The Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God

Thomistic Ressourcement Series #1

by Gilles Emery, Matthew Levering (Translator)

Representing the highest quality of scholarship, Gilles Emery offers a much-anticipated introduction to Catholic doctrine on the Trinity. His extensive research combined with lucid prose provides readers a resource to better understand the foundations of Trinitarian reflection. The book is addressed to all who wish to benefit from an initiation to Trinitarian doctrine.

The path proposed by this introductory work comprises six steps. First the book indicates some liturgical and biblical ways for entering into Trinitarian faith. It then presents the revelation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the New Testament, by inviting the reader to reflect upon the signification of the word "God." Next it explores the confessions of Trinitarian faith, from the New Testament itself to the Creed of Constantinople, on which it offers a commentary. By emphasizing the Christian culture inherited from the fourth-century Fathers of the Church, the book presents the fundamental principles of Trinitarian doctrine, which find their summit in the Christian notion of "person."

On these foundations, the heart of the book is a synthetic exposition of the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in their divine being and mutual relations, and in their action for us. Finally, the last step takes up again the study of the creative and saving action of the Trinity: the book concludes with a doctrinal exposition of the "missions" of the Son and Holy Spirit, that is, the salvific sending of the Son and Holy Spirit that leads humankind to the contemplation of the Father.

Genres: Theology, Catholic, Religion, Christian, Faith, Christianity, Academic

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Gilles Emery was born and grew up in the Swiss Alps. His language is French, but he likes speaking English. He is a member of the Swiss Province of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). He was ordained a priest in 1989. He has been a high school and University chaplain in Fribourg, and a parish vicar in Geneva, as well as an assistant of Prof. J.-P. Torrell at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Full professor of dogmatic theology at Fribourg University, Switzerland, from 1997 (teaching on the Triune God, Christology, Creation, theological anthropology, and Eschatology). Member of the ITC (International Theological Commission) from 2004 to 2014. he is the chief editor of the French journal "Nova et Vetera" since 2011. In 2012, he received the STM degree (Sacrae Theologiae Magister) from the Master of the Order of Preachers. For more details, including a list of his articles and contributions, go to his webpage: http://www.unifr.ch/dogme/accueil/rec...

Reviews

[David Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction, that covers a whole lot of ground, really well, in less than 200 pages. Concise and clear. Some repetition here and there, but not so much that it becomes annoying. Emery does a great job of covering all of the issues; even when he doesn't have a section on some particular point of doctrine. There are one or two places where you see some exclusively RC perpectives come through, Protestants would agree with probably everything he says (or pretty close), and Emery interacts clearly and respectfully with Eastern thought on the filioque. This is just a really good exposition and introduction to Traditional Christian belief about the Trinity. All in all, one of my favourite Introductory books on the Trinity, so far.

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This is a surprisingly dense theological introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity: the French title includes 'theological' (theologique) which the English lacks. A Protestant can agree with nearly everything Emery says here, and his clarity and the sparseness of footnotes make this volume very readable.

[Matthew Purt · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have never read any Trinitarian Theology, this is a good place to start. It’s not an easy read but it’s probably the easiest on the topic. The author reminds us that Trinitarian Theology is a meditation that cannot be divorced from prayer. Praying with this book has helped me better understand the Trinity.

My only criticism is that the book has too much prose and could’ve benefitted from more headings and even some diagram’s to illustrate the processions/relations and the structure of the Trinity as it was considered in the doctrinal synthesis chapter.

[Luke Stamps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic introduction to the classical doctrine of the Trinity. Highly recommended.

[Michael McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. One of my favorite reads from seminary. From a Catholic theological perspective. It’s rich and orthodox. It’s not easy to comprehend, but the clear communication of this doctrine and sub-categories is really enjoyable in learning about this wonderful mystery.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Emery does an amazing job at weaving together biblical, systematic, philosophical, and historical theology. One of the best "all-in-one" resources on the Trinity I've read.

[Jonathan Platter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to the Trinity. Emery unapologetically draws on the best of his Roman Catholic heritage while exploring Orthodox and Protestant views with sensitivity and honesty. Yet the center of his treatment is the biblical witness to God’s saving action, oriented toward the reception of all things into the trinitarian life.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, quite possibly, the best theology book I’ve ever read.

[Timothy Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice, helpful little introduction to (basically) a Thomist view of Trinitarian dogmatics. Mostly exposition rather than argument, but good, clear exposition. Impressively concise and readable, though through Levering’s translation it largely speaks rather than singing…

[Matt Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emery has written a profound and reasonably accessible work on the doctrine of the Trinity that draws deeply from Scripture as well as the great theologians of the church (not only Thomas Aquinas, who the series title highlights, but also most notably Augustine).

There are places where a Protestant like myself will disagree, particularly when the application of redemption is discussed. But on the whole this is a work Protestants and Catholics alike can profit from. After all, the best of Roman Catholic trinitarian theology is catholic trinitarian theology.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction into vanilla Catholic teaching on the Trinity. Good for non-Catholics too.

Full review: http://wp.me/pMeOB-b3

[Justin Dillehay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense, but very helpful. The glossary of technical terms was invaluable, and will make this book a go-to source in my future Trinitarian studies.

[Wagner Floriani · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most dense introductions I ever came across. However, the author’s ability to be concise while addressing complex issues makes this work extremely clarifying. I plan to return here often!

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly rich reflection on the central mystery of the Christian faith. Excellent biblical and philosophical exposition of the unity of substance, distinction of persons, processions, and missions of the Trinity. Excellent interaction with the history of the development of the doctrine throughout Church history. For the Fathers and medieval theologians “speculative” theology was contemplative theology whereby we are directed towards the contemplation of our greatest good, the God who is for us in his threeness and unity. Not just academic but spiritually enriching. I could not recommend the book more highly.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This was assigned reading for one of my systematic theology classes, and it is not a quick or easy read. Some of it was confusing or gave me a headache to contemplate, but there were so many ah-ha moments for me while reading that it was worth the struggle. Although the topic was difficult—-there’s nothing easy about trying to understand the Trinity! — the author was very readable. Highly recommend if you want a book about the Trinity. It is written by a Catholic but was required reading for my Reformed school, so I think any type of Christian would benefit from this book.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent foundational work on historic Trinitarian theology. Gilles gives many important historical discussions of patristic sources, the importance of divine simplicity, the divine missions, and a profound devotional aspect of faith and hope in the beatific vision for believers which is grounded in the Trinity.

[Timothy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to read anything well at the end of the semester. Nevertheless, what I gleaned was great: the translation is quite good and the historical theology was even better. Overall, very helpful text and resource.

[Ethan Moehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this made my brain hurt and my heart happy. So much to ponder.

[Chandler Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent overview of classical, creedal Trinitarianism.

[Santiago Pinzon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunningly clear introduction to the Trinity as articulated in the Catholic tradition. Emery treats an intricate doctrine in a sensible manner, beginning from the experience of the Trinitarian salvific economy as revealed in the New Testament and expressed in the liturgy, passing through the sustained reflection of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church regarding the the divine life of the Trinity itself, and returning to the economy of salvation in light of the speculative theological tradition. Though it may be daunting for those unfamiliar with more philosophical terminology, there are few better places to look for a thorough introduction.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very precise book on the doctrine of the Trinity. Very poor in terms of teaching the doctrine of the Trinity. If you want to know what Thomas thought about the Trinity, this will help you out. If you want to grow to understand the concept and see how to articulate it from Scripture, this isn't the book for you.

[Kristjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emery’s induction to The Trinity is an attempt to explain the Doctrine of The Trinity and examine the origins and development of the Trinitarian Christian confessions that advance this concept. The basic idea of the Trinity is that there are three distinct “persons,” known as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, within one unified nature or essence we call God. Almost immediately we encounter a problem with the limitations of human language used to describe this apparent contradiction in logic: Unfortunately, Emery only dances around the edges of this without giving any truly concrete definition from which to structure his discussion, making this book a bit of a struggle to fully comprehend.

Here is the root of the problem: In the rational mind, which apportions time and space within our physical world, if the three (3) persons of the Trinity are all God and they are also all distinct persons or individuals, then we have three distinct or individual Gods (which would result in a polytheistic heresy obviously rejected by all monotheist confessions, including the Catholic Church). If we accept that there is but one God, how then are the three (3) persons held to also be God as well? Attempts to reconcile this puzzle have fostered an even greater raft of heresies that either deny the distinct “personhood” of each member of the Trinity, or deny the shared “Godhood” or divinity of one or more members of the Trinity.

