The Trinity
Rik Van Nieuwenhove, William Crozier
The Oxford Handbook of Mystical Theology February 25, 2020 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198722380.013.24
Summary
Mystical theology offers resources for contemporary Trinitarian theology. Drawing on Bonaventure, participation in the Trinity is necessary for doing Trinitarian theology, as vision requires participation. The writings of Hadewijch and Ruusbroec can help solve systematic problems: Ruusbroec's concept of regyratio—the Holy Spirit as the principle of the divine Persons' return to shared unity—can circumvent the problem of Trinitarian inversion, the tension between accounts of immanent processions and the sequence of historical missions of the Son and Holy Spirit in the economic Trinity.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Ruusbroec's notion of regyratio can circumvent the problem of Trinitarian inversion by presenting the Holy Spirit as the principle of the return of the divine Persons into their shared unity. |
Abstract
This chapter considers mystical theology as a resource for theology of the Trinity today. It consists of two parts. The first part draws mainly on the Trinitarian theology of St Bonaventure to demonstrate that participation in the life of the Trinity is essential to begin to engage in theology of the Trinity: vision implies participation. The second part provides an example of how the writings of mystical theological authors, such as Hadewijch or Ruusbroec, can assist us in solving systematic theological problems. More particularly, we argue that Ruusbroec’s notion of regyratio (i.e. the Holy Spirit as the principle of the return of the divine Person into their shared unity) can circumvent the problem of ‘Trinitarian inversion’ (which refers to the problematic tension between accounts of the immanent processions, on the one hand, and the sequence of historical missions of the Son and Holy Spirit in the economic Trinity, on the other).