The early Eastern theologians – and John the Evangelist was always considered the theologian and model for them all – were the seasoned ascetics who, pure in heart, were caught up in the non-objectified, mysterious, circular movement of triadic love. They were taught a knowledge of God that was not different from experienced love of God. And they taught, not by relaying to others a system of abstract truths about God, but by leading other Christians into the mystery of God.

But when speculative theology became divorced from the mysticism of John and Paul, the doctrine of the Trinity became something taught, to which Christians gave an intellectual assent and accepted as true. It was not taught and preached, though, as the most “practical” revealed truth of all, having transforming effects on our understanding of God, Christ, ourselves, the Church and the world.

Karl Rahner complains with great disappointment in his book, The Trinity, that, if this doctrine were to be declared unnecessary to the Christian faith, few Christian lives would be affected, and sadly enough he writes: the major part of religious literature could well remain virtually unchanged.

The Eastern Church sees the doctrine of the Trinity as absolutely foundational to our belief in God. It also sees as absolutely important that our understanding of the Trinity should not be academic and abstract but, rather, experiential. Our understanding of God as Triune in nature is critical to our understanding of our relationship with Him and that His Spirit, which is love personified, is the             essential force that binds us to Him and to all other humans. That is why in the teachings of Jesus we see that He stresses the absolute importance of unconditional love.