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The Forgotten Trinity: Recovering the Heart of Christian Belief
Discover Afresh the Living Truth of a Foundational Christian Belief
The Trinity is a basic teaching of the Christian faith. It defines God's essence and describes how He relates to us. The Forgotten Trinity is a concise, understandable explanation of what the Trinity is and why it matters. It refutes cultic distortions of God. It shows how a grasp of this significant teaching leads to renewed worship and deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian. And amid
today's emphasis on the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, The Forgotten Trinity is a balanced look at all three persons of the Trinity.
The Trinity is a basic teaching of the Christian faith. It defines God's essence and describes how He relates to us. The Forgotten Trinity is a concise, understandable explanation of what the Trinity is and why it matters. It refutes cultic distortions of God. It shows how a grasp of this significant teaching leads to renewed worship and deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian. And amid
today's emphasis on the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, The Forgotten Trinity is a balanced look at all three persons of the Trinity.
224 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1998
693 people are currently reading
2024 people want to read
About the author
James R. White
30 books484 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty four books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter’s Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged in more than one-hundred forty moderated, public debates around the world with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism, as well as critics such as Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and John Shelby Spong. In recent years James has debated in such locations as Sydney, Australia, as well as mosques in Toronto, London, and South Africa. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, has been married to Kelli for more than thirty two years, and has two children, and one grandchild, Clementine.
James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty four books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter’s Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged in more than one-hundred forty moderated, public debates around the world with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism, as well as critics such as Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and John Shelby Spong. In recent years James has debated in such locations as Sydney, Australia, as well as mosques in Toronto, London, and South Africa. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, has been married to Kelli for more than thirty two years, and has two children, and one grandchild, Clementine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
September 30, 2017
Anyone who desires to worship God in spirit and truth should read this book. Its purpose is not to provide an exhaustive apologetic on the doctrine of the Trinity. Rather, it contains a concise explanation of the doctrine of the trinity, including very pastoral reasons as to why it matters and should be cherished.
Although I would love for Dr. White to write an exhaustive book on this subject, he has done an amazing job with this one! I was very pleased with how much he *did* include, and at how clear his explanations were. But what I love most about this book, is Dr. White's pastoral, God-exalting focus. He says on page 17, "I wish to invite you, my fellow believer, to a deeper, higher, more intense love of God's truth. It is my longing that when you complete this work, you will not simply put it down and say, 'I got some good ammunition to use the next time I debate the Trinity.' Instead, I hope that God, in His grace, will use this to implant in your heart a deep longing to know Him even more. I pray that longing will last the rest of your life, and that it will result in your loving him more completely, worshiping Him more fully, honoring Him with the totality of your life."
Thus, His purpose is not to fill us with intellectual knowledge so that we can win debates. His purpose is to show us the awesome, wonderful, amazing God, who has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Spirit. And in so doing, his purpose is to lead us to love and worship Him more!
He has definitely accomplished this purpose!
Although I would love for Dr. White to write an exhaustive book on this subject, he has done an amazing job with this one! I was very pleased with how much he *did* include, and at how clear his explanations were. But what I love most about this book, is Dr. White's pastoral, God-exalting focus. He says on page 17, "I wish to invite you, my fellow believer, to a deeper, higher, more intense love of God's truth. It is my longing that when you complete this work, you will not simply put it down and say, 'I got some good ammunition to use the next time I debate the Trinity.' Instead, I hope that God, in His grace, will use this to implant in your heart a deep longing to know Him even more. I pray that longing will last the rest of your life, and that it will result in your loving him more completely, worshiping Him more fully, honoring Him with the totality of your life."
Thus, His purpose is not to fill us with intellectual knowledge so that we can win debates. His purpose is to show us the awesome, wonderful, amazing God, who has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Spirit. And in so doing, his purpose is to lead us to love and worship Him more!
He has definitely accomplished this purpose!
November 10, 2021
This book is a must-read for any Christian; especially someone who is seeking to better understand their faith and the God that they worship
Throughout the book, White beautifully and carefully lays out each part of the Trinity in order to communicate its existence, function and power in Christianity. James consistently explained and refuted the many arguments against the different aspects of the Trinity (Arianism, Docetism, JW etc.) and provided well developed answers that other Christians could use to help backup their Trinitarian beliefs if ever confronted. I appreciated how much detail White would use when explaining these anti-Trinitarian beliefs; There was a nice balance between denseness and under-explaining (leading to misunderstandings). Because of this I feel that coming out of the book I now yield a much greater understanding of the History of anti-Trinitarian beliefs, most especially Jw and Arian beliefs.
