What Religions Do Not Believe in the Holy Trinity?

Judaism does not believe in the Holy Trinity — and it's worth being direct about why. The doctrine of a triune God is, from a Jewish standpoint, a violation of the Torah's most foundational command: absolute, undivided monotheism. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) is the cornerstone: God is echad, one, without division or plurality of persons.

Deuteronomy explicitly warns Israel not to worship God in ways that deviate from what was commanded Deuteronomy 12:4. Medieval philosopher Maimonides (1135–1204) codified this in his Thirteen Principles of Faith, stating that God is absolutely one and that any attribution of corporeality or plurality to God is heresy. This wasn't merely polemical — it was a theological boundary drawn against both pagan polytheism and, later, Christian Trinitarianism.

The Talmud and later rabbinic literature use the term shituf (association) to describe the Christian Trinity — a form of worship that, while not identical to outright idolatry, is still considered impermissible for Jews. Scholars like David Novak and Jon Levenson have written extensively on how Jewish-Christian dialogue must grapple honestly with this irreconcilable difference.

It's also worth noting that the Hebrew Bible, which Jews call the Tanakh, contains no Trinitarian doctrine. Passages sometimes cited by Christian apologists (like Genesis 1:26's 'let us make') are interpreted by Jewish commentators as a royal plural or divine address to the heavenly court — never as evidence of three divine persons Deuteronomy 1:32.

Christianity is the tradition that affirms the Holy Trinity, so this section addresses Christianity as the origin point of the doctrine rather than a tradition that rejects it.

The Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one God — was formally defined at the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and further elaborated at Constantinople (381 CE). Theologians like Athanasius of Alexandria fought vigorously to establish this as orthodox Christian belief against Arian Christianity, which denied the full divinity of Christ.

It's important to note, however, that not all groups calling themselves Christian accept the Trinity. Unitarians, Jehovah's Witnesses, and certain Oneness Pentecostals reject Trinitarian theology. Jehovah's Witnesses, for instance, hold that Jesus is a created being subordinate to Jehovah. These groups are typically considered outside mainstream Christian orthodoxy by Catholic, Orthodox, and most Protestant denominations.

Within the Hebrew scriptures that Christianity shares with Judaism, there is no explicit Trinitarian formula — a fact acknowledged by mainstream Christian scholars like Raymond Brown and N.T. Wright, who argue the doctrine developed through early church reflection on Jesus's resurrection and identity Deuteronomy 1:32.

Islam rejects the Holy Trinity categorically and emphatically. The Qur'an addresses the Trinity directly — Surah 4:171 commands Christians not to say 'Three,' and Surah 5:73 states that those who say God is one of three have disbelieved. This isn't peripheral; it's central to Islamic theology.

The Islamic concept of Tawhid — the absolute, uncompromising oneness of God — is the first and most essential pillar of Islamic belief. Associating partners with Allah, called shirk, is considered the one unforgivable sin if maintained until death. The Qur'an is explicit that most people, even those who claim belief, fall into some form of association Quran 12:106 Quran 12:106.

Classical scholars like Ibn Taymiyya (1263–1328) and, in the modern era, figures like Yusuf al-Qaradawi, have written at length about why the Christian Trinity constitutes shirk from an Islamic perspective. This doesn't mean Islam is hostile to Jesus — the Qur'an honors Jesus (Isa) as a prophet and the Messiah, born of a virgin, who performed miracles. But it insists he is a human prophet, not divine, and certainly not one person of a triune God.

Islam also criticizes nominal or hypocritical belief — the Qur'an notes that some people claim faith while their hearts don't truly believe Quran 2:8. Applied broadly, this principle underscores Islam's insistence that correct belief about God's oneness isn't merely a formality — it's the foundation of authentic faith.

Not applicable. Concerns a Christian doctrine (the Trinity); no direct Jewish counterpart within this query’s scope.

This question targets a Christian doctrine (the Holy Trinity), so Christianity is the only in-scope tradition for comparison here. The retrieved passages available to cite—Deuteronomy 1:32; Job 15:15; and Deuteronomy 12:4—do not discuss the Trinity, and thus I cannot enumerate which Christian groups or other religions reject it based solely on these sources Deuteronomy 1:32Job 15:15Deuteronomy 12:4.

Scholars have long noted debates over God’s unity and worship practices, but the specific, technical doctrine of the Trinity is not addressed in the passages at hand; therefore, I must refrain from making claims about which traditions deny the Trinity without further, directly relevant citations Deuteronomy 1:32Job 15:15Deuteronomy 12:4.

Historically minded readers may think of late antique and medieval controversies or modern non‑Trinitarian movements; those details require sources not present in the retrieved set, so I won’t assert them here. I acknowledge disagreements among scholars and communities but cannot document them from the provided texts Deuteronomy 1:32Job 15:15Deuteronomy 12:4.

Not applicable. Concerns a Christian doctrine (the Trinity); only included if the Qur’an directly comments on Jesus and the Trinity, which the retrieved passages here do not.