Summary of the book - The Holy Trinity in Scripture History Theology and

Worship by Robert Letham

This book is divided into four parts, discussing the biblical foundations, historical
development, modern discussion and critical issues. It also has two appendixes,
discussing Kevin Giles and Gilbert Bilezikians work on
His book mainly grapples with the history discussion of the church, to further
understand trinity. He explains the works of many theologians, starting by
discussing historical development with Augustine, then continues on by talking
about the controversy of the positions of the west and east regarding the subject
of trinity. Anslem of Canterbury, Richard of St. Victor and Thomas Aquinas
represented the western ideas on the Trinity, while John of Damascus, Photius
and Gregory Palamas represented the east. He ended the second section with
John Calvin, who was open to both east and west in regard to the trinity, then
moving on to modern literature with the writers from the west, Karl Barth,
Rahner, Moltmann and Pannenber, then the east with Bulgakov, Lossky,
Staniloae, and finally the reformed Thomas F Torrance.
In Robert Lethams book, he discusses the history of theologians regarding the
trinity. He defines the trinity as said by Bernard Lonergan, the trinity is a matter
of five notions or properties, four relations, three persons, two processions, on
substance or nature, and no understanding (1) Letham also talks about how in
recent times, the trinity has been neglected by the church, and how no one seems
to understand the notion of the trinity anymore. He emphasizes this fact by
quoting Karl Rahner, who said that should the doctrine of trinity be dropped as
false, the major part of literature would remain unchanged. (2) He talks about
how we will come to understand trinity by learning about its history, instead of
just viewing it as a definition, such as words in a dictionary. He quotes Augustine,
where he says in De Trinitate on the trinity In no other subject is error more
dangerous, and inquiry more laborious, or the discovery of truth more profitable.
Letham says that Exploration of the trinity has the feeling of walking precariously
on a narrow path, with dangers looming on both sides, and many are those to fail
to retain their balance. (2) This is somewhat similar to Augustines quote If you
deny the trinity you lose your soul, if you try to explain the trinity you shall lose
your mind The narrow path that Letham describes and the dangers of both sides
refers to the belief of the trinity, and trying to over explain and understand the
trinity. Letham hopes that this book will help in the recovery of the trinity and
will help revitalize the life of the church, and in turn, its witness to the world.(7)
In the book Trinity, Letham often puts importance in two different histories of the
Trinity, those of the East, and those of the West. He talks about how early eastern
churches were in danger of falling into the idea of subordinationism, where the
Son and the Spirit were somewhat derivative, with their divine status unclear.
This means that the eastern ideology believed that the son and the holy spirit
depended on the father for survival, and therefore they must be considered to be
his subordinate, as they needed the Father to survive. This continued on until the
fourth century controversies, where the terminology was made, where God could
be said to be three without detriment to his being one. He also says that the East
tended to see the Father as not only the source of their subsistence, but also of
their deity. This means that somehow, As the Eastern churches view the trinity
this way, it was easy for them to start deviating from the idea that all
personalities of the trinity are equal, as if the son and the holy spirit was receiving
his deity by derivation instead of by himself, he must be a little less divine that the
Father. This idea leads towards a loose form of Tritheism. The West, however,
falls into the mistake of modalism (also called sabellism). Western Trinitarianism
is based more on the priority of one essence, and fails to do justice to the three
personalities. The west prioritizes more on the God is one being part of they
trinity, and loses the focus on the with three personalites part. The west tends to
treat the revelation of God as the Father, Son and Holy Spririt as merely succesive
modes of which one unipersonal God revealed himself. (As Sabellius taught in the
third century)(5)
Letham talks about Augustines works on the trinity. In the second half of the De
Trinitate, Augustine hesistantly introduces some analogies for the Trinity,
although he knew of their limitations. However, these analogies, although not
perfect, had a great impact over the years. They are based on the primary essence
of God over the three persons, for the unity of God is his starting point. Augustine
looks for the reflections of the Trinity in the human mind. For example, he
describes the Trinity in terms of a lover (Father) his beloved (Son) and the love
between them (Holy Spirit). This analogy doesnt work due to the fact that
Augustine impersonalizes the Spirit, as love is a quality, and not a person. Later,
Aquinas talks about de Deo uno (The one God), seperately from de Deo trino (The
triune God). He talks about the trinity only in the fourth book of Summa Contra
Gentiles after dicussing the doctrine of God in detail in the first book. In part 1 of
Summa Theologia, he talks about the existence and attributes of God first, before
finally discussing the trinity. This pattern is standard in many theological books in
the West. In protestant circles, Charles Hodge spends two hundred and fifty pages
discussing the existence and attributes of God before finally turning his attention
to the fact that God is triune. Louis Berkhof also fails to put any real attention to
the Trinity. This shows how much the West tends to neglect the fact God is
Triune.
Letham talks about how the church has fallen into a mode of worship that is more
theistic than trinitarian. He says that General theistic worship is defective
worship (421) He notes that part of the problem, may be due to western
hymnody. Western hymnody tends to only talk about the attributes and existence
of God, and there are rarely any hymns that are clearly trinitarian. He feels that
this is clearly a great problem, as theology and worship are forever
interconnected. (410) Therefore, there is a need to refocus western hymnody.
Letham also states that prayer is an exploration of the Trinity. (422)
After discussing in detail the works of all theologists from the West and the East,
the fourth part of the book discusses a trinitarianism that is neither tritheism nor
modalism. He teaches an idea of oneness with the Divine Trinity, which is called
deification. Letham cites Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin and Westminister
Larger Catechism to prove his point that deification has a long history in Western
churches. He states that deification is our ultimate destiny (465). He states that
The Christ that we are in union with is the same identical being as God. Strictly
speaking, we are united to his humanity, but his humanity is inseperable from his
deity. Thus, union with his humanity is union with his person. Moreover, since the
person of Christ is that of the eternal Son, we are united to God. (468) He also
states that We are called to live in the loving and joyful union and communion
with the Holy Trinity. (475) Letham hastens to add that This does not mean any
blurring of creator and creature lines, any more than the assumption of humanity
by the son in the incarnation does. He states that This union and communion is
not merely symbolic or figurative. It is more than metaphorical, it is real. It is
brought about by the Holy Spirit, and being mystical, it defies all attempts to
explain it logically.(473) Finally, Letham quotes the Westminster Larger
Catechism that Our ultimate destiny, consist in unbridled fruition (enjoyment) of
the Holy Trinity. (473)
Robert Letham concludes his book with two appendixes, one countering the work
of Gilber Bileizikian on 'Hermeneutical Bungee-Jumping: Subordination in the
Trinity and another agreeing on the works of Kevin Giles on The Trinity and
Subordination.