Dale Tuggy | Independent Scholar (original) (raw)

Papers by Dale Tuggy

Theologica, May 1, 2023

William Lane Craig's "Neo-Apollinarian" christology aims to give us a model of Incarnation which ... more William Lane Craig's "Neo-Apollinarian" christology aims to give us a model of Incarnation which seems not to imply any contradiction, and which fits well with the Bible and with at least the creed from the fourth ecumenical council. It is argued that the theory fails to achieve any of these goals.

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Dec 16, 2016

Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God... more Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God seems in conflict with traditional claims that Jesus is fully divine (Section II). What the New Testament means by ''faith'' is explored (Section III), and in light of this we consider arguments from orthodox Incarnation theory to the conclusion that Jesus did not have and could not have had faith in God (Section IV). Relevantly, the New Testament clearly asserts in five ways that Jesus had faith in God (Section V). This exposes problems for traditional Incarnation theories, some of which are addressed by recent ''Kenosis'' accounts. But these too are problematic (Section VI).

In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophica... more In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophical theology, has carefully articulated and argued for a version of "social" trinitarianism. I argue that this theory should be rejected because it is not consistently monotheistic.

European Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, 2021

Hasker’s “social” Trinity theory is subject to considerable philosophical problems (Section II). ... more Hasker’s “social” Trinity theory is subject to considerable philosophical problems (Section II). More importantly, the theory clashes with the clear New Testament teaching that the one God just is the Father alone (Section III). Further, in light of five undeniable facts about the New Testament texts, we can know that the authors of the New Testament thought that the only God was just the Father himself, not the Trinity (Section IV). Hasker can neither deny these facts nor defeat the strong evidence they provide that in affirming a triune God in the late 4th century, catholic tradition departed from apostolic teaching about the one God (Section V).

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God... more Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God seems in conflict with traditional claims that Jesus is fully divine (Section II). What the New Testament means by “faith” is explored (Section III), and in light of this we consider arguments from orthodox Incarnation theory to the conclusion that Jesus did not have and could not have had faith in God (Section IV). Relevantly, the New Testament clearly asserts in five ways that Jesus had faith in God (Section V). This exposes problems for traditional Incarnation theories, some of which are addressed by recent “Kenosis” accounts. But these too are problematic (Section VI).

Oxford Handbooks Online

Recent work by analytic philosophers on the Trinity takes a mysterious 5th-century document as it... more Recent work by analytic philosophers on the Trinity takes a mysterious 5th-century document as its starting point, accepting widespread but inaccurate narratives about the history of Trinity theories. This article summarizes the Platonic influence on ancient theologies and describes the rise of transcendent triads, and eventually the idea of a tripersonal God. Recent Trinity theories (positive mysterianism, Trinity monotheism, relative-identity approaches, and "social" theories) are explained as built to respond in various ways to a type of anti-trinitarian argument. But since each recent application of logic and meta physics to the theology of the Trinity is problematic, it is argued that another look at the minority unitarian report is warranted.

Theology Today, 2013

Richard Bauckham argues that every book in the New Testament contains a “christology of divine id... more Richard Bauckham argues that every book in the New Testament contains a “christology of divine identity,” according to which Jesus is “included in the divine identity.” He also argues that traditional Christians may avoid or dissolve a large number of theoretical problems by embracing this thesis. Here I clarify the concepts of personal identity, numerical identity, and identifying features, and critically examine Bauckham’s thesis and his arguments for it in light of these analyses. Of central importance is the self-evident truth that a thing cannot at one time differ from itself (the indiscernibility of identicals). It is argued that Bauckham’s thesis is unclear, and that on one interpretation it is manifestly self-inconsistent, while on the other it is too thin in content to do the work Bauckham assigns it, which is expressing “the highest possible christology.” I thus argue that the theoretical costs of Bauckham’s theory outweigh its theoretical benefits. Section I summarizes th...

Religious Studies, 2011

In two recent pieces William Hasker argues that my arguments against Social Trinitarianism fail. ... more In two recent pieces William Hasker argues that my arguments against Social Trinitarianism fail. I argue here that he hasn't successfully refuted or rebutted them, and that his response to the quaternity problem sacrifices monotheism.

Faith and Philosophy, 2013

In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophica... more In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophical theology, has carefully articulated and argued for a version of "social" trinitarianism. I argue that this theory should be rejected because it is not consistently monotheistic.

