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Masterful Trinity Teaching can be very difficult unless you have a solid philosophical and theological foundation in the content. Even then, you need to carefully think about what you are doing. Here is a time-tested approach to teaching the Trinity which has been used in dozens of High School classes in many different demographics.

This form of teaching can be done from Grade 8 up to Grade 12, but adults can benefit greatly from it as well, if they have never learnt it. The lack of foundational religious learning in society today is sadly quite common.

The ideal year for deeper concept introduction is in early Grade 10, when abstract thinking is more highly developed in children, particularly in some demographic areas, where delays in childhood development are common, and which may render theological content understanding problematic. However Grades 8 and 9 are possible.

Masterfully Teaching the Trinity Audience

My standard hook involves starting with a prayer using the “Sign of the Cross” visibly and expressly. After which, I then rhetorically ask: “Ever considered why you bless yourself with a Sign of the Cross. It’s the sign of the Trinity”.

Then I say: Ever consider why we say in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit? We do not say in the Names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Today we will find out the reasons why this is the case.

You call yourself Christian. You at least want to explain something about the God in which you actually believe, and with whom you wish to spend all eternity, don’t you?

Now quietly ask yourself this question: “Is Jesus a Human Person? Yes or No? [Pause briefly]. Don’t call out and don’t tell anyone your answer. There is only one right answer if you do not want to be a Arian heretic from the 4th century, whom St Nicholas of Symna, the original Santa Claus railed against, at the Council of Nicaea.

Today we will learn what the correct doctrinal answer is and why.

If someone asks you to explain the Trinity after today, ask them that question first. Their response will tell you a lot about their intellectual life.

Masterful Trinity Teaching – Building Blocks

Then I say: “How shall we do all this for you today? The secret is in teaching you the building blocks of the Trinity.

You must know the definitions of Person and Nature. They are a philosophical key to a deeper understanding, along with words like Spirit, Intellect and Free Will etc…

One last thing before we start. If anyone says they understand the Trinity at the end of this course, I will fail you outright.

God is Infinite. We are finite. We cannot totally understand God. We see Him very faintly as though a brief vague glimpse through a very foggy window pane. The doctrine of Trinity is a truly brilliant achievement. It gives us a brief glimpse. Know it well!

Use a Trinity PowerPoint and Kahoot Quiz

To help you do all this training, we recommend you shop for our Trinity PowerPoint.

It gives you a very good baseline on which to customise your Trinity presentation. Symballousa Kahoot Quizzes on the Trinity are also one of our most popular quizzes.

I Am Who Am — Explain I AM WHO AM as Being itself

In today’s classroom, the catechetical duty of explaining Divinity correctly within Christianity is of such vital importance. Its foundational.

Vision of Godhead

Early High School children still see Godhead in concrete mental terms as an old man with white hair who lives in the clouds.

In fact, many adults have still not grown out of this useful, but human limited conception of the Godhead, designed for explicitly for younger children with concrete thinking. They never received apologetics or basic theological training in high school.

First Step

The way you can bring up this limitation in the classroom is via a “Who am I?” Anonymous Survey Quiz, at the start of every new religion class that you take.

Besides gaining information about the state of religious thinking in the class, two questions should included on the survey quiz sheet:

Explain your understanding of God in a sentence?
What is the single most important thing in your life?

Usual Responses

Invariably the answers to the first question will generally vary, and depends on what was taught and what appeals to the child. Powerful King, Supreme Being, Jesus, Loving Father, Old White Bearded Man in the Clouds, Don’t Believe, Peaceful Entity etc..

Answers to the second question in nearly 90+% of cases is usually “Family”, with various sadder and humorous entries sometimes made as well.

Sometimes you might have “God” as a response for the second question. You have a very rare special child in your class in that case. I did occasionally.

Next Dialogue Steps

At the second class, you should have collated all answers and highlighted the answers. Anonymous of course. Do not let them write names. Many would not have anyway.

Once done, point out that class conceptions of the Godhead are generally partially correct and they usually are but that they limited, because the better definition of God is “BEING itself”. You can then point out this comes from Moses on the Mount with the Burning Bush, when God tells Moses His Name. The great “I AM WHO AM” in Hebrew. I am all existence that exists. God is BEING itself, not just a part of being.

Thus, you can point out, He is not just an Old Man with White Hair in the clouds, (however useful a concept that might be for explaining Him to young children), but it is now time for you to deepen your understanding of Christian doctrine, which has always taught that God is BEING itself. He is Existence, ALL things “visible and invisible” as we say in the Nicene Creed.

You will find many stunned looks. Press on with the advantage of Truth. The penny generally drops at this point.

Thus, if you believe this chair is a chair and it exists, then you already believe in existence, and already believe in God somewhat.

The real question to ponder or then ask: Is this Divine Entity personal? Now is the time to assist the child or even adult with doubts or unbelief. That is your issue isn’t it?

If God is infinite existence, then we must say God is Truth, God is Goodness, God is Beauty, God is Mercy and God is Love etc…

We call these attributes of God. So, you can say Love is God, Truth is God, Goodness is God, and so on. They are interchangeable. You can repeat interchangeably. For example His Justice is Mercy, His Mercy is Justice. His Truth is Justice and His Justice is Truth. His Truth is Good and His Goodness is Truth etc… They all swirl into the Eternal One.

Introduce True Unconditional Love as God

But what is True Love? Tell me what is required for Love? “Hanging Silence”…

Answer: It is an exchange between at least two Persons. Thus, God must also be personal. But this infinite exchange of Love would logically be a third person in the Trinity. The third person always also present from the beginning. Hence Trinity completion, and hence how man, woman and child mirror the Trinity. Being finite our acts of Love result in many children in time and space.

At this point, I usually read a brilliant chapter excerpt from Frank Sheed’s book:

“Theology for Beginners“: Chapter on Three Divine Persons.

Afterwards, highlight how God is Trinitarian and that the Communion of the Human Family is a finite image of the Trinitarian Communion. In other words, Father, Mother and Child are a finite communitive representation of the Trinitarian Communion.

Mankind (and stress the “kind” aspect) is made in the image and likeness of God, as it says in the Book of Genesis. Mankind being finite has to generate more children. However, the Trinitarian Generation or Procession of the Third Person is infinite.

How does Family relate to Divinity?

You can then point out how the vast majority of students answered “Family” for the second question, and that the others might have answered the same way, if their family life was perhaps a bit more stable, or they were a little more focused in answering.

In answering “Family” you are really answering the “Trinity”, which you unconsciously seek in that finite image of unconditional love within Family Life. Something you all appear to treasure most of all, even those with difficult circumstances.

Completing this lesson, you will have laid solid epistemological, philosophical, and theological foundations for many later religion classes. Get it right though!

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Masterful Trinity Teaching