The Holy Trinity: In the Beginning There Was Love

by Dumitru Stăniloae

The dogma of the Holy Trinity has always been at the center of Orthodox theology, which is why it was an endless subject of reflection for Fr. Dumitru Staniloae, may he rest in peace. The special place that the Trinity occupies in his teaching on the Church makes Fr. Staniloae the theologian par excellence of the Holy Trinity in the contemporary world. In fact, his entire corpus is a mammoth effort to place the unspeakable mystery of the Holy Trinity at the center of all recent Christian life and thought. As with St. Maximus the Confessor, whose work he has translated and commentated on in Romanian, this dogma does not represent an isolated theme for Fr. Staniloae. His exegeses of the Trinity glimmer throughout every chapter of his dogmatic theology. While identifying both a united absolute essence and distinct absolute hypostases at the heart of the Holy Trinity, in the most Orthodox spirit Fr. Staniloae always aimed to bring the living, dynamic personalism of Orthodox Christian theology into the light. Speaking as no one else in contemporary theology has about the infinite value of the person, about its unfathomable depths, and seeing "the undying face of God" in man, Fr. Staniloae can also speak about the perfect love whose only source is the Holy Trinity. - His Beatitude Patriarch Teoctist of Romania (+2007)

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Dumitru Stăniloae (Romanian pronunciation: [duˈmitru stəniˈlo̯aje] was a Romanian Eastern Orthodox priest, theologian, academic, and professor. Father Stăniloae worked for over 45 years on a comprehensive Romanian translation of the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the Church Fathers, together with the hieromonk, Arsenie Boca, who brought manuscripts from Mount Athos. His masterpiece, The Dogmatic Orthodox Theology (1978), makes him one of the most reputed Christian Theologians of the second half of the 20th century. He produced valuable comments on the works of the Fathers of the Church, such as Gregory of Nyssa, Maximus the Confessor, or Athanasius the Great.

Reviews

[Mirela Vasile (Dinny) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dacă ți-ai pus vreodată întrebările astea, cartea o să te lămurească în doar 99 de pagini cum se face că 3=1, de ce sunt esențiale Sfintele Taine și în general cam ce căutăm noi, oamenii, pe aici, prin varianta asta a lumii.

[G Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staniloae is brilliant in this text... as he is in his other works. I highly recommend this book to all (acamedicians and lay people alike). Profound theology, yes, but also equally profound in pastoral application. Good stuff. I cannot recommend this text (and other books by Staniloae) enough. Go buy a copy... get a couple extra... one for your kids (when they are older and this book is out of print) and one to share with some friends. I would place this up there with Sherrard, Zizoulas or Romaindes in the East and R.A. Smith, P. Toon, T.F. Torrance, R.W. Jenson et all in the West... Very important book!

[Trevor Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is plenty to live about this book. It always amazes me how much the orthodox can praise God simply for who he is, not even considering what he has done for us. A worthwhile book for Christians of any stripe.

[Alexandru Balaur]

Very profound book which gives a good orthodox view on the subject. It is not easy to read. Should be read slowly and with meditation upon every sentence.

[Saint Katherine BookstoreVA]

Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae (1903-1993) was a priest of the Church of Romania. His numerous works, including a Romanian translation of the Philokalia and his 1978 masterpiece The Dogmatic Orthodox Theology have established him as one of the leading Orthodox theologians and academicians of the 20th century.

The Holy Trinity is one of a growing number of his works available in English. Stăniloae grounds this exposition on the loving nature of the Godhead within an intellectually consistent framework of Orthodox dogmatics and sacred Tradition. Quotes from Church Fathers and Scripture underpin his arguments throughout. The prose of this translation is fairly formal, as might befit an academic, but still accessible. The little book doesn’t require one to be a theologian to appreciate it, but it requires some work on the part of a lay reader. You can expect to be richly rewarded for your effort.

