The Trinity, Book 2, Chapter 4

Apologies for the radio silence--the academic year was nuts. Hopefully, I can attend to the blog a little more this summer.

In this chapter, Augustine begins to investigate the various theophanies of the Old Testament. He focuses on Abraham and Adam. Again, Augustine's drive is to point out the unitive properties of the Trinity.

In Adam's case, Augustine focuses on the conversation between Adam and God in Genesis where God asks "why are you hiding?" What Augustine wants to emphasize is how God here is appearing as man--there are various human qualities God is exhibiting: footfalls, voices. Is it significant that these qualities are connected to sound? The intersection between sound and the divine seems to indicate this is both an important aspect of divine revelation, but also the most under-theorized. The scopic is always privileged--but somehow the ears are the sense organs that seem to "pick-up" or "tune into" God more often. Augustine admits no one is sure how God sounds to human ears, but God is making sound. Augustine leaves this passage by suggesting that nothing says this is NOT the unitive voice of the Trinity as in other Biblical passages (Mt. 3:17; Jn 12:28) clearly indicate a definitive speaker.

The second passage that Augustine investigates is that involving Abraham. Augustine seizes on Abraham calling the three men who appear to him as "Lord." At times, Abraham and Lot are dealing with the Trinity, and in other events, they are dealing with angels. Augustine parses this out by saying when Abraham addresses "lords" he is dealing with a plural (suggesting separate entities, the angels?), but when they address the three or two as "Lord" in the singular (such as in Lot's house) then the Trinity as unitive is present. Thus, Abraham and Lot are recognizing a shifting Triune nature or a sudden angelic presence right in front of them. How suggestive that Abraham and Lot can sense changing numbers and essences right in front of them--and how their minds are able to comprehend when that shift happens.