One God in three co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son, Spirit
The Waldensian Church affirms the classical doctrine of the Trinity as foundational to Christian faith, consistent with Reformed theology. God exists eternally as one being in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully divine, coequal in power and glory, and worthy of worship, yet there is but one God.
This Trinitarian confession stands in continuity with the historic ecumenical creeds (Nicene, Chalcedonian) and is articulated in the Confession of La Chanforan (1532) and the later Waldensian Confession of 1655. The Waldensian Church Constitution affirms these classical formulations as binding on the denomination.
The Trinity is understood not as a abstract philosophical problem but as the living reality of God's self-disclosure to humanity. God is eternally and necessarily Triune, and denial of the Trinity is regarded as a fundamental departure from Christian orthodoxy. This conviction unites the Waldensians with the broader Reformed and evangelical traditions.
Key Distinctions
- Persons ontology:
- three coequal persons, one divine substance
- Spirit procession:
- from Father and Son (filioque)
- Creed stance:
- Waldensian Confession; Reformed confessional heritage; Nicene Trinity affirmed
Scripture References
Sources
- Confession of La Chanforan (1532)
- Waldensian Confession of 1655
- Waldensian Church Constitution (Tavola Valdese)