As Christians, one of our goals in my opinion is to communicate not just the message of the Gospel to the world, but the beauty of it. What I liked most about the book asides from the eloquent exegetical content was the way that James clearly communicated the beauty of the Trinity. The style and structure of the writing along with his often practical and reflecting conclusions caused each chapter and idea to not just reach my mind but to reach my heart. I consistently found myself finishing a chapter feeling extremely encouraged and much closer to the God I worship because I understood him at a new level. While reading Whites Greek exegesis of John 1 for example, I couldn't help but putting the book down mid-chapter and stopping to reflect on my awe for Gods largeness - in fact, I still am pondering on these ideas to this day
Just one wee niggle I did have, (which wasn't enough to bump down the rating for me) was that although James fore-mentioned the fact that the book was for the general Christian, rather than explicitly for people with vast amounts of Theology knowledge, he still would often use hard to understand terms without explaining them, especially when describing the Greek grammar in his exegeses. I would often find myself reading a sentence in an exegesis multiple times just to try and get my head around the grammar that he was explaining
Notwithstanding this, the book was an easy 5 stars and a really enjoyable read. This book was life-changing both for my Theology but also my life as a Christian and I am very glad I read it - I think it should be read by just about any Christian
Throughout the book, White beautifully and carefully lays out each part of the Trinity in order to communicate its existence, function and power in Christianity. James consistently explained and refuted the many arguments against the different aspects of the Trinity (Arianism, Docetism, JW etc.) and provided well developed answers that other Christians could use to help backup their Trinitarian beliefs if ever confronted. I appreciated how much detail White would use when explaining these anti-Trinitarian beliefs; There was a nice balance between denseness and under-explaining (leading to misunderstandings). Because of this I feel that coming out of the book I now yield a much greater understanding of the History of anti-Trinitarian beliefs, most especially Jw and Arian beliefs.
As Christians, one of our goals in my opinion is to communicate not just the message of the Gospel to the world, but the beauty of it. What I liked most about the book asides from the eloquent exegetical content was the way that James clearly communicated the beauty of the Trinity. The style and structure of the writing along with his often practical and reflecting conclusions caused each chapter and idea to not just reach my mind but to reach my heart. I consistently found myself finishing a chapter feeling extremely encouraged and much closer to the God I worship because I understood him at a new level. While reading Whites Greek exegesis of John 1 for example, I couldn't help but putting the book down mid-chapter and stopping to reflect on my awe for Gods largeness - in fact, I still am pondering on these ideas to this day
Just one wee niggle I did have, (which wasn't enough to bump down the rating for me) was that although James fore-mentioned the fact that the book was for the general Christian, rather than explicitly for people with vast amounts of Theology knowledge, he still would often use hard to understand terms without explaining them, especially when describing the Greek grammar in his exegeses. I would often find myself reading a sentence in an exegesis multiple times just to try and get my head around the grammar that he was explaining
Notwithstanding this, the book was an easy 5 stars and a really enjoyable read. This book was life-changing both for my Theology but also my life as a Christian and I am very glad I read it - I think it should be read by just about any Christian
December 29, 2022
Very helpful! The author defines the Trinity in easily understandable terms but also dives into deeper aspects of the doctrine, avoiding the temptation to deal with it superficially. Extensive Scriptural support is given to each of the pillars of the Trinitarian Doctrine, as White provides several lengthy analyses of some key passages including relevant Greek words, refutations of common heretical interpretations of these key passages, and Old Testament allusions found in New Testament passages. I especially appreciated the observation that in Paul's writings "God" usually refers to the Father and "Lord" usually refers to the Son. This explains a lot of questions I have had regarding some of Paul's epistles. I also enjoyed White's enthusiasm for this doctrine, and his explanation in the last chapter of how worshipping God requires knowing who He has revealed Himself to be challenged me to know God with more precision (within human limits), not just His character, but His Being.
June 16, 2021
This book caused me to love the Trinity even more. White gives you plenty of information, yet does so in a simple way with an emphasis on stirring your heart, not puffing up your head.
January 29, 2024
The Trinity: possibly the most difficult concept of all the orthodox Christian doctrines. You have likely heard one or more of these explanations of the Trinity:
- The Trinity is like an egg, which consists of the shell, the white, and the yolk.
- The Trinity is like water, which can exist as ice, liquid, and steam.
- The Trinity is like a man who is simultaneously a father, a son, and a husband.
When it comes right down to it, no earthly, man-made analogy can adequately explain the Trinity; they all break down and ultimately convey doctrinal error. And what can be expected when man tries to explain the unexplainable? Should it be surprising to us that our God is so complex and so far beyond our understanding that there are aspects of Him that we simply cannot grasp or explain? Unfortunately, because it is so difficult to understand, the doctrine is often pushed to the side and neglected by the church.
