Unitarianism și Trinitate în penticostalismul global. O analiză teologică ortodoxă
Unitarianism and the Trinity in Global Pentecostalism. An Orthodox Theological Analysis

Author(s): Alexandru Baciu
Subject(s): Theology and Religion, Comparative Studies of Religion
Published by: Editura Doxologia
Keywords: unitarianism; pentecostal; mission;
Summary/Abstract: We would be tempted to say that after two millennia of Christianity, after a long period in which the Church of Christ had moments of hard trial, of defense, affirmation, reaffirmation of the teaching of faith concerning the dogma of the Holy Trinity in the face of the most terrible heresies, to believe that antitrinitarianism has disappeared. That Arian subordinationism, Sabellian modalism, Macedonianism are a thing of the past. Nothing could be further from the truth. The great dogmatist, the Reverend Justin Popovich, has an actual statement, which expresses the reality that we live: “Arianism is not dead, it is still alive. It has not been buried”. To deny the reality of the supreme existence of the Holy Trinity or to alter in any way the teaching on the Holy Trinity, as expounded with golden words in apologetic works by the Holy Fathers of our Church, is to deny life itself, the purpose of human existence, to condemn the world, creation to eternal death. Father Dumitru Stăniloae said that “the Holy Trinity is the supreme mystery of existence, which explains everything, or without which nothing can be explained”. Only the Trinitarian teaching of the Church distinguishes authentic, Orthodox Christianity from other religions in the sense that “such a Godhead is the only saving one”. Global Pentecostalism today is fragmented by this “ancient dispute” between Unitarians and those who embrace the dogma of the Holy Trinity. The “Oneness Pentecostalism” movement, including here the Branhamite Pentecostals (after the Pentecostal modalist William Branham), is a non-institutionalized Pentecostal structure that embraces Sabellian modalism. They, like the 3rd century heretic, deny the Holy Trinity, claiming that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are merely “manifestations, roles, modes, titles, ascriptions, distinct relationships to man, or functions of the one God”. In this study I will analyze, from an Orthodox perspective, the Unitarian phenomenon present in global Pentecostalism and its missiological and ecumenical implications.

• Details
• Contents