God is Not a Thing: A Response to Dale Tuggy

Abstract

Dale Tuggy has argued that all Trinitarians are committed to the nonsensical belief that the one God is the Trinity (where "is" expresses identity). In his submission to the current journal, Tuggy argues that this position began not, as some Orthodox theologians have claimed, with Augustine, but rather with the Cappadocians. According to Tuggy, in these late fourth century authors, the Trinity "replaced" the Father as the one true God. In this response, it is argued (1) that Tuggy's thesis of historical replacement is unproven, (2) that Tuggy's concept of substance, and therefore his reading of the Cappadocians is anachronistic or confused, and (3) that Tuggy mistakes the names "God" and "Father" for proper names.