Journal of Analytic Theology

Is "social" trinitarianism a self-consistent variety of monotheism? Following up discussions of d... more Is "social" trinitarianism a self-consistent variety of monotheism? Following up discussions of deception arguments against "social" trinitarianism, I argue that it is not. I discuss two early modern treatments of divine deception, monotheism, and the Trinity by Stephen Nye and Noah Worcester, and argue with them that the Bible, contrary to "social" Trinity theories, teaches God to be a self. Finally, I compare contemporary "social" theories to the similar but importantly different theory of early modern philosophical theologian Samuel Clarke. I. Divine Deception? Consider the following inconsistent triad of claims: 1. The Christian God is a self. 2. The Christian God is the Trinity. 3. The Trinity is not a self. "Is" here is unequivocal; it means "is identical to," and "is not" means "is not identical to." A "self" is being which is in principle capable of knowledge, intentional action, and interpersonal relationships. 1 Any two of these claims entail the falsity of the remaining claim. Which one should a Christian deny? Denying 1 seems to go against the Bible. And probably the greatest living Christian philosopher habitually characterizes theism (i.e. monotheism) as the view that there is "such a person as God." (Plantinga 1984, 253) Denying 2 is going against a longstanding catholic mainstream. Should one then affirm 1 and 2, while denying 3? Denying 3 is affirming that the Trinity is a self. But, 1 I avoid the term "person" here because to many it suggests being human (often "person" means "human being"), and more importantly, because "person" is a technical term in all post-fourthcentury trinitarian Christian theologies. The concept my term "self" expresses is not technical, and is possessed by all mentally functional adult humans. All of us understand both ourselves and our human fellows to be selves. This concept is compatible with, but doesn't imply: being divine, being human, being physical, being non-physical, being essentially a self, existing contingently, existing necessarily, being very similar to a normal human being. Alleged beings such as gods, spirits, ghosts, gnomes, elves, fairies, leprechauns, intelligent space aliens, angels, and demons would all be, if real, selves, just as are human beings. Divine Deception and Monotheism Dale Tuggy 187 arguably, the Bible nowhere portrays the Trinity as a self, and if the Trinity in some sense contains three divine selves, then the Trinity would be a fourth divine self-a conclusion trinitarian tradition does not welcome. Many current "social" Trinity theories (hereafter ST) deny 1. For them, the Christian God is not a self, but rather some sort of group, collective, or complex whole which somewhat resembles a self (

Journal of Analytic Theology

Some have argued that unipersonal concepts of God collapse into incoherence, so that such a being... more Some have argued that unipersonal concepts of God collapse into incoherence, so that such a being is no more possible than a square circle, or at least that such theologies are, as non-trinitarian, significantly less probable than some trinitarian theologies. I discuss the general strategy and examine recent arguments by William Lane Craig, C. Stephen Layman, Thomas V. Morris, and Richard Swinburne based on divine love, flourishing, and glory. I show why none of these arguments is compelling, as each has at least one weak premise.

TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology

Our standard scheme for describing and classifying different sorts of religious belief, the trich... more Our standard scheme for describing and classifying different sorts of religious belief, the trichotomy monotheism-polytheism-atheism, is confused and confusing. In this paper I display some of the confusions and work out a better conceptual scheme, analyzing the concepts deity, god, and ultimate. I then suggest a conservatively revised terminology, discuss historical precedents for this, and show how my suggestions clarify various problems of classification.

TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology

A traditional view is that Christians have always believed that the one God is three Persons in o... more A traditional view is that Christians have always believed that the one God is three Persons in one essence or being. Orthodox analytic theologian Beau Branson has recently argued that this is untrue, as earlier “fathers” taught that the one God just is the Father. He argues that this sensible Eastern view was misunderstood by Western sources, which is how the idea of the one God as tripersonal entered into mainstream Christian theologies. While I agree with Branson that in about the first three Christian centuries the teaching was that the one God just is the Father, I argue that his account about when and how the idea of a triune God comes in is mistaken, because we can see this new idea of a tripersonal God appearing in both Eastern and Western sources around the time of the council at Constantinople in 381, the surviving statement of which is the earliest “official” creed which assumes and implies that the one God is the Trinity, the tripersonal God.

European Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Tertullian is often celebrated as an early trinitarian, or at least a near- trinitarian, proto-tr... more Tertullian is often celebrated as an early trinitarian, or at least a near- trinitarian, proto-trinitarian, or trinitarian with unfortunate ‘subordinationist’ tendencies. In this paper I shall show that Tertullian was a unitarian, and not at all a trinitarian.

The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Reid, 2004

Page 1. Dale Tuggy SUNY Fredonia published in The Cambridge Companion to Reid¸2003 Reid'... more Page 1. Dale Tuggy SUNY Fredonia published in The Cambridge Companion to Reid¸2003 Reid's Philosophy of Religion I. INTRODUCTION Thomas Reid was a Christian philosopher. He never wavered from his theism or Christian ...

