Supremely Simple Trinity and Contemporary "Natural Theology": Bonaventure Beyond Jenson and Plotinus.

This article examines St. Bonaventure’s metaphysical argument that divine simplicity is compatible with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, responding to two critiques: one from Christian theologian Robert Jenson, who challenges the coherence of divine simplicity with Trinitarian distinctions, and another from the pagan Platonist Plotinus, who argues that the second and third divine hypostases must be metaphysically complex. Bonaventure’s position holds that God, as the supremely simple and purely actual first principle, necessarily communicates Godself totally and infinitely, resulting in multiple distinct but simple divine persons (supposits) united in one essence. The article further develops Bonaventure’s argument to show its potential relevance within contemporary natural theology, suggesting that the Trinity can be deduced philosophically from premises about God’s simplicity and total self-communication without reliance on Christian revelation. This approach challenges traditional boundaries between philosophy and theology and proposes a renewed dialogue between Christian Trinitarianism and Platonist metaphysics.