The phenomenon of the Trinity
Stellenbosch Theological Journal June 19, 2026 DOI: 10.17570/stj.2026.vn1.a4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Revelation Hermeneutics Discernment Metaphysics Religious experience Transformative learning Action physics Phenomenon Phenomenology philosophy Neoplatonism Epistemology Contemplation Interpretation philosophy Orthodoxy Presupposition Perception Criticism Christian theology |
| Key points | Argues that Marion's account of revelation as divine self-donation received as a gift, exceeding epistemic capture, should be supplemented with greater emphasis on hermeneutics and spiritual training of perception to cultivate discernment of phenomena. |
Abstract
The essay outlines Jean-Luc Marion’s approach to trinitarian theology in Revelation Comes from Elsewhere. Overall, Marion critiques metaphysical and epistemological models and prioritises divine givenness within his theory of revelational disclosure. Utilising the phenomenological method and inflected by his account of saturated phenomena, Marion challenges the supremacy of conceptualism, arguing that revelation is not just a transfer of knowledge, but an event of divine self-donation that is received as a gift, exceeding any epistemic pre-containment or capture. Through a reading of scripture as well as patristic and medieval sources, he traces the historical development of revelation in Christian thought and proposes an account of trinitarian experience whereby believers are taken into the phenomenal circulation of the Trinity. Through a transformative action or anamorphosis of the Spirit, human perception and desire are reshaped, enabling believers to participate in the divine life by perceiving the Father in the Son through the Spirit. Hereby, Marion modulates a Christian account of revelation from theoretical speculation to a lived, practical experience of the Trinity, a form of spiritual knowledge afforded by love. In the final section, I argue for a greater emphasis on hermeneutics and on the spiritual training of perception, insofar as this cultivates a discernment of phenomena, thereby enculturating believers to receive and interpret the normativity of revelation.