Metaphysics and the Tri-Personal God

by William Hasker

This is the first full-length study of the doctrine of the Trinity from the standpoint of analytic philosophical theology. William Hasker reviews the evidence concerning fourth-century pro-Nicene trinitarianism in the light of recent developments in the scholarship on this period, arguing for particular interpretations of crucial concepts. He then reviews and criticizes recent work on the issue of the divine three-in-oneness, including systematic theologians such as Barth, Rahner, Moltmann, and Zizioulas, and analytic philosophers of religion such as Leftow, van Inwagen, Craig, and Swinburne. In the final part of the book he develops a carefully articulated social doctrine of the Trinity which is coherent, intelligible, and faithful to scripture and tradition.

Genres: Theology, Book Club

278 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Caleb Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book! The doctrine of the Trinity is notoriously complex and fraught with features that run contrary to common intuition. It is for this reason that this theological doctrine requires considerable analysis and philosophical reflection. This sort of task has recently been termed “analytic theology”, a category of which this volume is an exceptional member.

Readers will not find a robust textual argument in favor of Trinitarian doctrine, as this is not the aim of the book. Rather, the book aims to develop a theologically and philosophically coherent understanding of the doctrine as we already possess it from Church history, having been scripturally defended and affirmed for nearly two millennia.

The result is a breathtaking work of clarity and concision. I am astounded at the density of this work. Hasker somehow manages to cover every relevant issue in merely 260 pages. Admittedly, this density may be overwhelming for some readers. I found myself putting the book down quite frequently in order to digest the material.

With the exception of his argumentation related to the eternal processions of the Son and Spirit, I found virtually every part of this book to be quite compelling. Said argument concerning divine processions left me unconvinced, though I suspect that a better defense of Hasker’s position could not be expected.

If you are comfortable with reading philosophical material that can be technical at times, I highly recommend this book. Hasker has done as good a job as any that I have ever seen in tackling the “three-in-one” problem. In light of this, I don’t think that it is hyperbolic to say that this is the best book on the Trinity that I am aware of.

[Brian Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I have recently read on the Trinity, this is my favorite. These books, I should say, have been works of philosophy, not systematic theology and not devotional works. Hasker's book is not necessarily a page-turner, nor will it set your heart ablaze with love for the triune God. (Well, depending upon who you are, it might very well do both.) But it's not meant to be either, I think. Hasker is trying to figure out the "three-in-oneness problem" of the Trinity. How can God be both one and three at the same time? Is this a contradiction? How can Christians make sense of the being of God in a rational way?

Hasker considers a number of important issues along the way to resolving this problem. He considers the Trinitarian theology of fourth and fifth century theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine. He reviews twentieth century proposals from the likes of Rahner, Barth, Moltmann, Zizioulas, Brian Leftow, William Lane Craig, Peter Van Inwagen, Richard Swinburne, and others. Then, he tries to present a constructive doctrine of the Trinity.

He favors a Social Trinitarian model and he adapts the material constitution understanding of the Trinity proposed by Brower and Rea.

This book should be paired with a biblical exposition of the Trinity. He is not advancing biblical theology, but philosophical theology. Christians will want to see if what Hasker proposes aligns with Scripture. Still, this is a helpful book. Hasker surveys a wide range of Trinitarian philosophical theology and he writes clearly.

[Ryan Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good look at the various theories and streams of thought regarding the Trinity (three-in-oneness) and metaphysical explanations/theories. Hasker surveys much of the material, historic and modern, as well as the current models from various metaphysicians. His critique of many of those current proposals is often spot-on, however his final conclusion and personal proposed metaphysical model also falls short in my estimation. This is a topic that relies on never-perfect analogous models, so it may seem harsh to criticize his final theory - yet his model simply has too many holes for me. Regardless, the book he has produced is quite useful and helpful in seeing the current debate.

[David Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the observant reader, the title should signal that this is not an easy read. However, the struggle to comprehend Hasker's arguments is worth the effort. The reader will get a good overall view of the evolution of thought concerning the Trinity beginning with the early church and a balanced and fair summary of the major approaches to understanding what God being Tri-Personal" actually means.

And then - on the last page (don't look!) Hasker offers a closing statement to pull together the different streams of thought.