Timothy George, ed. God the Holy Trinity: Reflections on Christian Faith and Practice (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), 175pps.
Within this book, George brings together essays from leading scholars covering diverse theological perspectives in order to reflect on theological and practical aspects of the Trinity doctrine as posited by orthodox Christianity. The list of contributors includes Alister E. McGrath, Gerald L. Bray, James E. Massey, Avery Cardinal Dulles, Frederica Mathewes-Green, J. I. Packer, Timothy George, Ellen T. Charry, and Cornelius Plantinga Jr. The essays found within were originally presented at the Beeson Divinity School at Samford University during the symposium entitled “God the Holy Trinity: A Conference on Faith and Christian Life.”
If there has ever been a problem within Christianity concerning doctrinal formulation, the debate regarding the Trinity is the most genuine. Attempting to explain how God can be simultaneously “one,” while existing in “three” persons has been notoriously difficult to explain and explicate. The Trinitarian doctrine, therefore, has often been pushed aside, historically speaking, so as to remove its potential for generating conflict. However, the Trinity received new emphasis by the impetus of Karl Barth’s theology at the beginning of the twentieth century. Barth began his theology from above (revelation), so to speak, and not from below, and as such the Trinity was ever important. What Barth began, contemporary theologians have not eschewed, meaning that even though the doctrine of the Trinity has the potential for causing deep divisions within inter-religious dialog, our postmodern environment has continued its Trinitarian emphasis. This book, although relatively small, shows why the Trinity is so important for all communities of various denominations.
Notably, Alister McGrath opens the discussion by presenting an Evangelical reflection on the doctrine of the Trinity in which he expresses his concern that much of today’s discourse regarding the Trinity has lost its Biblical moorings. McGrath is quick to note that Evangelicals, in a historical perspective, have valued proximity to Scripture as the main component in their formulation of doctrine, and as such Evangelicals should be keen not to go beyond what they may infer directly from Scripture regarding the Trinity. In so doing, McGrath holds that whereas the Trinity is not explicitly taught within Scripture, it nonetheless is a reasonable inference from Scripture. Gerald Bray extends McGrath’s ideas within his contribution to the volume, and thereby challenges the commonly held notion that the belief in the Trinity lacks Scriptural warrant. Avery Cardinal Dulles examines the way(s) in which the doctrine of the Trinity may, contra popular conception, serve to foster ecumenical discourse within the postmodern world, and in so doing he invokes Tertullian for theological support.
Frederica Mathewes-Green makes an important contribution to the ongoing debate within Christianity regarding the filioque clause within the Creed by highlighting how many people misunderstand Jesus’ immediate transmission of the Spirit to his followers with the eternal origin of the Spirit. J.I. Packer contributes an excellent chapter that displays how Trinitarian thinking permeates the theological writings of the renowned Puritan theologian John Owen, and highlights that for Owen, belief in the Trinity was basic, crucial, and non-negotiable. Ellen T. Charry retrieves Augustine’s analysis of the Trinity by reminding us of the importance of it in our quest to become transformed by the goodness, wisdom, beauty, and love of God. All in all, even though this book is not written for academicians as per se, it should appeal to students, church leaders and teachers, as well as interested laity.