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

Soulen, R. Kendall

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0664234143 ISBN 13: 9780664234140

Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

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

Review

"A major achievement." Robert W. Jenson, Professor Emeritus of Religion, St. Olaf College

"Soulen proposes a new paradigm for analyzing Trinitarian language.... Highly recommended." --Choice

"Kendall Soulen manages both to surprise and confound the reader by showing how much the naming of God matters and why....Even judged by writing style alone, Soulen's felicitous prose and conceptual clarity  make this book exceptional." --The Presbyterian Outlook

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

"[O]ne of the most important contributions to Trinitarian theology in many years." -- Cultural Encounters

"There is a wonderfully creative theological imagination at work here." --David Kelsey, Luther A. Weigle Professor of Theology Emeritus, Yale Divinity School

"Soulen's polished style and refined architectonics almost hide the fact that his proposal is as wide-ranging as it is weighty." -- International Journal of Systematic Theology

"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

"Kendall Soulen represents the best kind of constructive theologian at work today: winsome, attentive to Scripture, immersed in the complexity of historical tradition, able to offer critique in a spirit of charity, and  profoundly attentive to the ethical implications of his theological assertions. His constructive proposal is surely one of the most important works of Trinitarian theology in years." -- Interpretation: A Journal of Bible  and Theology

"This magnificent book, a te Deum laudamus for our scattering times, invites responses which gather diverse powers and genres."  -- Scottish Journal of Theology

About this edition

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0664234143
• ISBN 13: 9780664234140
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 312