The Triune God as similarity in difference: an engagement with Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutical detour

Abstract

The aim of this study is to apply Ricoeur’s (1913-2005) philosophical hermeneutics to the doctrine of the Trinity and to move and expand the doctrine from the notional sphere to the pragmatic field through trinitarian hermeneutics. The basic structure of this thesis is constituted by interaction between three fields: Ricoeur’s hermeneutical detour (symbols, metaphors, and narratives), doctrine of the Trinity (the analogical, the immanent, and the economical Trinity) and biblical texts. This dialectic process is accomplished by the notion of resemblance, in other words, similarity in difference. Through synthesis of the interaction, this thesis promotes the realization that the Triune God is not only the purpose of interpretation, but is also the route of interpretation.