William Paul Young & Richard Rohr on the Nature of the Trinity — The Divine Dance

About this sermon

This webcast talk hosted by the Center for Action and Contemplation was delivered by Fr. Richard Rohr and William Paul Young and on September 20, 2016. Their discussion focused on the nature of the Trinity as it is understood in the Judeo-Christian Tradition and some of the ways in which western Christianity has misunderstood the nature of God. This webcast begins with an introduction by Mike Morrell and Fr. Richard Rohr. William Paul Young then begins his talk critiquing the destructive beliefs that humans are inherently separate from God, that we are inherently bad, and that God is angry with us. He addresses these by taking a close look at the language used in the prologue to John’s gospel and in the opening lines of Genesis which communicate that “relationship is the deepest reality of the character and nature of God.” Paul goes on to teach that creation is created within the relationship of the Trinity and cannot exist outside of that relationship. Because this is our nature, aloneness is a lie: nothing in creation has ever been separate from God. Much of Christianity over the last two thousand years, however, has adopted this lie which has created the darkness that it so often projects onto God and humanity. Paul goes on to discuss his metaphor for God in his novel The Shack, explaining the pain that he has faced in deconstructing a theology which made him believe that God was disgusted by him. Breaking free of those beliefs has taught him that God is self-giving love itself. CENTER FOR ACTION AND CONTEMPLATION The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) is an educational nonprofit introducing seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. Founded by Richard Rohr in 1987, our programs and resources are designed to help deepen prayer practice and strengthen compassionate engagement in the world. https://cac.org Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3QypRgu Learn more about Who We Are: https://bit.ly/3D8TtdU Learn more about What We Do: https://bit.ly/3qrYFGc Learn more about Richard Rohr: https://bit.ly/3ozYdmP Learn more about Contemplation: https://bit.ly/3wNojGF

Topics

• The Trinity