Philosophy aids theology

I read Prelude to Philosophy several years ago. At that time, the Trinity wasn't on my radar, probably not on many people's radar which reveals how low the doctrine was on the totem pole. One of the good outcomes of the Trinity debate is that it is getting us thinking about how we do theology. Author Mark Foreman uses the Trinity as an examples of how sound thinking AKA philosophy helps theological understanding.

"Another way philosophy aids theology is in helping Christians to draw out and express important theological concepts. For example, a cardinal belief for Christians is the doctrine of the Trinity: God in three persons. It is often surprising to many Christians to find out that not only is the word trinity not located in the Bible, but there is not even a straightforward, clear statement of the doctrine. This does not mean the doctrine is not in Scripture, for it can be inferred through bringing together a number of passages However, the main problem is that the doctrine often appears as contradictory. How can Christians claim that there is only one God and yet affirm that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God? It sounds like we are claiming that there is on God and that there are three Gods at the same time, which clearly constitutes a contradiction. The church fathers recognized this conundrum and appealed to philosophical concepts to express the Trinity. God is one ousia ("essence") eternally existing in three hypostaseis ("substances" or "persons"). Throughout the history of the church, Christian philosophers have often added in expressing theological ideas such as the dual nature of Jesus and the issues of free will and divine sovereignty."

After reading this section and flipping more through the book, I think it is time for a re-read.

Prelude to Philosophy: An Introduction for Christians, Mark W. Foreman, IVP Academic, 2013, pg. 91.