I think Harold Bloom reads my posts

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

He is bound by physical laws, and if one assumes superdimensionality many experiences are possible, but I doubt that's what Niceans were thinking.

In reality, my theory is twofold, either they negotiated a polictical compromise, or they intentionally articulated an ambiguity in order to retain power over the masses or to hedge their bets.

We see things through an LDS paradigm. Evangelicals believe only the Son is embodied. The Godhead is a metaphysical, not physcial, substance, so it's not subject to physical laws.

But even our own Stephen E. Robinson said, "God has a body. His body doesn't have Him."

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by All-American

*ding!*

The Nicene creed was all about maintaining unity among Christianity. There was little regard from Constantine regarding the truth-- he simply wanted the dispute to be over with.

By the way, it won't do to argue that Constantine was a believer in Christianity at the time of the council of Nice. In fact, he showed up dressed as Sol Invictus-- the sun god, complete with gold paint (apparently having never seen Goldfinger) and a gold diadem on his head. He regarded himself as a representative of the supreme god, ordained to settle the disputes among the inferior Christian sects.

It certainly was a compromise, a compromise between the 1 God of the OT and 3 Gods of the NT. I believe Constantine did want to end the dispute, but that didn't mean he had scholars do their best to extrapolate from scripture.

No, I don't see any contradiction with one being in three persons. That mask analogy is for modalism, not trinitarianism. Barbara's apple thing works better.

I'm lifelong LDS, but I've been influenced by neo-Orthodox thinkers at BYU.

[All-American]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

It certainly was a compromise, a compromise between the 1 God of the OT and 3 Gods of the NT. I believe Constantine did want to end the dispute, but that didn't mean he had scholars do their best to extrapolate from scripture.

No, I don't see any contradiction with one being in three persons. That mask analogy is for modalism, not trinitarianism. Barbara's apple thing works better.

I'm lifelong LDS, but I've been influenced by neo-Orthodox thinkers at BYU.

VERY neo.

Well, I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.