We often hear people say they love God, or they love Jesus, or they love the Bible; but when was the last time you heard someone say, "I love the Trinity"? While all orthodox Christian groups hold to this doctrine, many individuals don't have a clear grasp of the doctrine and are not grounded enough to be able to defend it, but merely hold to it out of fear of being labeled a heretic.
So why is this doctrine so important? Dr. James White says, "Since God went through a great deal of trouble to make it clear to us, we should see the Trinity as a precious possession, at the very top of the many things God has revealed to us that we otherwise would never have known." Practically speaking, a good understanding of the Trinity will help us keep our worship in balance, not elevating one Person of the Godhead over the others. White explains,
"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly... Almost every single imbalance in worship is due to a corresponding imbalance in our view of God...The doctrine of the Trinity calls us back to the balanced center point...Christian worship will be vital, consistent, and powerful when the proper attitude toward the triune God is maintained."
Dr. White begins by offering this solid but brief and basic definition of the Trinity:
"Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Dr. White cites Hank Hanegraaf as pointing out that,
"when speaking of the Trinity, we need to realize that we are talking about one what and three who's. The one what is the Being or essence of God; the three who's are the Father, Son and Spirit. We dare not mix up the what's and who's regarding the Trinity."
Within the above definition, White identifies three fundamental truths about God:
1. There is only one God.
2. There are three divine persons.
3. The persons are coequal and coeternal.
He observes, "Every error and heresy on this doctrine will find its origin in a denial of one or more of these truths."
The first truth states the belief in monotheism. This is the least problematic for Christians; in fact, even some false religions such as Islam and Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as Judaism, accept this doctrine. But even here some Christians, because of their lack of instruction and misunderstandings regarding the Trinity, may fall into erroneous ideas such as modalism. Modalism, also known as Sabellianism is the belief that God is one person who takes on different roles at different times for different purposes, similar to an actor who plays different parts in a play.
The second truth, which becomes a major difference between orthodox Christianity and cults, is the deity of Jesus Christ. To address this doctrine, Dr. White spends time looking at the Prologue to the Gospel of John in John 1:18, passages in Scripture which testify of Christ's equality with God, the "I am" statements of Christ found throughout John's gospel, and passages which show Jesus as Creator as further proof of His deity. He also examines the fact that the person of Jesus is equated with Yahweh of the Old Testament, and that while on earth He was worshipped and accepted worship for Himself.
In discussing the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity, White points out that there are two issues that must be addressed from Scripture:
1) The Holy Spirit as a person and not merely an impersonal force or power, and
2) The Holy Spirit as eternal deity, equal with the Father and the Son.
White moves on to discuss the issue of the separateness of the three persons, thus hoping to correct the possible tendency toward modalism, the error that the "Jesus Only" or Oneness movements fall into. "Scripture leaves no room for confusing the Father, Son, and Spirit," states White, and then proceeds to use numerous scripture passages that prove that these three cannot be the same person, as demonstrated by the ways in which they interact with one another and the ways in which they are spoken of.
Next White addresses the third foundational truth of the co-equality and co-eternality of the three persons of the Godhead. He goes a bit deeper to consider when the Trinity began to be first understood and taught, and to further discuss the nature, relationship, and role of the three persons of the Godhead as revealed in Scripture. White explains,
"The Trinity as a doctrinal truth has always been true. But when did it become knowable to men? What "revealed" it to the human race? The answer to that question is simply the Incarnation and the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is, the Trinity is revealed by the Son coming in the flesh and the Spirit descending upon the church...
"The Trinity is a doctrine not revealed merely in words but instead in the very action of the Triune God in redemption itself! We know who God is by what He has done in bringing us to himself! The Father, loving His people and sending the Son. The Son, loving us and giving himself in our place. The Spirit, entering into our lives and conforming us to the image of Christ. Here is the revelation of the Trinity, in the work of Christ and the Spirit."
White ends his book by taking a look at the historical evidence for the belief in a triune God, as found in the earliest writings of the Christian church. While we do not hold the teachings of men above the Word of God, the examples provided from the first few centuries of the Christian church help to show that orthodox Christian believers have always understood God to be a trinitarian Being as described and taught in the Scriptures.
White's purpose for writing The Forgotten Trinity is to help make more understandable a Biblical doctrine which he believes is often ignored and greatly misunderstood, and to inspire Christians to have a greater love for this aspect of our God. As a theological scholar, teacher, and expert apologist, White takes the trouble throughout his book to help his readers become more knowledgeable on the topic he is addressing by including relevant information on the original languages used, and the history, culture and prevailing philosophies of the time in which the scriptures were written.
