St. Augustine's Trinity

I. The Names which are given Him reveal both His personality and divinity

Since three divine Persons are one, it is not surprising that the Holy Spirit should receive without distinction one or the other of these appellations. In His great work, On the Trinity, St. Augustine considers why the Third Person of the Trinity is named the Holy Spirit.

Since God is Spirit and all three Persons of the Trinity share the same divine nature, Augustine notes that the name "Holy Spirit" could also be given to the other two Persons of the Trinity. It would seem, therefore, that this name expresses nothing about the uniqueness of the Third Person of the Trinity. However, Augustine argued that this name does, in fact, express what is unique about the Third Person. Since both the Father and Son are Holy and Spirit, Augustine held that the Holy Spirit is named for that which the Father and Son share in common. Thus, the uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is that He is what the Father and Son have in common. The Holy Spirit is the bond of unity between the Father and Son. His name, taken from both what the Father and Son share, expresses perfectly His uniqueness; He is love, mutuality and unity. St. Augustine's profound reflection on the Trinity and especially on the identity of the Third Person of the Trinity brings to light the deepest meaning of the name of the Holy Spirit. His name signifies communion, the unity, love and vitality that binds the Father and Son together.