Nontrinitarianism refers to Christian beliefs that reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity holds that God is one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Nontrinitarians reject this view and have varying perspectives on the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
History of nontrinitarian groups
Nontrinitarian groups arose early in Christian history, as some questioned and challenged the prevailing orthodox views of God as Trinity. Some key nontrinitarian groups over the centuries include:
- Adoptionists – Believed Jesus was born fully human and only became divine later at his baptism or resurrection.
- Arians – Rejected the divinity of Christ and viewed him as subordinate to and created by God the Father.
- Socinians – Believed Jesus was solely human but with a unique, exalted relationship to God.
- Christadelphians – View Jesus as a created being, subordinate to God.
- Unitarians – Emphasize the unity and singularity of God, rejecting the Trinity. Many modern Unitarian groups hold Jesus to be prophet and moral exemplar but not divine.
- Oneness Pentecostals – Reject the Trinity and hold that there is only one God who manifests himself in different “modes” or roles rather than distinct persons.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses – Believe that the Father alone is the Supreme God and that Jesus is His first created being and direct agent.
These and other nontrinitarian groups faced opposition from orthodox church authorities over the centuries and were deemed heretical. Today, nontrinitarian perspectives still exist within Christianity.
Main arguments against the Trinity
Nontrinitarians raise various theological arguments against Trinitarian doctrine:
- The Bible nowhere explicitly mentions the doctrine of the Trinity – The word “Trinity” is never found in Scripture and no biblical passage clearly lays out this doctrine. The Trinity is a later construct that tries to harmonize biblical statements about God, Jesus, and the Spirit.
- The oneness and unity of God – Numerous biblical passages emphasize that God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4; Galatians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:5). The Trinity seems contradictory, professing one God yet three co-equal, co-eternal persons.
- The subordinate role of Jesus – Jesus prays to God, is tempted by Satan, refers to teachings from the Father, and submits himself to God’s will. This suggests a subordinate role rather than an equal, co-eternal status within the Trinity (Luke 22:42; John 20:17).
- Jesus had a beginning – The Son was begotten by the Father, implying a beginning for Jesus’ existence rather than eternality (John 3:16).
- Hierarchy within the Godhead – Some statements portray a structured chain of authority and headship order: God over Christ, Christ over man, man over woman (1 Corinthians 11:3). This seems to contradict the co-equality within the Trinity.
- Humanity of Christ – Jesus is called a man and the son of man who died for sins (John 19:5; Matthew 12:40). This appears at odds with him being the eternal divine Son within the Trinity.
For these reasons, nontrinitarians believe the doctrine strays from the Bible’s depiction of God and Jesus’ relationship to Him.
Nontrinitarian perspectives on God
Given their rejection of the Trinity, how do nontrinitarians actually understand God? Views differ, but some common perspectives include:
Unitarianism
God is one person, a singular spirit being. Jesus is not God but was commissioned as God’s highest messenger and representative. Unitarians uphold strict monotheism and the humanity of Jesus.
Binitarianism
There are two in the Godhead – the Father and the Son Jesus Christ – but the Holy Spirit is not a distinct person of the Godhead. Christ is preexistent and divine but subordinate to the Father.
Modalism/Oneness
God is one person who reveals himself in different “modes” or roles, as opposed to being three co-eternal persons. In Scripture, God variously manifests as the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit depending on circumstances, but these are merely roles and not discrete persons within God.
Arianism
There is one supreme God, the Father. Jesus was created by God before the world began and is highly exalted over creation. As God’s firstcreated being, the Son is divine but not equal with the Father in essence, attributes, or status.
Adoptionism
God is one being, the Father. Jesus was a human who was empowered and adopted as God’s Son at his baptism, resurrection, or during his ministry, not eternally existing as the divine Son.
So in summary, nontrinitarians affirm monotheism and the oneness of God as traditionally understood in Judaism and Islam. By contrast, Trinitarians uphold that the one God exists eternally and simultaneously as three distinct co-equal, co-eternal persons. This is a core doctrinal difference between the two perspectives.
Nontrinitarian views of Jesus Christ
Nontrinitarians also have widely divergent Christological views of Jesus compared to mainstream orthodoxy:
- Arians view Jesus as the firstcreated being, existing before the universe, through whom God then created all other things. Jesus is divine and sinless but has a beginning, is subordinate to the Father, and differs in essence from him.
- Socinians and Christadelphians regard Jesus as fully human, born naturally with no preexistence. God uniquely and miraculously conceived Jesus in Mary and anointed him as Messiah at his baptism.
- Adoptionists believe Jesus was a normal human who was empowered and exalted to divine status after his baptism or resurrection.
- Modalists see Jesus as just one manifestation of the one God, not a separate, coequal, coeternal person of the Godhead.
- Unitarians consider Jesus to be a divinely inspired prophet and Son of God, but not God himself. They reject his preexistence and deity.