Theologica, May 1, 2023

William Lane Craig's "Neo-Apollinarian" christology aims to give us a model of Incarnation which ... more William Lane Craig's "Neo-Apollinarian" christology aims to give us a model of Incarnation which seems not to imply any contradiction, and which fits well with the Bible and with at least the creed from the fourth ecumenical council. It is argued that the theory fails to achieve any of these goals.

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Dec 16, 2016

Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God... more Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God seems in conflict with traditional claims that Jesus is fully divine (Section II). What the New Testament means by ''faith'' is explored (Section III), and in light of this we consider arguments from orthodox Incarnation theory to the conclusion that Jesus did not have and could not have had faith in God (Section IV). Relevantly, the New Testament clearly asserts in five ways that Jesus had faith in God (Section V). This exposes problems for traditional Incarnation theories, some of which are addressed by recent ''Kenosis'' accounts. But these too are problematic (Section VI).

In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophica... more In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophical theology, has carefully articulated and argued for a version of "social" trinitarianism. I argue that this theory should be rejected because it is not consistently monotheistic.

European Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, 2021

Hasker’s “social” Trinity theory is subject to considerable philosophical problems (Section II). ... more Hasker’s “social” Trinity theory is subject to considerable philosophical problems (Section II). More importantly, the theory clashes with the clear New Testament teaching that the one God just is the Father alone (Section III). Further, in light of five undeniable facts about the New Testament texts, we can know that the authors of the New Testament thought that the only God was just the Father himself, not the Trinity (Section IV). Hasker can neither deny these facts nor defeat the strong evidence they provide that in affirming a triune God in the late 4th century, catholic tradition departed from apostolic teaching about the one God (Section V).

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God... more Roman Catholic theologians long denied that Jesus had faith in God, and Jesus having faith in God seems in conflict with traditional claims that Jesus is fully divine (Section II). What the New Testament means by “faith” is explored (Section III), and in light of this we consider arguments from orthodox Incarnation theory to the conclusion that Jesus did not have and could not have had faith in God (Section IV). Relevantly, the New Testament clearly asserts in five ways that Jesus had faith in God (Section V). This exposes problems for traditional Incarnation theories, some of which are addressed by recent “Kenosis” accounts. But these too are problematic (Section VI).

Oxford Handbooks Online

Recent work by analytic philosophers on the Trinity takes a mysterious 5th-century document as it... more Recent work by analytic philosophers on the Trinity takes a mysterious 5th-century document as its starting point, accepting widespread but inaccurate narratives about the history of Trinity theories. This article summarizes the Platonic influence on ancient theologies and describes the rise of transcendent triads, and eventually the idea of a tripersonal God. Recent Trinity theories (positive mysterianism, Trinity monotheism, relative-identity approaches, and "social" theories) are explained as built to respond in various ways to a type of anti-trinitarian argument. But since each recent application of logic and meta physics to the theology of the Trinity is problematic, it is argued that another look at the minority unitarian report is warranted.

Theology Today, 2013

Richard Bauckham argues that every book in the New Testament contains a “christology of divine id... more Richard Bauckham argues that every book in the New Testament contains a “christology of divine identity,” according to which Jesus is “included in the divine identity.” He also argues that traditional Christians may avoid or dissolve a large number of theoretical problems by embracing this thesis. Here I clarify the concepts of personal identity, numerical identity, and identifying features, and critically examine Bauckham’s thesis and his arguments for it in light of these analyses. Of central importance is the self-evident truth that a thing cannot at one time differ from itself (the indiscernibility of identicals). It is argued that Bauckham’s thesis is unclear, and that on one interpretation it is manifestly self-inconsistent, while on the other it is too thin in content to do the work Bauckham assigns it, which is expressing “the highest possible christology.” I thus argue that the theoretical costs of Bauckham’s theory outweigh its theoretical benefits. Section I summarizes th...

Religious Studies, 2011

In two recent pieces William Hasker argues that my arguments against Social Trinitarianism fail. ... more In two recent pieces William Hasker argues that my arguments against Social Trinitarianism fail. I argue here that he hasn't successfully refuted or rebutted them, and that his response to the quaternity problem sacrifices monotheism.

Faith and Philosophy, 2013

In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophica... more In a series of papers, William Hasker, in conversation with important recent work in philosophical theology, has carefully articulated and argued for a version of "social" trinitarianism. I argue that this theory should be rejected because it is not consistently monotheistic.

