Divine Simplicity

Definition and Meaning

Simplicity means "non-compositeness." The doctrine teaches that God is not composed of a body or parts and that His essence and attributes are not divided from one another. A human being "has" wisdom, but God does not possess wisdom and love as separate qualities; rather, He is Himself wisdom and love. The doctrine is classified as one of the attributes of God. It is also treated as the foundation for understanding other attributes, such as divine immutability and eternity. According to the traditional understanding, simplicity does not contradict the doctrine of the Trinity, because the three persons share one simple essence and are not regarded as "parts" of that essence.

Biblical and Historical Background

The word "simplicity" does not appear in the Bible. Proponents of the doctrine find support for it in the following passages:

• "I AM THAT I AM" (Exodus 3:14)
• "The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4)
• "God is a Spirit" (John 4:24)
• "God is love" (1 John 4:8)

Augustine expressed the doctrine by saying, in effect, that God is what He has. In the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas is known to have given the doctrine its systematic formulation. After the Reformation, the doctrine was retained in the confessions of faith. Article 1 of the Belgic Confession confesses God to be "a single and simple spiritual being." Chapter 2 of the Westminster Confession of Faith states that God is without body, parts, or passions (that is, emotional perturbations). Similar language appears in the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles and in Article I of the Methodist tradition's Twenty-Five Articles of Religion.

Traditions differ in how they understand and assess the doctrine.

• The Eastern Orthodox Church follows a tradition that distinguishes between God's essence and His activities (energies).
• In modern times, Alvin Plantinga and others have raised philosophical objections.
• Open theism and process theology either reject the doctrine or substantially modify it.

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Korean church, this doctrine is addressed primarily in seminary courses in systematic theology, particularly in lectures on the doctrine of God, rather than in preaching. It has been introduced mainly in Presbyterian seminaries through the reading of translated works by Reformed theologians such as Louis Berkhof and Herman Bavinck.

Because many Presbyterian denominations adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith as their doctrinal standard, members encounter this teaching through confessional instruction. Among Methodists and Anglicans, the historic articles of religion mentioned above likewise contain the same confession. However, the topic is rarely given particular emphasis at the level of the local congregation. In other denominations, such as the Holiness and Full Gospel churches, it is likewise treated mainly within the sphere of theological education.