By way of reminder of the significance and importance of this doctrine, White states the following,
"To know Christ truly is to know the Trinity, for God has not revealed himself in such a way as to allow us to have true and balanced knowledge of the Father outside of such knowledge of the Son, all of which comes to us through the Spirit...We must know, understand, and love the Trinity to be fully and completely Christian."
"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly. If we have defective knowledge, or worse, if we have wrong information and have been deceived, our worship is either lessened...or it is completely invalid, as the worship of idols and false god...Knowledge does not save, but true worship does not exist without knowledge."
It does matter what we believe about God. It affects our worship. It affects our message. It affects our spiritual walk and our daily life. The Forgotten Trinity is an excellent book which I believe every Christian would profit from.
- The Trinity is like an egg, which consists of the shell, the white, and the yolk.
- The Trinity is like water, which can exist as ice, liquid, and steam.
- The Trinity is like a man who is simultaneously a father, a son, and a husband.
When it comes right down to it, no earthly, man-made analogy can adequately explain the Trinity; they all break down and ultimately convey doctrinal error. And what can be expected when man tries to explain the unexplainable? Should it be surprising to us that our God is so complex and so far beyond our understanding that there are aspects of Him that we simply cannot grasp or explain? Unfortunately, because it is so difficult to understand, the doctrine is often pushed to the side and neglected by the church.
We often hear people say they love God, or they love Jesus, or they love the Bible; but when was the last time you heard someone say, "I love the Trinity"? While all orthodox Christian groups hold to this doctrine, many individuals don't have a clear grasp of the doctrine and are not grounded enough to be able to defend it, but merely hold to it out of fear of being labeled a heretic.
So why is this doctrine so important? Dr. James White says, "Since God went through a great deal of trouble to make it clear to us, we should see the Trinity as a precious possession, at the very top of the many things God has revealed to us that we otherwise would never have known." Practically speaking, a good understanding of the Trinity will help us keep our worship in balance, not elevating one Person of the Godhead over the others. White explains,
"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly... Almost every single imbalance in worship is due to a corresponding imbalance in our view of God...The doctrine of the Trinity calls us back to the balanced center point...Christian worship will be vital, consistent, and powerful when the proper attitude toward the triune God is maintained."
Dr. White begins by offering this solid but brief and basic definition of the Trinity:
"Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
Dr. White cites Hank Hanegraaf as pointing out that,
"when speaking of the Trinity, we need to realize that we are talking about one what and three who's. The one what is the Being or essence of God; the three who's are the Father, Son and Spirit. We dare not mix up the what's and who's regarding the Trinity."
Within the above definition, White identifies three fundamental truths about God:
1. There is only one God.
2. There are three divine persons.
3. The persons are coequal and coeternal.
He observes, "Every error and heresy on this doctrine will find its origin in a denial of one or more of these truths."
The first truth states the belief in monotheism. This is the least problematic for Christians; in fact, even some false religions such as Islam and Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as Judaism, accept this doctrine. But even here some Christians, because of their lack of instruction and misunderstandings regarding the Trinity, may fall into erroneous ideas such as modalism. Modalism, also known as Sabellianism is the belief that God is one person who takes on different roles at different times for different purposes, similar to an actor who plays different parts in a play.
The second truth, which becomes a major difference between orthodox Christianity and cults, is the deity of Jesus Christ. To address this doctrine, Dr. White spends time looking at the Prologue to the Gospel of John in John 1:18, passages in Scripture which testify of Christ's equality with God, the "I am" statements of Christ found throughout John's gospel, and passages which show Jesus as Creator as further proof of His deity. He also examines the fact that the person of Jesus is equated with Yahweh of the Old Testament, and that while on earth He was worshipped and accepted worship for Himself.
In discussing the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity, White points out that there are two issues that must be addressed from Scripture:
1) The Holy Spirit as a person and not merely an impersonal force or power, and
2) The Holy Spirit as eternal deity, equal with the Father and the Son.
White moves on to discuss the issue of the separateness of the three persons, thus hoping to correct the possible tendency toward modalism, the error that the "Jesus Only" or Oneness movements fall into. "Scripture leaves no room for confusing the Father, Son, and Spirit," states White, and then proceeds to use numerous scripture passages that prove that these three cannot be the same person, as demonstrated by the ways in which they interact with one another and the ways in which they are spoken of.
Next White addresses the third foundational truth of the co-equality and co-eternality of the three persons of the Godhead. He goes a bit deeper to consider when the Trinity began to be first understood and taught, and to further discuss the nature, relationship, and role of the three persons of the Godhead as revealed in Scripture. White explains,
"The Trinity as a doctrinal truth has always been true. But when did it become knowable to men? What "revealed" it to the human race? The answer to that question is simply the Incarnation and the coming of the Holy Spirit. That is, the Trinity is revealed by the Son coming in the flesh and the Spirit descending upon the church...
