Trinitarian

Trinitarian refers to a Christian who adheres to the doctrine of the Trinity, the belief that God exists as one essence in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinitarians affirm that these persons are coequal and coeternal, sharing the same divine nature, and that each person fully and completely is God while remaining distinct in relation to the others.

The doctrine addresses the relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, maintaining monotheism while affirming the full divinity of Jesus and the Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet not separate; they subsist in a single divine being. The term “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, but the concept is derived from scriptural passages and was formalized by early Christian theologians, notably in the Nicene Creed (325) and the Constantinople Creed (381).

In practice, the vast majority of mainstream Christian traditions—Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant churches—are Trinitarian. The doctrine has been central to orthodox Christology and soteriology, though theologians differ in nuances of how the relations among the persons are described.

There are nontrinitarian groups that reject the doctrine, such as Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and some Oneness Pentecostal movements, as well as some Latter-day Saint interpretations. These groups offer alternative understandings of the nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

See also: Trinity, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed.