This paper explores and compares three major theological approaches to the discernibility of the persons of the Trinity: the patristic doctrine of the eternal generation of the Son, John Calvin’s assertion of the Son as autotheos, and Brant Bosserman’s philosophical argument for triune necessity as articulated in The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox: An Interpretation and Refinement of the Theological Apologetic of Cornelius Van Til.
The first section of the paper revisits the Nicene Creed and the pro-Nicene consensus, focusing on how eternal generation was employed to articulate real distinction without dividing the divine essence. It then considers Calvin’s doctrine of the Son as autotheos, examining whether his emphasis on the Son’s self-existence constitutes a departure from or development of Nicene theology, particularly in light of Calvin’s rejection of subordinationism. Finally, Bosserman’s recent contribution is analyzed, with attention to his use of Cornelius Van Til’s insights and his argument that only a triune God can be a truly personal absolute—avoiding both impersonalism and relational incompleteness.
In comparing these models, the paper highlights their differing answers to the question: what makes the persons of the Trinity personally distinct yet ontologically one? The contribution of this paper lies in offering a theological and philosophical framework for assessing how these approaches maintain the unity of essence and the distinction of persons, especially in light of modern trinitarian debates concerning relational ontology, inseparable operations, and divine simplicity.
This conversation opens the door for renewed engagement with classical doctrine in contemporary systematic theology. While each of these views affirms the full deity and distinct personhood of the Son, they diverge in how they ground personal distinction within the one divine essence, with important implications for trinitarian theology, metaphysics, and theological method. Ultimately, this paper seeks to foster deeper clarity and synthesis by showing that while eternal generation and autotheos reflect different emphases, they need not be seen as contradictory, and that Bosserman’s model, though speculative, provides a fresh and rigorously personalist rationale for triune necessity.