When Collaboration Mirrors The Trinity

"That they all may be one" was Jesus' first-century prayer. With mind and emotions set towards Golgotha, he poured out his heart to the Father. But what is our twenty-first-century reality? Local churches are siloed. Pastors do not know one another and rarely work together. Christians drive by church buildings on their way to Sunday worship and seldom pray for one another. Vitriolic disunity spews across social media in front of an onlooking world. Our culture sees our fractured reality and increasingly dismisses Christianity as a viable option for their lives. And it is time for believers to recognize that it is our fault. But there is hope! When Collaboration Mirrors the Trinity is a timely invitation for local churches to make the practice of unity our new normal. Avery Stafford presents a biblical model to actualize this invitation. He details four rhythms that mirror the loving community of the Triune God. Each one can help pastors, lay leaders, and faith communities deepen their resolve to bless the world through effective gospel partnerships. This work is a bold call for believers to discover an untapped resource for the gospel--the believers who attend other churches in their city.

For many people the doctrine of the Trinity is a hopeless puzzle, an outdated philosophical idea far removed from everyday life. What does it all mean? And how can something so mysterious possibly make a difference in our everyday lives? In Experiencing the Trinity Darrell Johnson shows that this doctrine is not only at the heart of biblical Christianity, but that it is also at the center of Christian experience-of following Jesus Christ in ordinary life and seeing God at work in our human relationships. "At the center of the universe is a relationship," writes Johnson. "That is the most fundamental truth I know. It is out of that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed. And it is for that relationship that you and I were created and redeemed."

The mystery of the Trinity is the central Christian belief that defines God's essence, God's ongoing love for humanity, and saving grace. Yet, over the past few centuries, especially in the West, Christians have either ceased believing in the Trinity or simply no longer recognize its relevance in their ecclesial or individual lives. Written in an ecumenical spirit that engages contemporary questions and theological viewpoints, The Trinity: Rediscovering the Central Christian Mystery articulates the mystery of the Trinity for people formed by modern historical consciousness, science, awareness of the equal dignity of men and women, and respect for world religions. By first identifying contemporary problems with the Christian proclamation of the Trinity in our culture and major differences among modern theologians, John Farrelly, OSB, explores Scripture, the life and message of Jesus Christ, the various stages of the development of Trinitarian doctrine in Christian History, the relation of the Trinity to creation and salvation, the generation of the Son from the Father within the Trinity and the procession of the Holy Spirit from Father and Son, and the meaning of three persons in one God. He concludes by reflecting on the implications this renewed theology of the Trinity has for ecclesiology and Christian spirituality in our twenty-first century world, especially in relation to other world religions.

This interdisciplinary study is the result of an international and ecumenical meeting of nineteen scholars held in New York at Easter 1998: the Trinity Summit. Biblical experts examine the scriptural roots of trinitarian doctrine, patristic scholars correct those who continue to misinterpret the trinitarian teaching of the Cappadocians and Augustine, and five scholars examine systematic and foundational issues like the viability of social models for the Trinity. The volume ends with a study of the Trinity in art and the challenge of preaching the Trinity today. The international reputation of the participants reflects and guarantees the high quality of this joint work.

"Why be concerned with the Trinity? What does it mean to say, "I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?" In this accessible work Leonardo Boff takes up the ancient doctrine of the Trinity showing its meaning and relevance for Christian faith today." "In a series of short chapters Boff unpacks the mysteries of the Trinity, spelling out the difference it makes to believe that God is communion rather than solitude. Instead of an image of God as solitary ruler standing aloof above a static universe, belief in the Trinity means that at the root of everything there is movement, there is an eternal process of life, of outward movement, and love." "While comprehensive in his treatment of the theological and anthropological dimensions of the Trinity, Boff is especially interested in the social implications. In the Trinity we find a program of liberation to the infinite degree: "difference and distinction, equality and perfect communion." The Holy Trinity is, among other things, the image of the perfect community. At the same time, in the Trinity we find the best image of the church: not a hierarchy of power, but a community of diverse gifts and functions. Thus comprehension of the Trinity, in which God comes out to meet us in the full realization of our yearnings, empowers our efforts for a better world and a more faithful church. Book jacket."--Jacket.

Unity, joy, simplicity, beauty, truth—these are the hallmarks of the three Persons in one God, the Trinity. In Contemplating the Trinity, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the papal household, invites readers to turn to the Trinity so that they can enter into and experience the relationship of love that the divine Persons share with one another. Convinced that Christians today need a spirituality that is more clearly trinitarian, Fr. Cantalamessa draws from theology, spirituality, and art to articulate this new perspective and its implications. As readers accept Christ’s invitation to immerse themselves in the “bottomless sea without shores” that is the Trinity, they will find themselves on a journey that promises a deeper understanding of how this relationship of love can be our standard for holiness.

Based on the teachings of Jesus and a biblical foundation, this book presents a new framework for education and teaching, referred to as the shalom education model, that addresses four essential questions in education (why teach, what to teach, how to teach and who are teachers?). After explaining the theoretical background of shalom, the book investigates a range of contemporary educational issues including gender identity, bullying, disability, linguistic and cultural diversity, and social justice, and presents practical guidelines that can be applied to classroom teaching. The book also emphasizes the role of teachers as missional leaders who help students unlock their full potential.

Do our images of "one God in three persons" reflect God well? Throughout history, Christians have pictured the relationships between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through analogies. Such illustrations--some from the West but also from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and other places--come laden with theological ramifications that the church has rejected (heresies) or embraced (doctrines). In Three in One, William David Spencer shares a lifetime of insights from teaching within the global church, bringing fresh images and analogies of the Trinity to deepen our theological vocabulary. Drawing from his extensive teaching in geographically and culturally diverse contexts and his artist's passion for evocative words and visuals, Spencer offers readers a rich, multifaceted, and practical exploration of the Trinity. Alongside historical and contemporary theology and biblical studies, he considers the strengths and shortcomings of various analogies used to explain the Trinity, such as: Light Water The Celtic knot The totem pole Musical harmonies The human body The family Readers of Three in One will gain a personal understanding of the Trinity as well as tools for teaching about the Trinity in adult and children's ministry contexts.