"Wherefore let him who can understand the generation of the Son from the Father without time, understand also the procession of the Holy Spirit from both without time… As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself," not that the Father gave life to the Son already existing without life, but that He so begat Him apart from time, that the life which the Father gave to the Son by begetting Him is co-eternal with the life of the Father who gave it… But let no one think of any times therein which imply a sooner and a later; because these things are not there at all. How, then, would it not be most absurd to call Him the Son of both: when, just as generation from the Father, without any changeableness of nature, gives to the Son essence, without beginning of time; so procession from both, without any changeableness of nature, gives to the Holy Spirit essence without beginning of time?" (Augustine. On the Trinity. Book XV. 26. 47)
I've been having a good and friendly conversation with a pastor and a friend whose view of the eternal generation of the Son is personal communication. In other words, with Calvin(?)1, Van Til, and Tipton, he upholds autothean perichoresis.
I plan to write a full article on this. Still, I suppose The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity, edited by Gilles Emery (author of the Trinitarian Theology of Thomas Aquinas) and Matthew Levering, encapsulates what I have in mind. Here's the full quote:
If one takes into account the perichoresis, or mutual indwelling, of the three persons, it is impossible to understand the Father as holding the 'first place' in the Trinitarian life in a purely solitary fashion, independent of his relation to the Son and his relation to the Spirit. Rather, one must adopt from the beginning a relational conception of the person, in conformity with the Thomistic conception of the divine persons as 'subsistent relations'. If we proceed in this way, then once the relational identity of the Father is acknowledged, one must also re-accentuate the profound meaning of his innascibility as signifying a plenitude as the source of divine life in God.
In every divine work, the Father is he from whom divine initiatives originally proceed, including all that pertains to the divine welfare for creation and original plan of divine adoption by grace. This is fitting, due to who the Father is: the origin of the Son and the Spirit, and the first principle of the Trinitarian mystery of God, who alone has existence without origin. This unoriginate status can only be envisaged in a rigorous fashion if one accepts to refine analogically two complex notions: that of an 'order of nature' and that of an 'origin'. It is necessary to purify these notions of any connotation of compositional complexity, in order to apply them to the inner life of the Trinity without projecting on to that life (falsely) any notion of anteriority and posteriority, or of supremacy and subordination. In effect, it is necessary to conceive of the primacy of the Father without disfiguring his completely unique expression of primacy; that is to say, without wedding to this an erroneous notion of the subordination of the Son and the Spirit…
If the Father is assuredly first in the order of origin that exists between the three divine persons, nonetheless, he is not anterior to the two other persons, in such a way that they would come to be after him, either temporally or by means of an ontological degradation, nor even simply according to a logical posteriority (see Basil of Caesarea, Against Eunomius I.20 and III.1; Thomas Aquinas, ST I, q.42, a.3). In our ordinary range of experience, an order that is based upon one thing originating from another usually implies a temporal sequence: it is necessary that A progressively attains to a certain state in order to then produce B. Furthermore, that which issues from a reality distinct from itself does not always possess the same perfection of being as the first reality, that is to say, its maturity and stability. In this way, we spontaneously think of the concept of 'origin' as implying logical anteriority in a reality with respect to that which proceeds from the original source. In so doing, we spontaneously conceive the origin as being logically anterior to that which stems from it, failing to see that both may also be inseparable and intrinsically logically connected. This is why in the case of purely relations, such as 'double' and 'half', 'neighbour' to 'neighbour', 'father' and 'son', the one term of the relation cannot exist without the other, even if, in reality, man becomes a father at a certain moment in time, and is never simply identical in all that he is with his paternity. He was himself a son before he became a father, and if his own son dies before he does, he will no longer truly be a father, in relation to an actually coexistent son.
To consider the Trinity according to an order of origin without this implying any temporal development requires a sort of conceptual passage toward the limits of human thinking. From notions of local movement, or qualitative change, or the generation of a new being, we can retain only the notion of a relation of the origin to the term that originates, that is to say, of the principle and that which proceeds from the principle. This notion should in no way imply subordination, dependence, diminishment or ontological posteriority. Here we must distinguish then between 'dependence' and 'relation': dependence implies an imperfection on the part of the one who depends on what is prior to itself, while relation in itself implies no imperfection. It allows one to think of the mutual constitution of two correlative terms, yet without negating the order of origin that exists between them. Thus the Father and the Son are mutually self-constituting, even while the Son proceeds from the Father. While proceeding from the Father, and in fact precisely due to this proceeding, the Son constitutes the Father as Father.2
It is worth highlighting that the writer above states the need to purify the notions "order of nature" and origin "of any connotation of compositional complexity, in order to apply them to the inner life of the Trinity without projecting on to that life (falsely) any notion of anteriority and posteriority, or of supremacy and subordination."
