ok you obviously have some knowledge on this topic. But your answer danced around a bit. lol
You say 1800's? I feel like its much more recent than that.
Can anybody confirm. Are baptists trinitarians? southern baptist? how about mormans? 7th day adventists? methodists? Catholic I thought were the original trinitarians.
when padraig converted ireland he explained that the trinity was like a clover, three parts of a single whole, now this was kinda weird for the eiru of the time, since they had more gods spirits powers and supernatural forces than you could shale a shillelaghs at but thats how the early christians rolled,
three distinct persons, acting in concert, but there were but the one god, and the other two were simply faces he showed now and again. this satisfied the eiru, as most of their gods had more than just one aspect (personage, appearance and personality) which they would change as readily as you might change your clothes.
examples:
Morrigan the Bitch Queen, Chooser of the Slain:
as a comely maiden, she selects those men who are doomed to die in battle that day
as a spinster she brings prophetic dreams peaceful sleep or nightmares as she deems needed for any particular mortal who draws her attention
as a hag she makes prophecies and foretellings for anyone barve/foolish enough to seek her out in Glashtin (the forge of the underworld)
as a raven she actually spirits away the souls of the honoured dead to anwynn, the lair of arawnn, the dishonoured dead are brought to her abode in Glashtin, where they serve pennance forging armour and weapons for the Wild Hunt
Arwnn Lord of Anwynn, Keeper of the Dead
as a beggar or a fool in tattered mottley, he indulges his enjoyment of observing mortals in their day to day existence, whether they be wealthy and powerful or just sheepherders
as the Lord In Grey he watches over anwynn and ensures that all who die arrive in safety, and should they face his test, they may enter his hall, if they flee from his test they wander anwynn until they face the test, escape as a spirit or haunt to the mortal world, or get consumed by something
as the leader of the Wild Hunt, he pursues and drags back any who escape anwynn to ensure that the mortal world is for mortals
as the Lord of the Evening he is the third lord of the seelie court and enforces the Bann within the mortal world
Cernunnous, Lord of Death and Rebirth
as the Green Man he ensures the cycles of the seasons every realm
as the White Stag he ensures the cycles birth death and rebirth for all creatures of nature
as John Barleycorn, the Drunkard in the Cloak Of Leaves he personally ensures that fermentation and distillation function as intended, and samples every batch personally (he is quite dedicated)
as the Horned God he watches over all men who hunt fish or till the land ensuring that as long as they heed his laws and the Bann they will be prosperous
and so on...
so padraig's explanation of a single god with three faces sat well with them, where three people each being the same actual god was confusing as fuck.
up till the 70's and early 80's most american denominations (cept the catholics) observed the classicthree guys, with one boss trinity, one god, one messiah operating under the direction of that god, and one supernatural busybody who did most of the actual work of fucking with your shit and whatnot, which was the "father son, holy ghost" mythology of preference in the pulpits of most every church (cept the catholics) in the US. this had the advantage of adhering to the ten commandments exhortation to "have no other gods before me" while still allowing a panoply of angels demons, and other "totally not gods" supernatural powers while still claiming to be monotheistic.
meanwhile in europe...
for about 1800 years one god with many faces was all the rage. god sat on high, making the world and being omnipotent, god simultaneously got crucified on the cross, and god was also the dove who spoke at god's baptism with god's voice saying "Behold my son
ME in whom I am well pleased" (omnipotent yes, but not terribly modest) and who later, in the garden of Gethsemane entreated
HIMSELF to ask if perhaps
HIS OWN CUP could pass to another.... (that presumptive "Other" would most likely also be
HIMSELF too making this mythology extremely confusing... ) starting in the 70's the "new age" bullshit and eastern mysticism began to take off, so US churches started casting about for some formula that would keep Butts in the Seats, and they decided that Ye Olde Tyme Religion, and the bizarre confusing
Me Myself and I "Trinity of One" was just the kind of gag that keeps people coming back for more.
curiously, mormons and jehovah's witnesses still stick to the one god, and his two helpers mythology while most other denominations and sects have jumped on board with the catholic's schizophrenic ideas. but then catholics have never been that keen on the ten commandments, particularly the parts about graven images since icons, relics, and whatnot make such excellent profit margins (it's all in the merchandising) and declaring saints gives you a cheap local pop, and a boost in turnout whenever you launch a new demigod into the gigantic pantheon of "Totally Not Gods" gods.
i mean really... Junipero Serra? come on. next theres gonna be a patron saint of serial killers.
so now you know. it all started with a failed attempt to explain how theres ONE god, and his two helpers to some drunk irishmen, the whole thing spiraled out of control and became dogma, then got dumped in the US while still hanging on in europe, then re-adopted in the US in the 1970's and 80's to try and boost attendance at the flagging churches, and get a piece of the merchandising that the catholics had been enjoying for so long.
and thats why pebbles from the holy land, magic prayer hankies, special anointing oil and magical candles are sold in most churches in america today when it would have been blasphemy just a few decades ago.