All groups exalt Jesus as specially chosen by God for a mission of revelation and salvation. But he is not regarded as equal with the Father or sharing the divine essence. This differs drastically from orthodoxy, where Christ is the eternal Word, agent of creation, incarnate God the Son, and 2nd person of the Trinity.
Nontrinitarian perspectives on the Holy Spirit
Understanding of the Holy Spirit also varies significantly:
- Modalists see the Spirit as another mode through which the one God operates rather than a distinct person.
- Arians regard the Spirit as the highest created angel, not equal with God.
- Socinians view the Spirit as an impersonal divine force or influence from God.
- Binitarians consider the Spirit to be God’s power in action, not a separate member of the Godhead.
- Unitarians may understand the Spirit as divine inspiration given by God to prophets and believers.
Most groups do not accept the personhood or divinity of the Spirit as understood in orthodox Trinitarianism. The Spirit is subordinate to the Father, and in some views, the Spirit is simply a force, not a being. This contrasts with the Trinity doctrine where the Spirit is the 3rd person who eternally proceeds from the Father and Son as God.
Other nontrinitarian beliefs
Beyond different views of God and Jesus Christ, nontrinitarians also differ from orthodoxy on other important doctrines:
- Human nature and original sin – Most groups deny that humans inherit a sinful nature from Adam or are born totally depraved. Humans have free will and can make the choice to sin or not.
- Atonement – Jesus’ death provides forgiveness of sins, but most groups reject that Jesus had to die to satisfy God’s justice or wrath. Some view his death as primarily an example of faithfulness.
- Salvation – Mainstream nontrinitarians affirm salvation by grace. But this grace is resistible, so salvation requires both faith and good works, not faith alone.
- Heaven, hell, and judgment – Views on the afterlife vary. Some assert conditional immortality and deny eternal torment in hell. Judgment focuses on works, and the unsaved are annihilated.
Overall, nontrinitarian theology rejects or reinterprets major tenets of historical Christian orthodoxy related to God, Christ, salvation, human nature, and eschatology. This underscores how divergent the belief systems are.
Common objections to nontrinitarianism
Nontrinitarians have faced significant objections and challenges from the established church over history:
- Accusations of polytheism – Trinitarians accuse nontrinitarians of professing multiple gods by denying that Jesus is God.
- Undermining biblical inspiration – Rejecting Jesus’ deity is thought to deny the truthfulness of Scripture’s testimony about him.
- False view of salvation – Only faith in the biblical Christ, not a lesser Jesus, is deemed efficacious for salvation.
- Insufficient glory given to Christ – Nontrinitarians are charged with failing to honor the Son of God to the degree Scripture warrants.
- No church tradition precedent – No major branch of historic Christianity has ever accepted nontrinitarian beliefs.
- Heresy – Mainstream Christianity has condemned nontrinitarian teachings as heretical deviations from apostolic doctrine.
Such objections underlie why nontrinitarian groups frequently faced persecution and accusations of heresy from orthodox church authorities, from the early church councils up through the Protestant Reformation.
Reasons for growth of nontrinitarian groups
While never comprising more than a minority of professed Christians, nontrinitarian groups have grown significantly in modern times. Factors behind their growth include:
- Emphasis on strict monotheism and God’s oneness – This appeals to Muslims and Jews as well as rationalists who see the Trinity as contradictory.
- Apparent biblical support – Some biblical verses seem to clearly contradict Trinitarian concepts if read at face value.
- Rejection of 4th century creeds – There is objection to codifying mystery and decreeing by councils beliefs not stated explicitly in Scripture.
- Belief that doctrine corrupted pure faith – The early church is deemed to have introduced false teachings like the Trinity that corrupted apostolic beliefs.
- Return to Scripture alone – Sola scriptura approach maintains that doctrines not clearly derived from the Bible alone should be rejected, including the Trinity.
- Intellectual and philosophical critiques – Some think the Trinity irrational or self-contradictory rather than a coherent metaphysic.
For these reasons, nontrinitarian groups increased in the 19th century and continue gaining adherents up to the present day. The growth of groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, and Christadelphians reflects the continuing appeal of anti-trinitarian belief systems.
Key takeaways on nontrinitarianism
In summary, the key points to understand about nontrinitarianism include:
- Nontrinitarians reject the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, instead maintaining that God is only one person.
- Jesus is not seen as God but rather some form of special, exalted messenger or son sent by God.
- Understanding of Jesus, his nature, and his relationship to God differs significantly among nontrinitarian groups.
- Most regard the Holy Spirit as a divine force rather than a distinct person of the Godhead.
- Nontrinitarians uphold strict monotheism and argue the Trinity wrongly compromises it.
- Mainstream Christianity has historically deemed nontrinitarian teachings as heresy.
- Nontrinitarian groups have increased despite facing ongoing objections from Trinitarian churches.
- Debates continue today over whether nontrinitarian or Trinitarian doctrine better reflects biblical revelation about God.
The centuries-old controversy persists as nontrinitarians promote an understanding of God different than that held by most Christians for nearly two millennia. The subtle nuances around this complex theological issue will likely continue being discussed and debated.