"The Trinity is a doctrine not revealed merely in words but instead in the very action of the Triune God in redemption itself! We know who God is by what He has done in bringing us to himself! The Father, loving His people and sending the Son. The Son, loving us and giving himself in our place. The Spirit, entering into our lives and conforming us to the image of Christ. Here is the revelation of the Trinity, in the work of Christ and the Spirit."
White ends his book by taking a look at the historical evidence for the belief in a triune God, as found in the earliest writings of the Christian church. While we do not hold the teachings of men above the Word of God, the examples provided from the first few centuries of the Christian church help to show that orthodox Christian believers have always understood God to be a trinitarian Being as described and taught in the Scriptures.
White's purpose for writing The Forgotten Trinity is to help make more understandable a Biblical doctrine which he believes is often ignored and greatly misunderstood, and to inspire Christians to have a greater love for this aspect of our God. As a theological scholar, teacher, and expert apologist, White takes the trouble throughout his book to help his readers become more knowledgeable on the topic he is addressing by including relevant information on the original languages used, and the history, culture and prevailing philosophies of the time in which the scriptures were written.
By way of reminder of the significance and importance of this doctrine, White states the following,
"To know Christ truly is to know the Trinity, for God has not revealed himself in such a way as to allow us to have true and balanced knowledge of the Father outside of such knowledge of the Son, all of which comes to us through the Spirit...We must know, understand, and love the Trinity to be fully and completely Christian."
"True Christian worship is founded upon Christian truth. We have to have knowledge of our God to worship Him correctly. If we have defective knowledge, or worse, if we have wrong information and have been deceived, our worship is either lessened...or it is completely invalid, as the worship of idols and false god...Knowledge does not save, but true worship does not exist without knowledge."
It does matter what we believe about God. It affects our worship. It affects our message. It affects our spiritual walk and our daily life. The Forgotten Trinity is an excellent book which I believe every Christian would profit from.
November 1, 2019
YES. I have needed this book most of my Christian life!! I finally got fed up with not really having a clue about how to accurately describe and meditate on the Trinity. (When critics of other cults/religions jokingly ask, "I mean, who do you even pray to? Dear Father - uh, I mean Jesus - uh, I mean Spirit?" I honestly didn't know how to answer them!)
Not only did Dr. White succeed in giving me a much better grasp on (and confidence in) this challenging Christian concept, but I think my favorite part is that his primary goal for writing this book was to increase my love for God, not just my theological debating skills. He succeeded. I feel like I am at the tip of an iceberg of increased affection for GOD - Father, Son, and Spirit - that I will continue to discover for the rest of my life. I can read Scripture with fresh eyes and a delighted heart.
Not only did Dr. White succeed in giving me a much better grasp on (and confidence in) this challenging Christian concept, but I think my favorite part is that his primary goal for writing this book was to increase my love for God, not just my theological debating skills. He succeeded. I feel like I am at the tip of an iceberg of increased affection for GOD - Father, Son, and Spirit - that I will continue to discover for the rest of my life. I can read Scripture with fresh eyes and a delighted heart.
September 26, 2018
The best book I have ever read on the Trinity. I found it incredibly difficult to put down and realised towards the middle that I wasn't reading a defence of the trinity, though that is what it is, but I reading a God-honouring devotional. Amazing read.
April 25, 2022
An Excellent treatise defending the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.
July 25, 2021
This is a very good book if you are interested in apologetic conversations about the Trinity. There are probably better options if you want more of a theological or devotional focus, but White does a great job of explaining the biblical basis for the orthodox view of the Trinity, at times even getting into nuances in the original Biblical languages, yet never to the point of being inaccessible to the layperson. A topic like this could fill multiple volumes, but White keeps it concise, which is another plus.
August 7, 2024
The Trinity is confusing. This book gave me a firmer grasp of the scriptural foundation for belief in the Trinity. I think it’s clear that belief in Biblical truth requires belief in the Triune nature of God. It’s not only taken as a given by the Apostles but also taught by Jesus in Matthew 28 (and elsewhere) just before ascending to Heaven. Recommend reading this book if you ever question the scriptural evidence for the deity of Christ or the Trinity.
February 21, 2022
Overall, the content is good, presenting the full array of systematic theology arguments for the Trinity. There were some portions of the section on monotheism that need to be clarified better. Also, his discussion of John 1:1 needs to be updated.
December 31, 2023
If you wish to know God rightly, read this book. White’s explanation of the Trinity is great for anyone to understand. The gold in this book is found in the proof texts. Finding the triune God in the pages of scripture will never get old. Praise God for His word.
February 1, 2021
Dr. White explains the complex doctrine of the Trinity in a clear and understandable manner. Well worth the time and effort to read through it.