I've collected books and sources available on the web that helped me understand the classical doctrine of eternal generation of the Son in general and essential communication in particular, and how the doctrine of divine simplicity prevents us from concluding that essential communication multiplies, divides, or even destroys the unity of the Godhead (the lists will be expanded as I discover other helpful resources). These resources are also foundational in understanding Classical Theism.
Books
All That Is in God: Evangelical Theology and the Challenge of Classical Christian Theism by James E. Dolezal. This work emphasizes divine simplicity as indispensable for understanding God's aseity (His being "from himself" and perfect self-sufficiency). It notes that God having "life in himself" is granted by the Father, but this does not diminish its character. The book connects divine simplicity to other attributes and the Trinitarian doctrine.
Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works by St. Anselm. Anselm's writings, particularly Monologion, seek to explain how distinct persons can exist without being three Gods, and how the Son, as the Word, is identical with God and not part of creation. His On the Incarnation of the Word and On the Procession of the Holy Spirit also address Trinitarian questions.
Catechetical Discourse by Gregory of Nyssa. Gregory of Nyssa discusses the doctrine of the Trinity, distinguishing between created and uncreated natures and emphasizing how divine simplicity encompasses the Father, Son, and Spirit. His Catechetical Oration presents his account of the divine nature.
Classical Theism: New Essays on the Metaphysics of God edited by Jonathan Fuqua and Robert C. Koons. This collection directly explores the metaphysical foundations of classical theism, including divine simplicity and immutability. It discusses Aquinas's triplex via for understanding God's existence, simplicity, and perfection, and touches upon the real identity and relations between the divine persons.
Confessing the Impassible God by Ronald S. Baines. This book focuses on the doctrine of divine impassibility, which is considered indissoluble from eternal generation. It asserts that this doctrine is not a result of philosophical speculation but arises from biblical and confessional heritage.
Confessions by Augustine (and his work On the Trinity). Augustine's On the Trinity addresses the equality of the Trinity and the attributes of each person. He argues against the idea that the divine essence is prior to the divine persons, maintaining the Father as the personal source of the divine simplicity and essence, and stating that the Father bestows being on the Son without beginning or change. This can be downloaded for free in Monergism: https://www.monergism.com/trinity-ebook
Divine Simplicity: A Dogmatic Account by Steven J. Duby. This book directly examines divine simplicity and its theological implications, including how it informs the understanding of God's being, His "life in himself," and His eternal Triune existence. It also discusses the real identity of God's essence and existence and the immanent acts of God (actio ad intra) relevant to eternal generation.
Does God Suffer? by Thomas Weinandy. This work links the doctrine of divine impassibility to impassible generation and the communication of idioms, suggesting that a lack of understanding of God's nature impacts the understanding of His suffering.
God Without Parts: Divine Simplicity and the Metaphysics of God's Absoluteness by James E. Dolezal. As a core resource on divine simplicity, it explains how this doctrine is crucial for God's aseity, unity, infinity, immutability, and eternity. It addresses the real distinction between existence and essence in creatures and their real identity in God.
God of Our Fathers: Classical Theism for the Contemporary Church edited by Bradford Littlejohn. This volume discusses classical theism and the proper distinction between God and creation. It contains an essay on the critique of Eternal Subordination of the Son, directly engaging with the Son's eternal status and the implications for Trinitarian doctrine. It defines the immanent Trinity by its eternal relations of origin.
Jerome Zanchi on the Triune Elohim (Books 1–3) by Jerome Zanchi. Zanchi's work explains the "mystery of the one essence and three persons," using an analogy of the human soul's faculties to clarify this. He confirms the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct "true hypistamena and true persons" while maintaining that there is "only one God."
Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology by Lewis Ayres. This is a fundamental source, stating that fourth-century controversies centered on the generation of the Word/Son from the Father and how it constituted a sharing of the Father's very being. It covers Athanasius's arguments for the Son being "from the Father's very qnômâ (hypostasis)" and the impassible generation rooted in divine simplicity.
On Classical Trinitarianism by Matthew Barrett. This book extensively details eternal generation as intrinsic to the names Father and Son and the core of Sonship. It directly addresses the impassible and timeless generation of the Son and how it establishes the Son's equality. It also distinguishes between the immanent Trinity (defined by eternal relations of origin) and the economic Trinity.
Reformed Scholasticism by Ryan M. McGraw. This work describes the Reformed scholastic emphasis on the Creator/creature distinction and God's transcendence and simplicity. It notes that God, as a "most simple being," is not subject to modes of composition.
Scholastic Metaphysics: A Contemporary Introduction by Edward Feser. This book provides the metaphysical underpinnings for understanding divine simplicity, essence, and existence, which are crucial for comprehending the concept of Autotheos and essential communication.