Journal of Analytic Theology

Is "social" trinitarianism a self-consistent variety of monotheism? Following up discussions of d... more Is "social" trinitarianism a self-consistent variety of monotheism? Following up discussions of deception arguments against "social" trinitarianism, I argue that it is not. I discuss two early modern treatments of divine deception, monotheism, and the Trinity by Stephen Nye and Noah Worcester, and argue with them that the Bible, contrary to "social" Trinity theories, teaches God to be a self. Finally, I compare contemporary "social" theories to the similar but importantly different theory of early modern philosophical theologian Samuel Clarke. I. Divine Deception? Consider the following inconsistent triad of claims: 1. The Christian God is a self. 2. The Christian God is the Trinity. 3. The Trinity is not a self. "Is" here is unequivocal; it means "is identical to," and "is not" means "is not identical to." A "self" is being which is in principle capable of knowledge, intentional action, and interpersonal relationships. 1 Any two of these claims entail the falsity of the remaining claim. Which one should a Christian deny? Denying 1 seems to go against the Bible. And probably the greatest living Christian philosopher habitually characterizes theism (i.e. monotheism) as the view that there is "such a person as God." (Plantinga 1984, 253) Denying 2 is going against a longstanding catholic mainstream. Should one then affirm 1 and 2, while denying 3? Denying 3 is affirming that the Trinity is a self. But, 1 I avoid the term "person" here because to many it suggests being human (often "person" means "human being"), and more importantly, because "person" is a technical term in all post-fourthcentury trinitarian Christian theologies. The concept my term "self" expresses is not technical, and is possessed by all mentally functional adult humans. All of us understand both ourselves and our human fellows to be selves. This concept is compatible with, but doesn't imply: being divine, being human, being physical, being non-physical, being essentially a self, existing contingently, existing necessarily, being very similar to a normal human being. Alleged beings such as gods, spirits, ghosts, gnomes, elves, fairies, leprechauns, intelligent space aliens, angels, and demons would all be, if real, selves, just as are human beings. Divine Deception and Monotheism Dale Tuggy 187 arguably, the Bible nowhere portrays the Trinity as a self, and if the Trinity in some sense contains three divine selves, then the Trinity would be a fourth divine self-a conclusion trinitarian tradition does not welcome. Many current "social" Trinity theories (hereafter ST) deny 1. For them, the Christian God is not a self, but rather some sort of group, collective, or complex whole which somewhat resembles a self (

Journal of Analytic Theology

Some have argued that unipersonal concepts of God collapse into incoherence, so that such a being... more Some have argued that unipersonal concepts of God collapse into incoherence, so that such a being is no more possible than a square circle, or at least that such theologies are, as non-trinitarian, significantly less probable than some trinitarian theologies. I discuss the general strategy and examine recent arguments by William Lane Craig, C. Stephen Layman, Thomas V. Morris, and Richard Swinburne based on divine love, flourishing, and glory. I show why none of these arguments is compelling, as each has at least one weak premise.

TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology

Our standard scheme for describing and classifying different sorts of religious belief, the trich... more Our standard scheme for describing and classifying different sorts of religious belief, the trichotomy monotheism-polytheism-atheism, is confused and confusing. In this paper I display some of the confusions and work out a better conceptual scheme, analyzing the concepts deity, god, and ultimate. I then suggest a conservatively revised terminology, discuss historical precedents for this, and show how my suggestions clarify various problems of classification.

TheoLogica: An International Journal for Philosophy of Religion and Philosophical Theology

A traditional view is that Christians have always believed that the one God is three Persons in o... more A traditional view is that Christians have always believed that the one God is three Persons in one essence or being. Orthodox analytic theologian Beau Branson has recently argued that this is untrue, as earlier “fathers” taught that the one God just is the Father. He argues that this sensible Eastern view was misunderstood by Western sources, which is how the idea of the one God as tripersonal entered into mainstream Christian theologies. While I agree with Branson that in about the first three Christian centuries the teaching was that the one God just is the Father, I argue that his account about when and how the idea of a triune God comes in is mistaken, because we can see this new idea of a tripersonal God appearing in both Eastern and Western sources around the time of the council at Constantinople in 381, the surviving statement of which is the earliest “official” creed which assumes and implies that the one God is the Trinity, the tripersonal God.

European Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Tertullian is often celebrated as an early trinitarian, or at least a near- trinitarian, proto-tr... more Tertullian is often celebrated as an early trinitarian, or at least a near- trinitarian, proto-trinitarian, or trinitarian with unfortunate ‘subordinationist’ tendencies. In this paper I shall show that Tertullian was a unitarian, and not at all a trinitarian.

The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Reid, 2004

Page 1. Dale Tuggy SUNY Fredonia published in The Cambridge Companion to Reid¸2003 Reid'... more Page 1. Dale Tuggy SUNY Fredonia published in The Cambridge Companion to Reid¸2003 Reid's Philosophy of Religion I. INTRODUCTION Thomas Reid was a Christian philosopher. He never wavered from his theism or Christian ...