Tertullian, a theologian who lived in the second and third centuries seems to have been the first to describe the Trinity in a formal way. He wrote of the Trinity as three persons. The word person is from the Latin per sonar, which means literally through sound. We use the word sonar in English when we speak of devices that are used to map the ocean floor through the use of sound waves.
The term came from Greek theatre where the actors used masks. The same actor would use a different mask for each character they played. In the context of the play the character was known and the actor would be unknown. Compare the BBC Radio 4 soap The Archers with television soaps. Most stars of soaps are known as actors and the press pays a lot of attention to the private lives of the stars, often to the extent that the star and character can become somewhat confused. I can't remember this happening with The Archers. Characters such as Phil or David Archer are much better known than Norman Painting or Tim Bentinck. Furthermore, radio actors do not need to bear a physical resemblance to their characters, different actors have played the same character and the same actor can play several parts (usually not at the same time).
The other thing about the Greek masks was that they amplified sound. Even with the good acoustics of Greek theatre, amplification through the masks was helpful. This is why person and through sound grew from the same root words.
Sometimes a great deal is made of the paradox of the Trinity as one and three. As paradoxes go I don't rate this one, certainly compared with some of the mind boggling consequences of quantum mechanics. Actors play many roles but there is still the one actor. Yes, God is unknowable but having three persons makes God more accessible.
So, why three persons? Three is enough to circumvent the pitfalls of dualism and to illustrate the importance of relationship. Relationship is at the heart of being. However we describe this relationship, the Trinity places relationship at the centre of our understanding of God. My favourite description is the lover, the beloved and the love between. There is a lot of human experience in this but note it doesn't name which person plays which role. Perhaps all three persons play all three roles.
Just a note about ecumenism. One of the marks of the church Christians insist upon, is a belief in the Trinity. If you are not trinitarian you are not Christian. I do not at this stage wish to comment upon this except to say there is one exception. The Society of Friends does not have a doctrine of the Trinity and is still accepted in ecumenical councils. It is good to know that exceptions can be tolerated.
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