries, this essay outlines how the doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that the God of the Bible is one divine nature but three persons—is Christianity's defining doctrine. Since the time of the apostles, the Trinity has been at the center of Christian history, foundational for Christianity philosophically, and underlied Christian practice, especially the Christian idea of love. Thus, this essay argues, the doctrine of the Trinity has given Christianity its distinctiveness among world religions, served as the boundary between Christianity and non-Christianity, and provided a foundation for Christian thought and practice.