The Defeat of Trinitarian Theology: An Alternative View

Abstract

C. M. LaCugna argues that the modern “defeat” of trinitarian thinking can be attributed to the separation of speech about God's unity from speech about God's triunity, and that the Palamite distinction between essence and energies in God is a step in this process. It is argued here that the essence/energies distinction is made in a different theological context, and has neither the intention nor the effect of detracting from a trinitarian doctrine of God.