Definitely monotheists. Definitely definitely not trinitarians.
2006-10-21 06:32:49
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answer #1
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answered by Heron By The Sea 7
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Monotheists.
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Listen, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." Not three... one.
The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: “Neither the word Trinity, nor the explicit doctrine as such, appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Old Testament: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord’ (Deut. 6:4). . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. . . . By the end of the 4th century . . . the doctrine of the Trinity took substantially the form it has maintained ever since.”—(1976), Micropædia, Vol. X, p. 126.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: “The formulation ‘one God in three Persons’ was not solidly established, certainly not fully assimilated into Christian life and its profession of faith, prior to the end of the 4th century. But it is precisely this formulation that has first claim to the title the Trinitarian dogma. Among the Apostolic Fathers, there had been nothing even remotely approaching such a mentality or perspective.”—(1967), Vol. XIV, p. 299.
In The Encyclopedia Americana we read: “Christianity derived from Judaism and Judaism was strictly Unitarian [believing that God is one person]. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicea was scarcely a straight one. Fourth century Trinitarianism did not reflect accurately early Christian teaching regarding the nature of God; it was, on the contrary, a deviation from this teaching.”—(1956), Vol. XXVII, p. 294L.
According to the Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel, “The Platonic trinity, itself merely a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian churches. . . . This Greek philosopher’s [Plato, fourth century B.C.E.] conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient [pagan] religions.”—(Paris, 1865-1870), edited by M. Lachâtre, Vol. 2, p. 1467.
John L. McKenzie, S.J., in his Dictionary of the Bible, says: “The trinity of persons within the unity of nature is defined in terms of ‘person’ and ‘nature’ which are G[ree]k philosophical terms; actually the terms do not appear in the Bible. The trinitarian definitions arose as the result of long controversies in which these terms and others such as ‘essence’ and ‘substance’ were erroneously applied to God by some theologians.”—(New York, 1965), p. 899.
2006-10-21 13:29:53
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answer #2
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answered by Epitome_inc 4
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Before about 500 BCE, Jews worshipped both God and Goddess; however, with the growth of the patriarchy, the Divine Female was left out, and Jehovah's name came to power. They were, at that point, monotheists.
2006-10-21 13:29:32
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Not trinitarians by name ... but there were clear "hints" in the Tanakh of a plurality within the one God.
God -- Elohim [the suffix indicates plurality]
The Shema -- Adonai ECHOD -- the word echod is translated as "one", but the same word, echod, is used in other places referring to the spies bringing back ONE bunch of grapes [but more than one grape in the bunch], etc. Check all the instances of "echod" in the Tanakh.
2006-10-21 13:36:19
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answer #4
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answered by kent chatham 5
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