Most American trinitarians do not believe in the trinity?
A reader tipped me off to the following reported by Dr. George Barna:
Most Americans— Including Christian Churchgoers—Reject the Trinity
Dr. George Barna, Director of Research
Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University
Release Date: March 26, 2025(GLENDALE, AZ) – Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches are trinitarian, teaching that the God of the Bible is one inseparable and unified deity comprised of three persons. Two out of three Americans claim to be Christian, leading to the expectation that they embrace the core teachings of their chosen faith. Yet, a new research report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that only 11% of American adults, and only 16% of self-proclaimed Christians, believe in the trinity. Weak Foundations The trinity is one of the central theological foundations of Christian churches. However, that teaching is widely misunderstood, often rejected, and rarely acted upon by Americans. …
Self-identified Christians 16 …
Attend a Protestant Church 20
Attend a Catholic Church 9 …the actual term “trinity” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. …
The idea of a trinitarian God was introduced by Tertullian, a Second-Century Roman philosopher, theologian, and Christian apologist. The view was controversial and sparked intense debate among Christian leaders. …
Belief in the trinity also varies somewhat according to the type of church attended, although the variance is rather small. One out of four people who attend an evangelical church (25%) or a Pentecostal church (24%) believe in the trinity. Slightly fewer attenders of mainline Protestant churches (19%) accept the idea of a trinitarian God. Less than half as many Catholics (9%) are trinitarians. https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AWVI-2025_03_Most-Americans-Reject-the-Trinity_FINAL_03_26_2025.pdf
This is tricky as many Americans simply do not know the doctrines of their respective churches.
That said, if they understood the truth about the trinity, they would realize it was not biblical nor part of the early Christian faith.
Let me add that despite Dr. Barna’s depiction, Tertullian was more of a 3rd century, than 2nd century, theologian and that Tertullian is considered to be an apostate by the Roman Catholics, many Protestant scholars, and the Continuing Church of God. The fact that Tertullian is credited for introducing the trinity is again proof it was not an original Christian belief.
Yet even what Tertullian taught was not the same as the Greco-Roman trinity that was adopted later as he taught that the Father was superior to, not co-equal to, the Son (see Tertullian. Against Praxeas, Chapters 3,4-5,9. In Ante-Nicene Fathers).
The historical fact is that the original catholic Christian church clearly was binitarian, not trinitarian.
To learn more about Jesus as well as some trinitarian myths, the Continuing Church of God recently put of this sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:
What is the ‘mystery of Christ’? Is the trinity the only way to understand Isaiah 9? Was Jesus both fully human and fully God after His begettal in Mary and His resurrection? Did the Apostle Paul write that Jesus emptied Himself to become human? Was Jesus tempted? Did Jesus die? Can God be tempted or die? Is Jesus co-equal to the Father? Is denying that Jesus came in the flesh a doctrine of Antichrist per 2 John 7? Was the ‘mystery of Christ’ known by c. 61 A.D.? Was the trinity known by 1st century Christians? Was the long version of 1 John 5:7-8 originally in the Bible? Were there many semi-arian councils in the fourth century? Did the Bishop of Rome, now known as Pope Liberius, endorse at least one? Did Sir Isaac Newton point to Athanasius as the originator of the trinity? What about Gregory the Wonder Worker, Theophilus of Antioch, Origin of Alexandria, or Tertullian of Carthage? Did an emperor of Rome remove Demophilus, the Archbishop/Patriarch of Constantinople, in 380 because he refused to teach Theodosius’ trinity. Did Theodosius later persecute and murder those who would not accept his trinitarian view? Were early Christians, that are considered saints by the Greco-Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Church of God Christians, binitarian? Do those churches condemn the earliest known trinitarians (Valentinus, Montanus, Terturllian) as apostates? Did the ‘School of Antioch, which taught a literal interpretation of scriptures, under Lucian teach a binitarian/semi-arian view of the Godhead? Did the allegorical ‘School of Alexandria’ teach a somewhat trinitarian view of the Godhead? Are Christians to be part of the family of God? What are 24 facts that blast trinitarian mythology? Dr. Thiel covers these and other topics as the fourth part of his multi-part sermon series covering the free e-book, Mysteries of God: What is God?
Here is a link to our sermon video: Jesus and Trinitarian Mythology.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Mysteries of God. What is God? This free e-book answers many questions, such as is God omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent? Does the Godhead consist of a closed trinity or an expanding family? Here are links to related sermons: Mysteries: Is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? and Where Did God Come From? What Does God Look Like? and How is God One? Creeds? and Jesus and Trinitarian Mythology and Mysteries: The Holy Spirit.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
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