# From Church History on the One God in Three Persons

> The real theological exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity came about in the Hellenistic world in two stages: in the controversy with Gnosticism, in the third…

*2018-04-12T08:52:00Z*

![“The real theological exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity came about in the Hellenistic world in two stages: in the controversy with Gnosticism, in the third century, and in the controversy with Greek philosophy, which had rooted the theses of the Apologists and entered the Church, in the fourth century, through Arius. This division is, without doubt, a simplification, since much give and take took place between the two controversies, as appears clearly in one of the greatest theologians of the ancient Church: Origen.” — Cardinal Walter Kasper, The God of Jesus Christ, pp. 267-268 (Arabic ed.)](/uploads/sites/1274e232-e31c-46f4-a48b-27b854406479/media/evidence-bc067db5-617b-4109-b663-a7107b49dc3d-en-square.png?w=1080&h=1080)

### Cardinal Walter Kasper says in “The God of Jesus Christ”, pp. 267-268 (Arabic ed.):

The real theological exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity came about in the Hellenistic world in two stages: in the controversy with Gnosticism, in the third century, and in the controversy with Greek philosophy, which had rooted the theses of the Apologists and entered the Church, in the fourth century, through Arius. This division is, without doubt, a simplification, since much give and take took place between the two controversies, as appears clearly in one of the greatest theologians of the ancient Church: Origen.

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*Originally published on the Orthodox Heritage Initiative (مبادرة التراث الأرثوذكسي), 12 April 2018.*

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Source: https://abba.fadymondy.com/en/blog/cardinal-kasper-on-the-history-of-trinitarian-doctrine