In my experience, most modern Christians believe in "the Trinity" without having any real understanding of the term. They just know "it's true," and that "all Christians are in agreement" about it.
For those who are paying attention, this book pretty powerfully undermines that notion.
For instance, William Lane Craig writes to defend "the Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity," which is posited to mean "we only have to believe just what the Bible tells us and not bother with all those creeds and things." At first blush it seems so clear and easy and Protestant, but then Branson and Tuggy both point out that it's not enough just to use the word "God," you have to mean something by it. And if that meaning is unclear, if you want people to agree with you, you need to explain what you mean. (If you don't actually know what you mean when you say something, why bother saying it?)
My experience with the Zondervan "Counterpoints" series led me to expect a sort of symmetry in this book, but in reality this volume is (delightfully?) asymmetric. Craig wants to avoid talking about the ideas expressed in the creeds, while the other three show that oversimplifying this debate causes real problems. Branson refuses to defend any particular view (he does specifically present the model he believes Gregory of Nyssa held), which enables him to spend a lot of space illustrating just how much semantic range hides behind the word "God/god." Here he finds a lot of agreement with Tuggy, who otherwise is at odds with all the other contributors in that He represents Unitarian Christianity.
At times the interactions feel a bit "messy" in their asymmetry, but in that way the volume accurately captures the inherent nature of this debate. Not only are the people involved trying to understand and speak about the underlying truths involved, but they are also hindered by the nature of language, communication, and a priori assumptions that everyone brings to the table. Branson brings up the question of canonicity, and Tuggy points out that arguing about the interpretation of Bible verses usually just ends in an impasse (he offers a what I felt was a fairly compelling logical case that the Unitarian case should at least be fairly considered).
Mercifully, no one in this book recommends the exile or execution of their opponents, and although their words sometimes border on derisive, they are generally respectful towards each other.
Read this book:
* For perspective on the breadth of the debate about Christian doctrines of God.
* If you like to approach big doctrinal questions by listening to apologists from multiple perspectives.
* If you are an "expert" on the Trinity but have only ever really listen to teachers from your own denomination/theological echo chamber.
* If you want to get a better idea of how deep this question is before you undertake further study.
* If you frequently find yourself arguing with people about the Trinity.
Don't expect:
* Symmetrical explanations of four different systems.
* A long argument about the meaning of 8 Bible verses frequently tied to "the deity of Jesus Christ."
* Light reading.
The doctrine of the Trinity is one area where the Dunning-Kruger effect seems to run at particularly high strength. I rather suspect that the dialogue in this book will help to dispel that, if even only a little bit. For that alone, it is worth the read. I bought the Kindle version, and halfway through ordered the print version because I think it will be helpful to lend to others who are asking related questions.
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- A. PullReviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
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