April 10, 2016
A useful overview of the Trinity and Christology, providing a balanced approach that laypeople without training in Greek and Hebrew can profit from, with endnotes that get into more technical information for those interested who have training in Biblical Hebrew and Greek. James White makes it clear in the first chapter that the purpose of his book is not only to equip Christians to witness to Jehovah’s Witnesses and other groups with deny the Trinity and deity of Christ, but that it would also enrich the worship of believers by having a better understanding of the Triune God who has revealed himself in Scripture.
There are 2 points on which I would disagree with Dr. White. First is that his definition for persons is taken from Charles Hodge as someone with mind, will, and emotion, but this is an argument from the creation and how person is defined for creatures, which is then applied to God, thereby ignoring the Creator-creature distinction. This view leaves the door open for modifications to the classical doctrine of impassibility, which would undercut the immutability and divine eternality of God. Here is a definition of persona from Richard Muller giving an overview of the historical issue of defining persona,
“In none of these usages does the term persona have the connotation of emotional individuality or unique consciousness that clearly belongs to the term in contemporary usage. It is quite certain that the trinitarian use of persona does not point to three wills, three emotionally unique beings, or, as several eighteenth-century authors influenced by Cartesianism argued, three centers of consciousness; such implication would be tritheistic… Thus, in trinitarian usage, three personae subsist in the divine substantia or essentia (q.v.) without division and, in christological usage, one persona has two distinct naturae, the divine and the human. This can be said while nonetheless arguing one will in God and two in Christ—since will belongs properly to the essence of God and to the natures in Christ, and in neither case to persona as such. Thus, in the language of the scholastics, persona indicates primarily an individuum (q.v.), an individual thing, or a suppositum (q.v.), a self-subsistent thing, and, more specifically still, an intelligent self-subsistent thing (suppositum intelligens) ”. Richard A. Muller, Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms: Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1985), 226–227
Secondly, his view on Philippians 2:6-11 that emptying refers to Christ laying aside the voluntary use of his divine attributes is ontologically speculative and doesn't fit the context of the passage since as Calvin explained the emptying refers to Christ veiling his glory, as discussed in his commentary on Philippians.
There are 2 points on which I would disagree with Dr. White. First is that his definition for persons is taken from Charles Hodge as someone with mind, will, and emotion, but this is an argument from the creation and how person is defined for creatures, which is then applied to God, thereby ignoring the Creator-creature distinction. This view leaves the door open for modifications to the classical doctrine of impassibility, which would undercut the immutability and divine eternality of God. Here is a definition of persona from Richard Muller giving an overview of the historical issue of defining persona,
“In none of these usages does the term persona have the connotation of emotional individuality or unique consciousness that clearly belongs to the term in contemporary usage. It is quite certain that the trinitarian use of persona does not point to three wills, three emotionally unique beings, or, as several eighteenth-century authors influenced by Cartesianism argued, three centers of consciousness; such implication would be tritheistic… Thus, in trinitarian usage, three personae subsist in the divine substantia or essentia (q.v.) without division and, in christological usage, one persona has two distinct naturae, the divine and the human. This can be said while nonetheless arguing one will in God and two in Christ—since will belongs properly to the essence of God and to the natures in Christ, and in neither case to persona as such. Thus, in the language of the scholastics, persona indicates primarily an individuum (q.v.), an individual thing, or a suppositum (q.v.), a self-subsistent thing, and, more specifically still, an intelligent self-subsistent thing (suppositum intelligens) ”. Richard A. Muller, Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms: Drawn Principally from Protestant Scholastic Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1985), 226–227
Secondly, his view on Philippians 2:6-11 that emptying refers to Christ laying aside the voluntary use of his divine attributes is ontologically speculative and doesn't fit the context of the passage since as Calvin explained the emptying refers to Christ veiling his glory, as discussed in his commentary on Philippians.
January 15, 2014
I've been interested in church history recently, and I keep coming back to the torturous struggle that Christianity had in clearly defining the Trinity. I was having a hard time understanding what the big deal was, so I looked up what some respected people said was the best book available about the Trinity, and it was this. I was not at all disappointed.
It was not quite what I expected: it reads more as a defense of the doctrine of the Trinity contrasted with the many misunderstandings/heresies around it. It seems like a systematic discussion of the doctrine (what I was expecting) only second to this primary role. However, having read the book, I think this is probably better. With a concept like this that's so hard to pin down precisely, it's often more helpful to define what it's not (a point he makes directly in the book), since what it IS is something beyond our ability to understand fully.
I think every Christian should read this book or something like it to make sure they have a good understanding of this vital topic. Despite being a very difficult subject and despite the book going into details of Greek verbs and such, it never felt dry or boring.
