Deus Trinitas

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in the doctrine of the Trinity, following a long period in which it was considered irrelevant to the rest of theology and to the challenge of Christian life. In this book, David Coffey claims that this resurgence is caused by a renewed appreciation of the fact that salvation itself has a Trinitarian structure. He argues that we cannot understand salvation without a solid understanding of the Trinity. Coffey considers the full range of issues surrounding this central doctrine of Christian faith. Viewing the doctrine of the Trinity in its historical and ecumenical context, he seeks to arrive at a balanced vision that incorporates the insights of both the Western and the Eastern Churches. In particular, he wants to keep in sight both the immanent Trinity (the Godhead considered in itself) and the economic Trinity (that is, its role within the economy of salvation). In Coffeys own model of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is seen as the objectivization of the mutual love of the Father and the Son. This idea is most closely associated with St. Augustine and Richard of St. Victor. Coffey, however, takes it much further, presenting it as an explanation of the origin of the Son and the Holy Spirit and of the manner of operation of the Trinity in the economy. From this model, he is also able to derive a suggestion for resolving the ecumenical problem of Filioquism vs. Monopatrism (concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit)-- the issue that has divided East from West for nearly a millennium. Presenting a new perspective on a topic of renewed theological interest, this comprehensive study has important implications for ecumenical discussions of the Trinity.

This volume is framed by articles that throw interesting light on the achievement and reputation of the greatest of Anglo-Saxon kings - Alfred.

In this most up-to-date study, Aaron Yom provides a comprehensive analysis of the doctrine of God, particularly from a pneumatological perspective. He focuses on retrieving the order of God that has been consistently misunderstood and mistreated by modern scholars. The author carefully examines scholarly works of modern thinkers such as Karl Barth, Thomas Torrance, Karl Rahner, David Coffey, Jurgen Moltmann, Clark Pinnock, and Stanley Grenz, as well as ancient masters such as Augustine and Aquinas. With a critical analysis, he highlights the strengths and weaknesses of their work to lay a foundational platform for understanding God's order in the twenty-first-century theological context. Yom proposes a holistic approach that does not marginalize the logic of the Trinity that begins with God's order of ontology rather than God's order of economy, though the former is read from the latter. He maintains the intricate balance of the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity with his newfound principle of identity and duality. Yom offers several new theological paradigms for those who are interested in the topic of systematic theology.

Spirit Christology has emerged as an important focus in recent theology. It offers new perspectives on Christology and Pneumatology. Can these new perspectives lead to advances in trinitarian theology itself? The classical theologies of both East and West tended to express great reserve about moving too easily from the economy of salvation to ideas about God in se. In the twentieth century, Karl Rahner's argument that the 'economic' Trinity is the 'immanent' Trinity and vice versa helped lead to a significant erosion of this reserve, though not without controversy. The work of David Coffey represents a significant contribution to reflection on this nexus of questions. This book examines his treatment of the relation of Spirit Christology to Logos Christology, his reformulation of Rahner's axiom, and his suggestion that Spirit Christology offers an 'ascending' basis for a 'mutual love' Pneumatology, in the service of a renewed trinitarian theology. It presents an analysis of Coffey's achievement in its various contexts, historical and contemporary. It highlights his methodological balance and argues that his theology represents an important development within the tradition, casting new light on issues of pressing contemporary interest.

Does traditional Christianity involve paradoxical doctrines, that is, doctrines that present the appearance (at least) of logical inconsistency? If so, what is the nature of these paradoxes and why do they arise? What is the relationship between paradox and mystery in theological theorizing? And what are the implications for the rationality, or otherwise, of orthodox Christian beliefs? In 'Paradox in Christian Theology', James Anderson argues that the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation, as derived from Scripture and formulated in the ecumenical creeds, are indeed paradoxical. But this conclusion, he contends, need not imply that Christians who believe these doctrines are irrational in doing so. In support of this claim, Anderson develops and defends a model of understanding paradoxical Christian doctrines according to which the presence of such doctrines is unsurprising and adherence to paradoxical doctrines cannot be considered as a serious intellectual obstacle to belief in Christianity. The case presented in this book has significant implications for the practice of systematic theology, biblical exegesis, and Christian apologetics.

This work, which in its original Latin was 'Instructiones' is a composition by the Irish St. Columba, dedicated to provided moral direction for the various people in the care of the saint and his disciples. This largely entails a rejection of personal pride, a commitment to poverty and chastity, and an indwelling sense of restrain that should be observed at all times. These are intended to form a sense of personal moral discipline and insight into our own psychological limitations. This text is presented in both its original Latin, as well as an English translation.