The first two chapters are the weightiest, as Stăniloae takes us through a proof of the necessity of God’s existence, concluding, “There must be a being in itself, perfect from eternity, in which there is nothing that preceded it.” (p. 5) That being’s omnipotence and omniscience are “placed at the service of [its] unlimited goodness, which desires that limited created things enjoy its love, with a joy that gives them the power to love and to draw nearer to infinite goodness.” (p. 12)

Chapters 3 and 4 are devoted to establishing the necessity of God’s triune nature: “If the divine being were in a single person, it would not be good or loving from eternity, which would mean that it was not divine (p. 17)…. A solitary being cannot even be human, let alone God. Its light and joy only exist in communion with other conscious beings.” (p. 33)

In Chapters 5 and 6, the prose becomes ever more uplifting as Stăniloae describes the Divine Love revealed in Christ and the Incarnation. The nature of an intimate, cosmic love challenges us: “If dominion in [God’s] kingdom belongs to the Trinity, humans cannot participate in the kingdom without uniting themselves with it, and living, through its power, in community with other men.” (p. 46)

Chapters 7 through 10 deal mainly with the Holy Spirit and bring a brightness into the flow of thoughts. Stăniloae describes the loving rapport between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and how, through the Spirit, we are invited by grace to stand before God with Christ as our true brother. The final chapter includes Stăniloae’s translations of four traditional prayers, all beautiful reflections on the Holy Spirit and the Trinity.

Although Stăniloae doesn’t write at length on interpersonal bonds in light of the loving Trinity, pointed observations on human relationships run throughout the book. It is impossible to get through Chapter 7 without being struck by the family as a vision of the love of the Triune God. Those with children should find the resonance to be loud and clear. Stăniloae’s understated observations on the increase in mutual love growing from an ever-maturing experience of God are often profoundly affecting and are among the book’s most valuable insights.

[Luke TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The newly-glorified St Dumitru’s “The Holy Trinity: In the Beginning There Was Love” is a thoroughly remarkable book. At just over 100 pages, it is as dense as it is short. And yet the difficulty is worth it; anyone who can struggle through this book will receive a full articulation of the Trinity that is faithful to the Triadology of the Greek Christian tradition. Furthermore, this presentation is sung in a distinct key, as the Romanian theologian often uses categories and terminology that are unique to the 20th Century. Needless to say, this is not a dry, systematic explanation of ancient dogmas. Rather, the deepest insights of the Church Fathers are expressed in a way that intimately relates to the spiritual life. We are called “adopted sons” in the New Testament, and it is the inner Life of the Trinity which shows us what it truly means to be a Son of God by the very Spirit of the Son. As one of his last works, this book sums up St Dumitru’s vision, which even includes concepts that have been historically much more prominent in the Western tradition than the Eastern one. In particular, there is much to be gained from his chapters on the Spirit as Love and the Spirit as the Unity of the Father and the Son. This short text is a must-read for those interested in the depths of Triadology, especially those in the Orthodox tradition.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating books is not a science for sure. At some other time in my life I might have rated this book higher, but at the moment it didn't answer any questions which are on my mind. It is high theology, perhaps too great and marvelous for me.

[Andrew Talbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a long book (87 pages), but theologically dense and excellent. Helpful summary of Eastern trinitarian thought and prayers

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cărticica aceasta este un nemaipomenit și concentrat sumar al lucrării părintelui Stăniloae, zis cu drag și pe bună dreptate Dumitru Teologul. E o împărtășire doctă a revelației pe care a înțeles-o sau, mai bine spus, de care se minunează neîncetat teologul român care se înscrie în tradiția marilor părinți ai Bisericii.

Revelația în jurul căreia gravitează aceste incursiuni teologice este că Dumnezeul Treimic este iubire care nu poate fi monopersonală și nici impersonală. Însăși existența omului, culminația creației, este o revărsare a acestei iubiri. Recunoscând sau măcar intuind această realitate supremă se așază viața noastră într-o logică a Logosului iubitor care "te face să te cunoști pe tine în Dumnezeu". Acest Hristos nu este un "Hristos al discursurilor", ci al harului necreat, un Dumnezeu care și-a însușit realmente umanitatea și care lucrează necontenit ca s-o îndumnezeiască.

[Darrick Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

See my review of the book on my blog:

http://alypiusminor.wordpress.com/201...

[Maria Mihai]

Minunata cartea!