Lessons from Alexandria: The Trinity, the Soteriological Problem and the Rise of Modern Adventist Antitrinitarianism

Abstract

Among the ancient schools of theology, Alexandria holds special prominence. The school began about 185 a.d. for the exclusive purpose of instructing converts from paganism to Christianity. Very quickly, and under the leadership of its principal theologians, Clement and Origen, it evolved into a major theological think-tank of ancient Christianity. On one hand, the school played an important role in spurring the development of many Christian doctrines, including the doctrines of God, Christ, the Trinity, and salvation. On the other, however, theological aberrations incontrovertibly present in the thought of the Alexandrian thinkers left a troubling legacy. These errors have never been completely eradicated from Christian theology, have persisted throughout the centuries, and continue to periodically resurface in various theological circles, including Adventism. In recent years, a version of an ancient error closely resembling Alexandrian subordinationism1 has resurfaced within some factions of the Adventist community.