Preface

This book is the culmination of more than 25 years of searching, studying, praying, and self-doubt.  Getting to this point has been an arduous journey, a continuous cycle that keeps bringing me back to certain ideas, intuitions, and facts that I cannot seem to escape.  Because no matter how earnestly I have tried to arrive at a different conclusion – specifically the “orthodox” one – I always end up back where I began, praying that God would open my eyes and show me the error that keeps bringing me back here time and time again.  And what is “here,” this conclusion that I cannot ignore? 

The doctrine of the Trinity is seriously, if not hopelessly, flawed.

I do not make this statement lightly, for I am well aware that many others have headed down similar paths before, only to end up in places that are far more dubious and dangerous than the doctrine they are questioning in the first place.  Accordingly, since this whole endeavor could prove to be nothing more than the latest heresy in a long line of failed alternatives, I have kept my musings mostly to myself for fear of propagating needless confusion and error…until now.  Because not only have I become convinced that there is in fact a better answer to the riddle of “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” but ultimately, even if I’m completely wrong, the gravest heresies still serve a purpose by galvanizing the church to clarify and articulate the essence of our faith.  Clearly I’m betting on the former, rather than the latter…

In either case, just because I have finally decided to “go public” does not mean that my journey is complete.  On the contrary, God’s Word is inexhaustible, and it would be the height of arrogance to presume that I have plumbed the depths of His Word, His Wisdom, or His Being.  There is always more to discover, more to learn, more about God to worship, which in turn forces me to acknowledge that the answer to my prayer might come at any time.  Indeed, I have no illusions of infallibility, so if and when the day comes that the truth of the Trinity is made plain to me, then I will have no choice but to recant and rejoice!  Until then, there is one thing I do know with absolute certainty: my journey is far from over. 

With that in mind, I am offering this chronicle of my 25-year trek for your consideration.  I’m sure that many will be angered by this book, others will be shaken by it, and still others will simply dismiss it as irreverent drivel.  Please believe me, though, when I say that it is not my goal to stir up controversy for its own sake, and neither is my intention to offend or otherwise disparage the legitimacy of anyone’s convictions.  I am simply asking questions and looking for answers, and my sincere hope is that you will find something edifying in the pages that follow as you accompany me on my journey.  Furthermore, whether you agree with me completely, partially, or not at all, I trust that you will be inspired to search the Scriptures anew. 

So before we begin, allow me to address a few housekeeping issues regarding sources and citations so that there is no confusion.  First, passages of Scripture are taken from the NASB translation unless otherwise noted.  It is widely regarded as one of the most accurate English translations available, and to the extent that other translations are used it is primarily due to the familiarity of the passage in the alternative version.  Second, all other supporting historical and technical information has been drawn from a variety of sources, most of which is readily available on-line.  This can admittedly be problematic since the Internet enables anyone to publish anything and pass it off as fact; nevertheless, I have strived – to the best of my ability – to ensure that the material presented is:

• Verifiable – The information has been corroborated by multiple sources, or is generally accepted as accurate
• Reliable – I have tried to draw from peer-reviewed or academic sites whenever possible, as opposed to simply using Wikipedia (which is still a valuable resource in its own right) or “Toms.Religion.Blog.com”

That being said, this book is not intended to be an academic paper whereby every source is cross-referenced and annotated.  To the contrary, since all of the information herein is essentially at your fingertips, if you see something that doesn’t look right, I trust that you will start your own journey and seek to find the answers for yourself.