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\section{A tale of two theisms}
Christian theology presupposes God's existence. It sets out to clarify \emph{who} God is and \emph{what} He is \emph{like}, not \emph{if} He is. Generally we can consider those holding a generalised concept of God and those with a distinctive trinitarian understanding.
\subsection*{Biblical foundations}
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\item[Old Testament] Names are important\index{God!Names of} in the OT. Israelites share the common name \emph{El} with other Semitic cultures. It is combined with many other words, most often into \emph{Elohim}. But next to the general names the Israelites also have the name YHWH, with an original meaning along the lines of `I am' or `I shall be there as who I am': the name is a promise of God's presence.
Most striking in the OT is the development of \index{Monotheism}monotheism (Dt.~6:4, although originally this verse was an injunction to \index{Monolatry}monolatry, the \emph{worship} of one god). Monotheism implies \index{Universality}universality: God's love and faithfulness are not just for Israel, but extend to the whole of creation.
\item[New Testament] The NT presupposes the OT conception of God, but adds the \index{Trinity}trinitarian understanding.\question{Is it correct to ascribe the idea of the Trinity to the whole New Testament, or are there writings that do not share this idea? Did Christ have this concept? Does even Paul have this concept unambiguously?} This does not break monotheism: there is one, true Creator God, but this Creator God is the Father, Son and Spirit together.
In the NT, \emph{Theos} refers to both \emph{El} and \emph{Elohim}.\question{A proper discussion of the Greek names of God in the OT would involve the LXX.} \emph{Kyrios} is the typical translation of the tetragrammaton and means \emph{Lord} -- it is usually associated with Christ the Son. From a Christian point of view, the Trinity is the fulfilment of the promise of God's presence.
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