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Isaac Newton's views on the Trinity

Interesting article:

Isaac Newton on the Trinity

Excerpt:

As he usually did when studying something in earnest (and what other way could Newton study?), he began a notebook, with headings of the major topics he intended to study: “The Attributes of God,” “God the Father,” God the Son,” “The Incarnation,” “Christ’s Satisfaction and Redemption.” The notes under these headings come almost entirely from Scripture. Newton approached his study of Scripture in the same methodical way he approached anything else, leaving very few stones unturned. He even collected various manuscripts of books such as Revelation, noting variant readings of significant passages.

But he was mindful that great minds had already considered these issues, and so he also studied the early church fathers. It is difficult to believe how extensively he read in the fathers. Richard Westfall writes that Newton not only “seemed to know all the works of prolific theologians such as Augustine, Athanasius, and Origen” but also was familiar with Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Eusebius, Eutychius, Sulpitius Severus, Clement, Basil, John Chrysostom, Alexander of Alexandria, Epiphanius, Hilary, Theodoret, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo I, Victorinus Afer, Rufinus, Manentius, Prudentius, and others. “There was,” Westfall says, “no single one of importance whose works he did not devour.”

At some point in his preparation for ordination, Newton began to struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity was a topic of deep and heated discussion during the seventeenth century, and in the Anglican Church there was considerable division over it. (Deviations from Trinitarian doctrine within the English church were rampant.) Denying the Trinity was heretical, and so Newton remained extremely cautious about his views. Over his lifetime, he seems to have changed his exact position on the doctrine of the Trinity, but it is difficult to tell. Newton never discussed publically his beliefs on the Trinity, and his notes on it were not found until after his death.

Full article here

Re: Isaac Newton's views on the Trinity

Thanks, AQP, I'll check it out.

From other things I've read from that time period (Quakers), unitarianism was on the rise.

Re: Isaac Newton's views on the Trinity

Here's a link to a limited preview of the book on Google:

http://books.google.com/books?id=zps...page&q&f=false

Re: Isaac Newton's views on the Trinity

It's interesting how this subject has been debated for so many years.

Re: Isaac Newton's views on the Trinity

Quote:

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace* (Post 895364)

Interesting article:

Isaac Newton on the Trinity

Excerpt:

As he usually did when studying something in earnest (and what other way could Newton study?), he began a notebook, with headings of the major topics he intended to study: “The Attributes of God,” “God the Father,” God the Son,” “The Incarnation,” “Christ’s Satisfaction and Redemption.” The notes under these headings come almost entirely from Scripture. Newton approached his study of Scripture in the same methodical way he approached anything else, leaving very few stones unturned. He even collected various manuscripts of books such as Revelation, noting variant readings of significant passages.

But he was mindful that great minds had already considered these issues, and so he also studied the early church fathers. It is difficult to believe how extensively he read in the fathers. Richard Westfall writes that Newton not only “seemed to know all the works of prolific theologians such as Augustine, Athanasius, and Origen” but also was familiar with Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Eusebius, Eutychius, Sulpitius Severus, Clement, Basil, John Chrysostom, Alexander of Alexandria, Epiphanius, Hilary, Theodoret, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo I, Victorinus Afer, Rufinus, Manentius, Prudentius, and others. “There was,” Westfall says, “no single one of importance whose works he did not devour.”

At some point in his preparation for ordination, Newton began to struggle with the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity was a topic of deep and heated discussion during the seventeenth century, and in the Anglican Church there was considerable division over it. (Deviations from Trinitarian doctrine within the English church were rampant.) Denying the Trinity was heretical, and so Newton remained extremely cautious about his views. Over his lifetime, he seems to have changed his exact position on the doctrine of the Trinity, but it is difficult to tell. Newton never discussed publically his beliefs on the Trinity, and his notes on it were not found until after his death.

Full article here

With the parts of your excerpt I have highlighted it is difficult to understand how anyone could actually speak to his beliefs at all. But assuming they could, they next few paragraphs read:

We know, however, that Newton believed in the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit; he also believed that Jesus was the Messiah and atoned for our sins with his death on the cross. Newton even believed, contrary to Arianism (of which he is usually accused), in the eternality of the Son. He also embraced the straightforwardly biblical position that the Father and Son are one. What Newton did not believe, however, was that the Father and Son were one in the sense that they were consubstantial or of the same substance. According to Newton, the Father and Son were one, but this unity was not a metaphysical unity; rather, it was one of dominion and purpose.

There were a number of reasons for Newton’s denial of consubstantiality. The most important reason for Newton was that he simply didn’t see it in Scripture. Newton felt that consubstantiality was a metaphysical concept imported from Greek philosophy, a practice of which he was extremely suspicious. Consubstantiality was, he felt, a very shaky inference from Scripture: “All the old Heresies lay in deductions,” he said, “the true faith was in the text.” Newton blamed both Athanasius and Arius for distorting Scripture when, in the fourth century, they “introduced metaphysical subtleties into their disputes and corrupted the plain language of Scripture.” Their ancient debate seemed to have more in common with Plato and Aristotle than with Jesus. Newton asked whether “Christ sent his apostles to preach metaphysics to the unlearned people, and to their wives and children?”

So, if you are inclined to believe that this accurately reflects Newton's beliefs, then he would be a Tritheist.

TheLayman