This essay examines Gottfried Thomasius's trinitarian theology within the context of nineteenth-century German theological discourse. While Thomasius is primarily remembered for his controversial kenotic Christology, the essay focuses on his doctrine of God and his efforts to defend traditional Nicene orthodoxy against modern philosophical challenges. The author situates Thomasius's work within the broader context of challenges to trinitarian thought posed by figures like Schleiermacher, Hegel, and Schelling, who had significantly impacted German theological thinking in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Central to Thomasius's theological project was his development of the concept of divine personality (Persönlichkeit). He saw this as essential to defending Christian theology against modern pantheistic tendencies that threatened to reduce God to an impersonal substance or force. For Thomasius, divine personality consisted of three integrated aspects: self-determining will, self-consciousness, and being. He argued that this absolute personality was fully present in each person of the Trinity, while maintaining proper distinction between the persons. This allowed him to preserve both the unity and distinction required by traditional trinitarian doctrine while engaging with modern philosophical concerns.
Thomasius's approach represented a creative attempt to restate traditional trinitarian orthodoxy in terms that could address modern philosophical challenges while remaining faithful to the Nicene settlement. The essay concludes by briefly considering whether Thomasius's kenotic Christology potentially undermined his trinitarian framework, though Thomasius himself argued that his distinction between relative and immanent divine attributes allowed him to maintain trinitarian orthodoxy even while arguing for the Son's temporary renunciation of certain divine attributes in the incarnation.
This essay examines the trinitarian theology of nineteenth-century Lutheran theologian Gottfried Thomasius, contextualizing his work within the theological and philosophical challenges to traditional trinitarian doctrine during the German Enlightenment. While Thomasius is primarily known for his controversial kenotic Christology, this analysis focuses on his doctrine of God and defense of Nicene orthodoxy. The essay argues that Thomasius sought to preserve and extend the Niceno-Constantinopolitan trinitarian consensus by developing a robust concept of divine personality (Persönlichkeit) in response to modern philosophical critiques. This study demonstrates how Thomasius articulated a trinitarian theology that maintained both divine unity and personal distinction through his innovative concept of "absolute personality."