Trinity And Process

“Pivotal It sums up the Trinitarian thinking of some of our best philosophical theologians and sharpens the focus of Trinitarian thinking for philosophical theology in the future.”

In this important book, Chung-Hyun Baik explores one of the central issues in contemporary Trinitarian theology: the relationship between the economic and immanent Trinity. Engaging a wide variety of Trinitarian theologians and contemporary philosophers, Baik offers a vital analysis of the ontological and epistemological issues that bear on a proper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Noting that the meaning of mystery in the New Testament is Jesus Christ himself, Baik argues that, in order to rightly approach the question of the relationship between the immanent and the economic Trinity, it is necessary to understand the mystery of the divine being as centered in Christ himself. Moreover, Christ is not merely a device for resolving epistemological or ontological tensions, but rather the fullness of the divine mystery, and as such, must be determinative of all such theological and philosophical questions.

The last few decades have witnessed a renaissance of Trinitarian theology. Theologians have worked to recover this doctrine for a proper understanding of the God and for the life of the church. At the same time, analytic philosophers of religion have become keenly interested in the Trinity, engaging in vigorous debates related to it. To this point, however, the work of the two groups has taken place in almost complete isolation from one another. Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? Seeks to bridge that divide. / Thomas H. McCall compares the work of significant philosophers of religion Richard Swinburne, Brian Leftow, and others with that of influential theologians such as Jrgen Moltmann, Robert Jenson, and John Zizioulas. He then evaluates several important proposals and offers suggestion for the future of Trinitarian theology. / There are many books on the doctrine of the Trinity, but no other book brings the concerns of analytic philosophers of religion into direct conversation with those of mainstream theologians.

The dominant metaphysical system in America this century has been process philosophy, of which the most prolific and persuasive advocate has been Charles Hartshorne. Traditional Christian thinkers, however, have consistently viewed this philosophy, and Hartshorne's thought in particular, as fundamentally incompatible with trinitarian theism.In this compelling work, Dr. Boyd moves beyond this impasse. Utilizing exhaustive research and critical acumen, he maintains that a reworked version of Hartshorne's process system actually provides the metaphysical grounding of trinitarian thought, at the same time preserving the advantages that have made process philosophy an attractive alternative to traditional Western substance ontology. The result is a remarkably creative trinitarian process metaphysics that provides a new perspective on both process thought and the traditional doctrine of the Trinity.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this formula that Christians recite as though on autopilot lie the secrets for healing our world, rekindling our visionary imagination, and manifesting the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. It’s an astonishing claim, but one that is supported by Cynthia Bourgeault’s exploration of Trinitarian theology—and by her bold work in further articulating the deep truth it contains. She looks to the ancient concept in light of the ideas of G. I. Gurdjieff and Jacob Boehme to reveal the Trinity as the "hidden driveshaft" within Christianity: the compassionate expression of the Uncreated Reality in creation.

Unique for its breadth in studying theologians not only from Europe and North America but also from Latin America, Asia, and Africa, this landmark volume introduces the doctrine of the Trinity, examining the work and thought of contemporary theologians throughout the world. Veli-Matti Karkkainen provides an overview of the biblical roots of the doctrine, discussing both the idea of plurality in God in the Old Testament and the rise of Trinitarian understandings in the New Testament. He details the historical growth of Trinitarian traditions and delves into specific theologies, both Western and non-Western. Also including both an introductory consideration of the doctrine's significance and a concluding assessment and agenda for future thought, Karkkainen'sThe Trinityis the broadest and most comprehensive contemporary study on the Trinity available.

Practical Theology for the Church Today The Trinity is one of the most essential doctrines of the Christian faith, as it reveals a magnificent truth about God—that he is one God eternally existing as three distinct persons. While Christians often struggle to find the right words to describe the union of Father, Son, and Spirit, the Bible gives clarity concerning the triune God’s activity in nature (creation), grace (redemption), and glory (reward). In the second installment of the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series, theologian Scott Swain examines the Trinity, presenting its biblical foundations, systematic–theological structure, and practical relevance for the church today.

What's special about Oneness Pentecostals? In this penetrating analysis of Oneness theology and practice, Gregory Boyd reveals the experience of four years of personal involvement in a Oneness church. Although Oneness Pentecostals' belief in Christ's deity establishes some common ground with other Christians, their aggressive denial of the Trinity has nonetheless fostered their indisputably sub-Christian ideas about God's character, about salvation, and about Christian living.

The first volume in the Guides to Theology series provides an accessible, historical treatment of the Trinity. It traces the doctrine of the Trinity as it emerges in early Christianity, through medieval and reformation eras and into the modern age.

A one-volume edition of the three-volume 'Integrative Theology', this text deals with the definition and application of this new and distinctive approach to religious study.

This book, the first serious analysis of the doctrine of the Trinity for many years, presents a defense against the conservative treatment of the Trinity as an impenetrable "mystery," and against the radical position that the doctrine is incoherent and therefore unacceptable. Brown favors "the founding of a new discipline of philosophical theology (or the widening of the horizons of the philosophy of religion) to apply more widely the type of penetration of theology by philosophy" that he exemplifies in his treatment of the Trinity. He argues for belief in an interventionist God (theism rather than deism), and contends that biblical criticism and historical research do not imply the abandonment of Christian belief, since "the historical original" should not be equated with "theological truth." Although historical difficulties must prevent any literal acceptance of the Gospel accounts in toto, "the true Christ" can be disentangled from "the historical Jesus" by philosophical method. Wide-ranging in scope, rigorous and candid in argument, Brown's work will prove of interest to educated Christian laypersons and others beyond the boundaries of professional theology and philosophy of religion. Perhaps most provocative is Brown's assertion that the Resurrection must be accepted as a literally true visionary experience, and that anyone who accepts it must be prepared to take seriously other visionary experiences, for example, visions of the Virgin Mary, even if he rejects them in the end. "It is certainly an astonishing truth that God should be so interested in a being of such vastly inferior powers as man," says the author. "But that clearly must be the implication of the doctrine of the Trinity . . ." To have reached this conclusion by means of philosophical argument is to have taken a major step toward the "complete penetration of theology by philosophy" that Brown calls for.

The Bible teaches that God is one in substance and three in person--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although the Trinity is clearly taught in the Bible, it has been attacked throughout church history, and many Christians today have not studied this foundational doctrine. In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul carefully explains the Trinity and clarifies common misconceptions. While the Trinity is mysterious, it is not contradictory, and it is essential to understanding the nature of God. The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

Joseph A. Bracken argues that the failure of theology and science to generate cohesion is the lack of an integrated system of interpretation of the Christian faith that consciously accords with the insights and discoveries of contemporary science. Bracken utilizes the language and conceptual structures of systems theory as a philosophical and scientific grammar to show traditional Christian beliefs in a new light that is accessible and rationally plausible to a contemporary, scientifically influenced society.

A critical evaluation of the doctrine of the Trinity, tracing its development and investigating its intellectual, philosophical and theological background.

Where did the Holy Trinity originate as a doctrine? Why did this doctrine develop? How can Christians speak of God as three persons and also worship one God? The College Student's Introduction to the Trinity examines how the doctrine of the Trinity has been interpreted in Eastern Christianity, Western Christianity, and by contemporary theologians, including feminists and process theologians.

The One, the Many, and the Trinity analyzes perhaps the most ambitious and robust system of process thought developed from a Roman Catholic perspective, that of Joseph A. Bracken,