It was not quite what I expected: it reads more as a defense of the doctrine of the Trinity contrasted with the many misunderstandings/heresies around it. It seems like a systematic discussion of the doctrine (what I was expecting) only second to this primary role. However, having read the book, I think this is probably better. With a concept like this that's so hard to pin down precisely, it's often more helpful to define what it's not (a point he makes directly in the book), since what it IS is something beyond our ability to understand fully.
I think every Christian should read this book or something like it to make sure they have a good understanding of this vital topic. Despite being a very difficult subject and despite the book going into details of Greek verbs and such, it never felt dry or boring.
May 16, 2011
James White writes, in the first chapter of The Forgotten Trinity, that "Most Christians do not understand what the term [The Trinity] means and have only a vague idea of the reality it represents", and it's true. I've been attending church all my life, and though I've sat through numerous sermons on God and the Father and Jesus Christ, it's very rare for the preachers of the churches I frequent to delve deeper into the topic of the Holy Spirit or the Trinity.
This book is a thorough, clear, biblical and easily understood explanation of the Trinity. It's a great read for Christians and non-Christians alike who wish to know what the Bible teaches about trinitarianism or want to better understand the mysteries of the Trinity. It really is a must have.
This book is a thorough, clear, biblical and easily understood explanation of the Trinity. It's a great read for Christians and non-Christians alike who wish to know what the Bible teaches about trinitarianism or want to better understand the mysteries of the Trinity. It really is a must have.
July 2, 2020
The Trinity is not an easy doctrine to understand, but James White does an outstanding job here. His extensive use of Scripture brings clarity to what is crucial for a Christian to understand in order to properly worship God in spirit and in truth- God's very nature and being. I listened to it from Audible, but I recommend reading a physical or digital copy in order to highlight, make notes, and look up Scripture references as you go. I can't recommend this highly enough, it is essential reading for a believer.
September 30, 2013
An excellent book that goes into the reasoning, a brief history and sufficiently explores the exegetical and interpretive framework for why Christians have held to the doctrine of the Trinity for 2000 yrs. I really enjoyed the work done by James on exegeting the text and how the authors of the NT understood Christ's deity and declared it as such!
April 23, 2020
A great book on the biblical trinity, abounding with Scripture, and leading to worship. The endnotes are also useful for dealing with different cults. Couldn't recommend Dr. Whites work more
August 19, 2013
Really good book on the trinity
January 17, 2025
Dr. White shows his work (as often presented in his moderated debates) on the orthodox (Biblical) position of Trinity. An essential doctrine Christians must believe. Anything outside of orthodoxy is heresy. This is of the utmost importance for Christians to understand.
Dr. White sifts through the text (exegesis; although by his own admittance is not exhaustive—nor does he intend to be), brings the reader to an understanding of early positions both heresy and Biblical (Arianism—homoousios vs homoiousios,Modalism, Docetism, etc.) on up through church history present day. He covers topics like the deity of Christ, the hypostatic union, as well as historical, unorthodox Christological matters.
I would say this is a “beginner to intermediate” level of reading. He makes it as layperson friendly as he can, while engaging the textual criticisms, original languages, and historical positions. I would recommend a chapter by chapter slow-read. Then, refer back to the book with a narrower scope of the chapter by chapter content capture and breakdown. This is a great reference tool. If you are an auditory/visual learner, just look up Dr. White’s debates at either Alpha & Omega Ministries website or YouTube.
Dr. White sifts through the text (exegesis; although by his own admittance is not exhaustive—nor does he intend to be), brings the reader to an understanding of early positions both heresy and Biblical (Arianism—homoousios vs homoiousios,Modalism, Docetism, etc.) on up through church history present day. He covers topics like the deity of Christ, the hypostatic union, as well as historical, unorthodox Christological matters.
I would say this is a “beginner to intermediate” level of reading. He makes it as layperson friendly as he can, while engaging the textual criticisms, original languages, and historical positions. I would recommend a chapter by chapter slow-read. Then, refer back to the book with a narrower scope of the chapter by chapter content capture and breakdown. This is a great reference tool. If you are an auditory/visual learner, just look up Dr. White’s debates at either Alpha & Omega Ministries website or YouTube.
October 7, 2025
First book I've read from James White after consuming hundreds of hours of his youtube content.
This book is a must-read for all Christians who want to know more about the Trinity. He dives deep into certain passages with lots of clarity and careful exegesis.
He encourages us to sit down and slowly go through the Gospel of John and let the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reveal themselves in the text.
What I loved is that he doesn’t write this book to give us ammunition for debates, but to help us to truly know the triune God and let that knowledge light a fire in our hearts to keep learning and loving Him for the rest of our lives.
