What is a divine Person in Full Interval Trinity Theory?

In Concrete Terms

Traditionally, the individual in Trinitarian theology is called a hypostasis. In our theory of the Trinity here on RobertDryer.com A divine person is pure agency open to the other fully actualizing the divine life congruent with the other. In more concrete terms, I like to think of a divine Person as the very act of being a presentation, representation and manifestation of all actuality, and openness to another, which is individuality too. A static substance doesn’t have experience nor can it be the experience, but a complete relationship can be both an individual and not merely an individual, in contrast to substantial terms.

This concrete expression highlights the idea that the divine Persons embody and express the fullness of divine attributes and potentials. Additionally, highlighting their openness to another and the individuality that arises from this openness emphasizes the relational dynamics within the Trinity and the coexistence of unity and diversity.

The theory of the Trinity presented here at RobertDryer.com contextualizes this reflection of divine persons within the DCIT (an identity theory), and the full interval trinity theory (3)PA[DivAP, DivIO]=[Actus Purus, Immanentia Omnis]. There are full articles on these ideas here and you can read those articles the next time you visit this website. Feel free.

The Glossary Definition

The glossary of terms I define Persons like this:

Persons (in Trinitarian theology): The three distinct realities—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—within the one God of Christian belief. In the context of the convention T = [AP, IO], the Persons are seen as pure agencies (PA=DivAP*DivIO), each fully actualizing all divine potentials (DivAP) in an infinitely open manner (DivIO). This framework allows each Person to fully present, represent, and manifest the immanent reality of the transcendent qualities they embody. They each fully express the divine nature’s transcendent aspects within their unique relational identities.

In light of the foundational concepts (Relational-Personal Complex (RPC)), each divine Person also participates in an ongoing relational conversation, reflecting a relational ontology. They intimately interpenetrate one another in a perichoretic dance of mutual indwelling, reflecting a unique divine communion. The relationship between the Father and the Son is additionally characterized by eternal generation, emphasizing the dynamic actualization of divine potentiality in relational context. Despite their relational distinctness, they all share in the unity of the divine essence, upholding the foundational unity-in-diversity that characterizes the Trinity. These relations and interactions are not bound by temporal, spatial, or sensory constraints, reflecting the infinite openness of their being. (Cheesy metaphors used for simplicity’s sake.)

Scriptural Reflection

A couple of scriptures come to mind beyond the theory of persons here. In the Gospel of John, for example, Jesus speaks of his relationship with the Father, emphasizing their unity and mutual indwelling. Jesus says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) and prays for his disciples, “that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:22). These verses highlight the profound interconnection and shared purpose between the Father and the Son, exemplifying the concept of pure agency and the complete actualization of divine potentials. In being the full actualization of the divine Jesus also gives the space for people to be participants in the divine life which gives us our own personhood which not only presents and represents individuality, but gives one the space to participate in the ultimate One too.

Additionally, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus commissions his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This baptismal formula reveals the relational nature of the divine persons and their openness to one another. It emphasizes the unity-in-diversity within the Trinity and the essential role of each person in manifesting the immanent reality of the transcendent God. The semantic consequence and entailment of such a claim is that the divine name is a referent to the sublime life that is both transcendent and immanent for all. Being a disciple is a special way to participate in the divine life being towards a death that is structured in faith, hope, and love.

I hope this reflection of personhood in context of the Full Interval Trinity Theory helps. For more on this subject you can go here: A Comprehensive Trinitarian Theology: Uniting Divine Simplicity and Relational Ontology – RobertDryer

We end with the Nicene Creedal reflex which has kept the faith in check all this time: