In this original, contemporary doctrine of the Trinity, William Placher places the history of theology in dialogue with postmodern philosophy and yields a provocative postliberal interpretation.
Bringing together the insights of Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Karl Barth, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Emmanuel Levinas, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, Placher deftly connects a radical view of God’s transcendence with a narrative Christology. His resulting thesis is twofold: First, the doctrine of the Trinity is not a way of explaining the inner nature of God but a way of preserving God’s mystery; and second, the Trinity should be presented by showing how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God—moving from the Three to the One, not the other way around.
An exceptionally clear and engaging presentation of this central Christian doctrine, The Triune God both advances the scholarly and ecclesial discussion on the Trinity and provides an unusually concrete introduction to postliberal theology.
William C. Placher is the Charles D. and Elizabeth S. LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. His many books include Essentials of Christian Theology; Jesus the Savior: The Meaning of Jesus Christ for Christian Faith; and The Domestication of Transcendence: How Modern Thinking about God Went Wrong.
