The Divine Name(s) and the Holy Trinity, Volume One: Distinguishing the Voices

by R. Kendall Soulen

Overview

Few things are so vital to Christian life yet so mired in controversy as the language we use to name the mystery of the Trinity. This project offers a fresh map of Trinitarian language that is simple, yet profound in its implications for theology and practice. Soulen proposes that sacred scripture gifts us with three patterns of naming the persons of the Trinity: a theo-logical pattern characterized by oblique reference to the Tetragrammaton (the divine name); a christo-logical pattern characterized by the kinship vocabulary of Father, Son, and Spirit; and a pneumato-logical pattern, characterized by the open-ended multiplicity of divine names. These patterns relate in a Trinitarian way: they are distinct, interconnected, and, above all, equally important. The significance of this thesis resides in its power to map the terrain of Trinitarian discourse in a way that is faithful to scripture, critically respectful of tradition, and fruitfully relevant to a broad range of contemporary concerns.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780664234140
Publisher:	Westminster John Knox Press
Publication date:	09/12/2011
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

R. Kendall Soulen is Professor of Systematic Theology at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

"Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, this book makes a deeply important contribution to the central question of theology. At once clear, learned, and engaging, Soulen's approach stakes out an original way of understanding that will enlighten interested readers inside and outside the academy. One of the best books on naming God in years." Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., Distinguished Professor of Theology, Fordham University

"Disciplined by careful and acute analysis of the history of Trinitarian theology, there is a wonderfully creative theological imagination at work here." David H. Kelsey, Professor Emeritus of Theology, Yale Divinity School

"The chapters read like a brilliant detective story, with the clues as well documented as the conclusion is revealing." Christopher L. Morse, Professor of Theology and Ethics, Union Theological Seminary

"Few scholars can claim to have discerned a new research paradigm. And few of these have themselves carried it out, with a fully ramified development. Kendall Soulen has done both. A major achievement." Robert W. Jenson, Professor Emeritus of Religion, St. Olaf College

From the Publisher