Emery briefly covers some of the heresies that prompted the Church to better define the dogma of the Trinity, but he doesn’t always to a good job of highlighting and/or explaining the orthodox response. This may be an artifact of translation or possibly even evolving modes of speech; however, it does become more clear on re-reading significant parts of the book while referencing the glossary in the back of the book.

Emery’s final chapter (6), Returning to the Creative and Saving Action of the Trinity, brings us back to why all of this is important. For the most part, this describes the Trinitarian economy and how it works to communicate to man a share of the divine life of God as revealed by God in the Incarnation of His Son through the Holy Spirit. It is basically a recap of the previous five (5) chapters organized in a clear and concise many that was much easier to understand and quite frankly could stand on its own with the glossary of terms.

[Maria Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Trinity" is a dense but very good book on the dogma of the Trinity! Gilles Emery shows how the temporal missions of Christ and the Holy Spirit reveal the eternal processions of the Triune God. Through the temporal "economy" of salvation, man can arrive by the analogy of faith at the contemplation of "theology," the eternal processions of the Triune God. In turn, the contemplation of the eternal processions illuminates our understanding of the temporal missions, the visible mission of Christ and the invisible mission of the Holy Spirit in our souls; their mission is one in three, and three in one, just as the Persons of the Trinity are. Through revelation, we find that all creatures bear the mark of the Trinity - Being, Word, and Love - and that this mark exists in a fourfold way: eternally and preeminently in God the Exemplar, and in creatures in a participated way by nature, grace, and glorification. Because men bear the mark by nature, they are capable of being elevated to a greater participation in the Trinity by grace, and, hopefully, eventually in glory. In the lumen gloriae, the blessed will assist at the eternal processions of the Trinity for all eternity.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great study of the Trinity. What I found interesting was the inclusion of the the patristic fathers, St.s Athanasius , Basil, Gregory, Ireneus, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas as this help to reinforce Emery's dissertation as sometimes it got a little repetitive. My interest centered on the differences between the Eastern and Western, the Filoque, the necessity to add and the Son ( now this quote) "The occasion was probably the necessity of affirming the faith in the divinity of the son & the Holy Spirit in the face of heterodox Western currents that did not recognize the full divinity of the Son. The phrase "and the Son" enters little by little into Western liturgy between 8th & 11 centuries.

[Donnie DeBord · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on the Trinity

This is one of the best modern books on Trinitarian Theology.it is a welcome contrast to the theistic personalism which has been popular. This work introduces the reader to the main principles and theologians who have shaped the classic Trinitarian discussion I would have appreciated more documentation, but the book was written to a more popular level audience and does address its audience incredibly well so that they will be grounded in classical Trinitarian theology.

[James Dobbins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of boring and in places incorrect.

This book is kind of boring, does not get into the relationship of infinite love that characterizes the relationship between the three Persons, at least not before I stopped reading. It also appears to be incorrect theologically. The author says the Son and the Holy Spirit both come from the Father, but the Nicene Creed says the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

[Jonah Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Emery’s writing style doesn’t provide the most enjoyable reading experience (it was a bit too repetitive for me at times), he is writing on the most blessed doctrine of the Church, and for that, he did an outstanding job. Maybe the repetition is actually fitting for such a subject as the Trinity. I am a better Christian for having read this book. 4/5 stars because of the popish sacrament stuff in there every once in a while.

[Justin McLarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never felt more in the weeds while reading a book on a theological doctrine. It was Biblical and historically informed (from the Roman tradition). It is a helpful 200-page book on the boundaries that have been laid throughout our 2,000-year history on the doctrine of the Trinity. As a response to heresies, church fathers have given instructions on what we believe about God the Trinity, what we can say about him, and what we cannot say about him.

[Jordan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Covers a lot of material in under 200 pages, but he does it well. Lots of difficult, but important, concepts provided which makes it a slow read. However, it’s worth it. Emery says it best:

Meditation on the Trinitarian economy nourishes and intensifies the desire for the union with God the Trinity (p.175)

Worth the time and study.

[Collin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely required slow and careful reading, but I feel like I got a lot out of it. I better understand what it means to know God as Trinity and why this is important for us to understand how God has acted in history. This is one book where frequent repetition by the authors was much appreciated.