"Unique" in reference to persons of the Trinity?

[py3ak]

Is it inappropriate or misleading to speak of the persons of the Trinity as unique? The intention is not to say anything more than that the Father is not the Son or the Spirit, nor is the Spirit the Son, nor vice versa. But is "unique" a suitable term with which to make that point?

 

[sevenzedek]

To say the the members of the Trinity are unique would mean they are each one of a kind. There is only one Son; making him uniquely the Son. The Father is uniquely the Father. The Holy Spirit is not the Father and not the Son; making him uniquely the Holy Spirit. It seems correct. Let's see what others say.

Is this partly what it means that God is holy?

 

[RamistThomist]

It's fine, but like everything else in Triadology qualifications will inevitably come in. The whole point (and problem) of defining what a "person" even is, is to point out to the uniqueness (what Basil and Augustine hinted at his "irreducibility") of one vis-a-vis the others.

 

[Cymro]

I like to use "unique" about the Saviour, because great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh!
The dwelling of the divine nature in its fullness in a body prepared, to provide the Godman, Jesus Christ for us sinners,
is remarkably unique. OD---unique means without a like. Which of course is true of the tri-unity of persons.

 

[py3ak]

Thank you, all. I don't recall the word being much used in the discussions I have read, though that might be the weakness of my memory, but I am not finding objections against it, except the objections that can be lodged against all our language. It was not for nothing that Augustine observed (and the Master of the Sentences recorded as authoritative) that we use the word "person" so that we may not be silent when asked about the Three, rather than because it is an adequate term.

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?

 

[Herald]

It's fine, but like everything else in Triadology qualifications will inevitably come in.

True. But then it is not the responsibility of the one offering an opinion to anticipate each question that will lead to a qualification.