Simply God by Peter Sanlon. This book highlights divine simplicity as essential for a coherent theology. It defines aseity as God being "from himself," not created or dependent, and links it to timelessness and impassibility.
Simply Trinity by Matthew Barrett. This resource offers an in-depth exploration of eternal generation, explaining it as inherent to the names Father and Son. It details how the Son is eternally begotten from the Father's essence (ousia), ensuring the Son's co-equality and the impassible nature of this generation. It uses various biblical metaphors to describe this essential communication.
St. Thomas Aquinas — The Summa Contra Gentiles by Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas discusses divine generation, paternity, and sonship in this work, referencing Scripture and arguing that perfection exists in a nobler way in the cause than in the things caused.
The Lord is One: Reclaiming Divine Simplicity by Joseph Minich. This book explicitly addresses how divine simplicity allows for the generation of the Son without dividing the divine being. It discusses Athanasius's view of the ineffable but biblically revealed eternal generation of the Son, using the analogy of light to explain the immaterial and indivisible nature of this communication.
The Reformation as Renewal by Matthew Barrett. This work discusses the importance of eternal generation and eternal spiration within Trinitarian theology. It references Thomas Aquinas's scholastic approach to clarifying these profound mysteries through Scripture.
A Heavenly Directory by Ryan McGraw. Read 2.3 Communion with the Triune God.
Articles
Credo Magazine on Eternal Generation Eternal Generation This issue (Volume 10, Issue 4, 2020) from Credo Magazine provides seven articles from various theologians who argue for the biblical doctrine of eternal generation, including John Owen and Caspar Olevianus. In the first article by Josh Malone, he writes, "Historically, there was a simmering debate about whether the manner of eternal generation is properly conceived as a communication of essence. The majority of patristic, medieval, and Reformation authors do affirm it as such."
Francis Turretin on Eternal Generation & Essential Communication The Eternal Generation of the Son: Francis Turretin on the Trinity Turretin explicitly states that in divine generation, the whole divine essence is communicated to the Son, making Him consubstantial with the Father. This confirms that while the person originates from the Father, the essence shared is numerically identical, indivisible, and self-existent.
Turretin's Systematic Clarification via Upper-Register Translation The Upper Register: Papers by Lee Irons Here Turretin is quoted clarifying that the Son is autotheos (God of Himself) in respect to essence — not in person — but that the eternal generation involves communication of that essence without creating a new one. It counters the misconception that Calvin denies essential communication.
Classical Reformed Description of Calvin's Trinitarian Doctrine John Calvin, Eternal Generation, and Communication of Essence This article summarizes the classical Reformed understanding that although Calvin does not phrase it in scholastic terms, he affirms that the whole essence is communicated in eternal generation, while the Son's personal identity remains from the Father.
"Athanasius on the Simple God and Eternal Generation" The Gospel Coalition | Canada Steven Wedgeworth highlights how Athanasius insists on divine simplicity — if the Father shares His essence with the Son, He must give all of Himself. This supports essential communication by affirming full, indivisible sharing of the divine essence in generation.
"Eternal Generation | God Will Always Share of His Goodness" The Gospel Coalition | Canada Wyatt Graham emphasizes that the Father eternally shares His divine life with the Son (based on John 5:26), reinforcing the idea that this sharing is timeless, undivided, and personal — not a temporal transaction.
"Granted Life in Himself: Is It Plausible to See Eternal Generation in John 5:26?" The Gospel Coalition (Themelios Article) Donnie L. DeBord offers an exegetical exploration of John 5:26, arguing for an eternal and ontological reading — that the Son eternally shares the Father's life. It provides a solid biblical grounding for essential communication.
"Is the Eternal Generation of the Son a Biblical Idea?" The Gospel Coalition Keith Johnson summarizes evangelical and patristic support for the doctrine. It teaches that the Father eternally communicates divine essence to the Son, ensuring co-equality of nature while preserving personal distinction.
"The Ordered Godhead: (1) Commending Nicaea" The Gospel Coalition | Australia Quotes Reformed classic Zacharias Ursinus: "the eternal Father hath by eternal generation communicated to the Son his essence." This quote grounds the essential communication doctrine in the Reformed confessional tradition.
"Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel" The Gospel Coalition Highlights that while the Father has personal precedence ("taxis"), all three Persons share equally in the divine essence — reflecting classical Trinitarian balance of unity and relation.
Resources on αὐτόθεος Reformed Theology Delatinized The author provides primary resource quotations, some translated directly from Latin, from both camps (essential communication and personal communication).
Footnotes
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There's a good article written by Benjamin W. Swinburnson, John Calvin, Eternal Generation, and Communication of Essence: A Reexamination of His Views (also listed above). ↩
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Emmanuel Durrand. A Theology of God the Father. Oxford Handbook on the Trinity. ed. Gilles Emery and Matthew Levering. 379–80. ↩