The Trinity

[rkwright]

So I guess I'm looking for a somewhat breif, but supported idea of the teaching on the trinity...

I was reading "A Short History of Christian and Thought" and it raised the debate on the trinity, but no real answers... alomst like the questions were left unanswered.

Questions as follows...

If the 3 persons of the Trinity all equally share in the divine nature, if the Son is fully God, then what are the differences are there in the persons? restated, How is God the Son different from God the Father if they are both God?

*Disclaimer! I'm up for the indepth complex answers, as long as they're also explained a bit! I don't have a degree in theology!

[Laudate_Dominum]

[quote]How is God the Son different from God the Father if they are both God?[/quote]

A really short reply:

In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council, they are distinct in that it is the Father who generates, the Son who is generated, and the Holy Spirit who processes [by spiration].

There have been vast volumes throughout the history of the Church expounding upon these mysteries and I will not even attempt to give an account. Some names of note: Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Nanzienzen, Maximos, Augustine, Bonaventure, Thomas, Palamas, et cetera.

Some would affirm the articulation of Lateran IV but insist that this is an impenetrable mystery.

The Augustinian tradition might say that the persons are distinct in their relations. Depending on precisely how this is understood it could be a heretical statement (modalism or some such thing).
In the creed we say that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father and that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
The Father is distinct in that He is unbegotten, unoriginate, the First Principle of the Godhead. There are two Divine Processions ([i]ekporeusis[/i]), but the Spirit is distinct in that the procession of the Holy Spirit alone is a spiration ([i]pneusis[/i]).

The second council of Lyon decreed that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son as from one principle and by one spiration. It should be noted that there are theological traditions within the Church that insist that the Father alone is the hypostatic origin of the Spirit, but it can be said that in the energies ([i]energeia[/i]) of God the Spirit is active through the Father and the Son.

It is not unheard of that persons of this theological tradition in union with Rome argue against the authoritative and binding status of the decrees of Lyon II as well as Toledo XI.

Perhaps I'm being a bit tangential and ought to close my mouth.

I hope this helps.