The Trinity and the Kingdom of God: The Doctrine of God

This book represents a radical new departure for Jürgen Moltmann, not least in the lucidity of its writing. Whereas his early great trilogy, Theology of Hope, The Crucified God and The Church in the Power of the Spirit, was pragmatic, looking at theology as a whole from a particular standpoint, here he begins to consider how important concepts and doctrines of Christian theology are interrelated. However, this is not, he stresses, the beginning of a dogmatics, a systematic theology. Systems, even open systems, cannot really be discussed, and they serve as a substitute for critical and independent thought, which is fatal at a time when free dialogue and fellowship are essential for knowledge of the truth of God.So here, taking up Protestant and Roman Catholic, Western and Eastern traditions, he reconsiders the doctrine of the Trinity, with an eye especially to the overcoming of the schism which has burdened the life of the churches since 1054. At the same time, he is aware of another even older schism, that with Judaism, which also cries out for resolution if there is indeed only one God. Most notable, perhaps, in this treatment is the deep insight into the relationship between suffering and God, which has been hinted at in early works, but is here developed much more fully.There is also an important discussion of the social dimension of the Trinity, which has far-reaching consequences. From the backcover 'This is a remarkably rich and fertile book, with an astonishing range of discussion from Tertullian, the Cappadocian Fathers, Augustine and John of Damascus to Studdert Kennedy (whose book, The Hardest Part, deserved at the time, according to Moltmann, more attention than Barth's Romans), Evidokimov and Bernard Lonergan. Its controversial character will be abundantly evident from the bare outline of the theme. Anyone who is in danger of having gone to sleep on the doctrine of God will be thoroughly awakened and stimulated. It has become part of received wisdom to accuse virtually the major part of the Christian christological tradition of covert docetism; Moltmann invites us to detect a no less pernicious modalism in most past and present forms of western trinitarianism' (Theology).