Trinity & Reality

The subtitle of this book by Ralph Smith is: An Introduction to the Christian Faith. I would hardly recommend it as an early read for a young Christian, which is what that subtitle implies to me. Smith's topic - the Trinity - is undoubtedly foundational to the Christian faith but is presented in a way that requires prior knowledge of Scripture and doctrine. Familiarity with philosophy and competing worldviews doesn't hurt either.

Smith illuminates the ways in which our concept of Trinity forms our understanding of the Person of God, his relationship to mankind, the whole of Creation, history, The Kingdom of God, ourselves, The Church and the future of all things! You know, basic doctrine. ;-)

The book defies summarizing other than what I've just said, but is full of ideas, suggestions and truths that will be swimming around in my head for some time to come. Reading it has made me more concious of the all-pervasive significance of God's Trinitarian nature when seeking to understand and apply his presence and his Truth to all of life.

I'll offer one quote from the chapter titled, Trinity, Self & Church:

"It is important to understand that God created man not only as an individual, but as a collective, a society. For God Himself is a triune God subsisting in three Persons united in a covenant of love. We are accustomed to the idea that man as an individual is godlike in his body and mind, godlike in his abilities, godlike in his rule over the creation, for this truth has been emphasized often, especially in the West. We may be less familiar with the fact that, from a biblical perspective, man's social nature and responsibilities are essential to what it means to be made in God's image, so that apart from righteous participation in the societies in which God has placed us, we cannot be truly Christian.

To understand man fully, therefore, we must understand him as he relates to others. The self is not a ghost hidden down deep somewhere in a fleshly machine. Our self - who we are - is determined by our relationships, just as the Three Persons of the Trinity are who they are in their mutual relationships. There is no Father unless He is the Father of the Son. The Spirit is who He is because He is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. In God, relationships among the members of the Trinity are essential to the definition, or the name, of each of the three Persons. Since we are created in God's image, we, too, are defined, or named, in terms of our relationships."

For the rest of Smith's insight, you're on your own! Though the book is not as complex as, say, Deep Comedy, be prepared to read slowly and think things through.