An Essay on the Trinity: On the Discrepancy between the Sabellian and Athanasian Method of Representing the Doctrine of the Trinity

With regard to Schleiermacher’s views as a Trinitarian, I can truly say, that I have met with scarcely any writer, ancient or modern, who appears to have a deeper conviction of, or more hearty belief in, the doctrine of the Godhead of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the basis, on which the whole super-structure of hi Christian system rests. - Translator’s Introduction These remarks will likely shock readers of modern theology, which has so often disregarded Schleiermacher’s Trinitarianism as nonessential. However, this essay, reproduced here for the first time, provides a fascinating example of how deeply Trinitarian Schleiermacher’s theology truly was. Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (November 21, 1768 - February 12, 1834) was a German theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional Protestant Christianity. He also became influential in the evolution of Higher Criticism, and his work forms part of the foundation of the modern field of hermeneutics. Because of his profound effect on subsequent Christian thought, he is often called the Father of Modern Liberal Theology and is considered an early leader in liberal Christianity. The Neo-Orthodoxy movement of the twentieth century, typically (though not without challenge) seen to be spearheaded by Karl Barth, was in many ways an attempt to challenge his influence. This is the first published edition of Schleiermacher’s important essay, On the Discrepancy between the Sabellian and Athanasian Method of Representing the Doctrine of the Trinity. Parts 1 and 2 were originally published in separate issues of in The Biblical Repository and Quarterly Observer (April and July, 1835).