I’m working on a “module” for my first college class - it’s part of a 6 credit hour class, and it represents one credit hour - and it’s on Mythology. As in Classical Mythology - Edith Hamilton.
One of the questions I’m faced with is comparing/contrasting the Greek gods of mythology to current god.
The word I’m looking for means that it’s like a “three tiered system” - the Greeks had the Titans, the Olympians and the Lesser Gods - modern Christianity has Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
I am looking for the word that means it’s a three set kinda thing (triumverate doesn’t seem to fit - let alone I don’t think I spelled it right loet alone may not even know what the definition is ) and then also a word to mathematically (?) describe the twelve Olympians - if that makes any sense. I’m trying to describe tiered systems versus a one faceted view. Are there any words that do this?
And next, in IMHO, read Missy’s thread as to why I ever thought I could actually go to college…
Don’t worry about it. Your post is extremely readable; there’s nothing wrong with the phrase “a three tiered system”. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming that it’s better to dig around and find some complex and uncommon word. From my viewpoint (I’m a professional technical writer) I’d advise you to just go for the straight intelligent explanation you’ve given us here.
Trinity, as in "Holy Trinity.
Triumvirate, although that refers to men.
Tri-level, which conotes inequality among the participants.
Tripartite, as in “divided into three parts”, which sounds closest.
Any interest in drawing a comparison between 12 Olympians and 12 Apostles?
tripartite -composed of 3 parts
triad -a group of 3
Ordered 3-tuple, i.e. an ordered set having 3 elements, would probably be overkill for your purposes, but it sounds real nice
Missy2U
“three tiered system” - the Greeks had the Titans, the Olympians and the Lesser Gods - modern Christianity has Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
In fact, you should be worrying far more about whether your three-tiered analogy is accurate. In Christianity, the Father is big, the Son a little smaller, and the Holy Ghost fairly unimportant and ill-defined (but all are simultaneously in action). In Greek mythology, you have a continuous hierarchy running down from Olympians to Lesser Gods, with the Titans a separate class as previous gods who have been stowed away and have no practical relevance to the main action of Greek myth.
While you might be able to discuss the contrasts of the Greek system with the Christian Trinity, a discussion of similarities is going to have inherent difficulties.
Among the Greeks, the Titans were the original lords who gave birth to and were then overthrown by the Olympians (although some hung around, depending on which story one chooses to follow). The lesser gods tended to be of another order of deity altogether, similar to various animistic beliefs and outside the Titan/Olympic structure.
In Christianity, the Trinity (as the word Triune indicates) are three and one. While there is an order of Father, Son, and Spirit, there is no hierarchy.
To find a Christian hierarchy, one might look at God, angels, and saints (depending on what comparison one wanted to draw out).
tomndebb
In Christianity, the Trinity (as the word Triune indicates) are three and one. While there is an order of Father, Son, and Spirit, there is no hierarchy.
In theory. But in practice, a Father-Son relationship within a patriarchal religion implies a hierarchy, and the Holy Spirit (a.k.a. Holy Ghost) never speaks or (as far as I can recall) does much, and is hard to consider as being at the same level.
Good point about lesser gods being outside the Olympian structure. We’re talking Pan, dryads, nymphs etc, that would be relics from animism / nature worship beliefs?
This may be true from some personal experience, but there are a number of denominations who pay a great deal of attention to the Spirit and while an “implied” hierarchy may be seen in some situations, it is not born out in many others. Christianity has too many adherents and sects with too many approaches the Trinity to generalize the hierarchy as “Christian.”
Point taken. One example that stuck in my mind, however, was a mediaeval brass I saw in a English church a long time back showing God the Father and God the Son as impressive figures, and the Holy Spirit as a nondescript little bird perched on God’s shoulder.
jolly good post these
the 3 in 1 oil company got a good name as well
i would stick with ‘multi deity’ and cover yourself for other than 3 systems
elohim is another word which is strictly not english
tertiary?
Well, yes, the Holy Spirit is usually depicted as having a very modest physical manifestation, but that’s the whole point of being spirit, surely? In the iconography his physical manifestations have to do with air and energy - birds, fire, rays of light - and he is often spoken of as the Breath of God, or as a kind of fundamental life-force. He’s certainly portrayed (and thought of) very differently to the Father and the Son, but I don’t think he’s considered to be on a lower level and, as tomndebb says, some movements within Christianity place enormous emphasis on the Holy Spirit - most prominently the Pentecostalists and the Charismatics, but there are many others.
) and then also a word to mathematically (?) describe the twelve Olympians - if that makes any sense. I’m trying to describe tiered systems versus a one faceted view. Are there any words that do this?