 Leftow’s theory crucially depends on a concept of modes–intrinsic, essential, eternal ways God is, that is, lives or life-strands. But he does not identify the “persons” of the Trinity with these modes. Rather, he asserts that the modes somehow constitute, cause, or give rise to each Person (2007, 373–5). Like theories that reduce these Persons to mere modes of a self, Leftow’s theory has it that what may appear to be three selves actually turn out to be one self, God. But they, all (apparently) three of them, just are (are numerically, absolutely identical to) that one self, that is, God thrice over or thrice repeated.