After Nicaea. Developing a Relational Model of the Trinity

This paper analyses strands in patristic thought and the modern Nicene heritage of inner-Trinitarian relations. First, I examine a link between the Athanasian conception of the Father-Son relation and the dynamics described by Gregory of Nazianzus. Gregory’s light imagery builds on a Nicene understanding of apophaticism and induces a new understanding of the Trinity. This links pertinent topological and relational aspects, and also reflects three sources: (1) John’s Gospel, (2) the philosophical emphasis on light and illumination, and (3) the Nicene formulation ‘Light from Light’. Second, I examine the impact of the relational turn in modern Trinitarian theology. I analyse both Hans Urs von Balthasar’s topological and dramatic concepts and John Zizioulas’ discussions of the hypostasis. I also examine how Dumitru Stăniloae connects light imagery with Trinitarian intersubjectivity and the perfect communion of love. I conclude by evaluating the creative potential such a model has for contemporary Trinitarian reflections.