In two previous posts we traced the development of the doctrine of the Trinity. But Darrow Miller and Friends is a blog for practitioners. So how is does this truth guide the building of healthy cultures?
First, it solves the age-old question about the relation of unity and diversity. And this is not just an academic question. How we answer it will determine the order of a society.
If we value diversity over unity, we will face evils such as tribalism, racism, Nazism, or radical multiculturalism. If we choose unity over diversity, we will slip into egalitarianism or communism.
In the realm of relations between the sexes, diversity accentuates the differences between males and females. One of the most obvious differences is the (generally) greater physical strength and muscle mass of males compared to females. This leads many people to believe that males are superior to females. This is sexism, pure and simple, and it leads to the crushing of females.
However, valuing unity rather than diversity leads to another evil: radical feminism. This philosophy holds that male and female are equal. But it goes beyond that to hold that male and female are the same. This approach promotes not equality so much as androgyny, which leads to the supposed interchangeability of the sexes. In this well-meaning but misguided scenario, female disappears.
Plato and Aristotle each affirmed only half the truth and thus lost the whole. Only Trinitarianism resolves the age-old question of the one and the many. On a practical level, Trinitarianism affirms both the unity and diversity of the human social order.
The idea of God as community is fundamental to human society. An overemphasis on individualism leads to loneliness, tribalism, and sexism. An overemphasis on diversity leads to full integration with one’s community, i.e. the loss of the individual. On a familial level, it leads to the misguided concept of interchangeability of the sexes.
Failure to acknowledge the reality of the Trinity not only undermines the Christian faith, it denies God’s design for relationships in society. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct Persons in community. They exist in relationship. They cannot and do not exist independently of one another. There are no role confusions of egalitarianism or sexist power plays in the Trinity, only perfect harmony. Following His pattern, we are hardwired for community.
What we need is not a male world, but a human world, a world where the imago Dei is appreciated. No other religion gets us there. Neither Aristotle’s atomism (which exalts diversity) nor Platonic monism (which accentuates unity) have the intellectual capital to bring us this truly human world, a place that properly honors both men and women. The following chart delineates the differences.
Conflicting Views of Valuing Men & Women | ||
Monism (Unity) | Trinitarianism (Unity – Diversity) | Atomism (Diversity) |
Feminism |
Imago Dei |
Machismo |
Egalitarianism |
Complementarianism |
Male domination |
Equal = Identical |
Equal & Different |
Different = Unequal |
Maleness valued |
Femaleness & Maleness valued |
Maleness valued |
Thus reflecting God’s divine nature, we are free to revel in our equality in being, our diversity in role and function. The unity and diversity of the Trinity, so counterintuitive to our finite minds, provide the pattern for the unity and diversity between men and women. They also provide the pattern for healthy, God-honoring relationships. Only Trinitarianism encourages us to honor and value one another while celebrating our distinctiveness.
– Darrow Miller
3 Comments
Jon Davis Jr.
August 14, 2012 - 5:09 amShared on Facebook! 🙂