The Decline and Fall of the West? Debates about the Trinity in Contemporary Christian Theology

This article traces the development of discussion about the Trinity in 20th century Christian theology. It details how contemporary theologians have understood the doctrine to function, and highlights the influence and reception of key thinkers such as Karl Barth, Karl Rahner, and Vladimir Lossky. It examines the function of the "standard narrative'' as a critique of the psychological analogy of Augustine and Aquinas, through an opposition between Eastern and Western thinking about the Trinity, that dates to the work of Theodore de Regnon. It shows the distinct stages of development in modern trinitarian theology, as well as critiques of the standard narrative in current historical scholarship. It reflects on the use of Trinity for thinking about the history of salvation, and for developing ideas about divine and human persons as relational, before asking critical questions about the state of the discussion.