Triad_(religion)

Triad (religion)

Triad (religion)

Grouping of three gods


A triad, in a religious context, refers to a grouping of three gods, usually by importance or similar roles. A triad of gods were usually not considered to be one in the same being, or different aspects of a single deity as in a Trinity or Triple deity.

Triads of three closely associated deities were commonly found throughout the ancient world, and in particular in the religious traditions of Ancient Greece and Egypt.[1]

List of deity triads

This part of a 12th-century Swedish tapestry has been interpreted to show, from left to right, the one-eyed Odin, the hammer-wielding Thor and Freyr holding up an ear of corn.[2]

Historical polytheism

Christian Trinity

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (Latin: Trinitas, lit.'triad', from Latin: trinus "threefold")[12] defines God as being one god existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial persons:[13][14] God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit — three distinct persons sharing one essence.[15] In this context, the three persons define who God is, while the one essence defines what God is.[16] This doctrine is called Trinitarianism and its adherents are called trinitarians, while its opponents are called antitrinitarians or nontrinitarians. Nontrinitarian positions include Unitarianism, Binitarianism and Modalism.

Dharmic religions

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva seated on lotuses with their consorts: Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Paravati respectively. ca 1770.

Other Eastern religions

Neopaganism

Esotericism

See also


References

  1. Ancient Egyptian religion: The Gods. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
  2. Chambers's Encyclopedia Volume 1
  3. "The Biblical Astronomy of the Birth of Moses". Try-god.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  4. The twelve gods of Greece and Rome, Charlotte R. Long, p. 11
  5. Manfred Lurker, Lexikon der Götter und Symbole der alten Ägypter, Scherz 1998, p. 214f.
  6. "Definition of trinity in English". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012.
  7. Daley, Brian E. (2009). "The Persons in God and the Person of Christ in Patristic Theology: An Argument for Parallel Development". God in Early Christian Thought. Leiden & Boston: Brill. pp. 323–350. ISBN 978-9004174122.
  8. Definition of the Fourth Lateran Council quoted in Catechism of the Catholic Church §253. Latin: substantia, essentia seu natura divina (DS 804).
  9. "Frank Sheed, Theology and Sanity". Ignatiusinsight.com. Retrieved 3 November 2013.

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