I only wish I had a hard copy so I could mark it up and follow the passages in my Bible as I read.
This book is a must-read for all Christians who want to know more about the Trinity. He dives deep into certain passages with lots of clarity and careful exegesis.
He encourages us to sit down and slowly go through the Gospel of John and let the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reveal themselves in the text.
What I loved is that he doesn’t write this book to give us ammunition for debates, but to help us to truly know the triune God and let that knowledge light a fire in our hearts to keep learning and loving Him for the rest of our lives.
I only wish I had a hard copy so I could mark it up and follow the passages in my Bible as I read.
January 10, 2018
Phenomenal book! This work serves as a clear, concise, and enriching defence of the Trinity from Scripture, whilst repudiating common misconceptions and mistranslations.
This book is heartily recommended to those who confess the doctrine of the Trinity, but are unsure of its precise definition, Scriptural proof texts, or arguments to use against the numerous aberrant cults.
Even for anyone who is confident in expressing the historically orthodox view on the Trinity, this work will still do you a great deal of good for the level of depth that the discussion goes, without being overly academic.
This book is heartily recommended to those who confess the doctrine of the Trinity, but are unsure of its precise definition, Scriptural proof texts, or arguments to use against the numerous aberrant cults.
Even for anyone who is confident in expressing the historically orthodox view on the Trinity, this work will still do you a great deal of good for the level of depth that the discussion goes, without being overly academic.
June 22, 2019
I recommend this book to two kinds of people:
1. Someone who desires to biblically worship our Triune God in spirit and truth, but, like myself, needs a basic foundational knowledge of the doctrine of the Trinity and where it is seen in Scripture.
2. Someone who works closely with Jehovah’s Witnesses and/or Mormons and desires to have biblical discussions with them about the Trinity.
James R. White does very well at taking the reader along as he develops his argument for each aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity. I’m thankful that I read this book because it led me to love the gospel more and more with every chapter.
1. Someone who desires to biblically worship our Triune God in spirit and truth, but, like myself, needs a basic foundational knowledge of the doctrine of the Trinity and where it is seen in Scripture.
2. Someone who works closely with Jehovah’s Witnesses and/or Mormons and desires to have biblical discussions with them about the Trinity.
James R. White does very well at taking the reader along as he develops his argument for each aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity. I’m thankful that I read this book because it led me to love the gospel more and more with every chapter.
July 3, 2019
Good Scriptural defense of the Trinity. A couple sections may be a bit too academic for the average reader (while White's language is written for the layperson, his unpacking of a number of different Greek words may be a stretch for some), but the majority of the work is pretty accessible. To be honest, I more read this book since I was hoping for an unpacking of how our understanding of the Trinity should transform our day-to-day living (and that's not what this book is--it's mostly a theological defense of the Trinity). However, as a resource for defending the doctrine of the Trinity, I found this work helpful.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good).
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Good).
May 3, 2021
“Our desire must be to grow in the grace and knowledge of God, and we must always remember that Jesus taught that eternal life was the possession of those who know the one true God. Knowledge does not save (that is the error of Gnosticism); but true worship does not exist without knowledge.”
“Almost every single imbalance in worship is due to a corresponding imbalance of our view of God...One thing the doctrine of the Trinity does is always call us back to the balanced center point...Christian worship will be vital, consistent, and powerful when the proper attitude toward the triune God is maintained. When that truth is lost, Christian worship ends.”
“Almost every single imbalance in worship is due to a corresponding imbalance of our view of God...One thing the doctrine of the Trinity does is always call us back to the balanced center point...Christian worship will be vital, consistent, and powerful when the proper attitude toward the triune God is maintained. When that truth is lost, Christian worship ends.”
February 28, 2022
Marketed as concise and open to most people, I found it certainly readable and helpful, but I wonder how many people would find it the same way without previous experience reading theological works of the intermediate density variety.
It was a little repetitive in parts which I skimmed, but I loved the first and last chapters which is always nice to start and end on a good note. The centrality of the Trinity to the Gospel is often overlooked, and when that happens, bad things always happen (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, etc).
I pray that God would deepen my understanding and love for Him through a stronger understanding of His triune nature!
It was a little repetitive in parts which I skimmed, but I loved the first and last chapters which is always nice to start and end on a good note. The centrality of the Trinity to the Gospel is often overlooked, and when that happens, bad things always happen (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, etc).
I pray that God would deepen my understanding and love for Him through a stronger understanding of His triune nature!
September 21, 2018
This is a truly outstanding read. In fact, of all the books I've read on the Trinity, this is definitely my favorite. The language is easy to follow. There are clear, but understanding arguments made against the heresies of the cults. And yet, there is depth here--plenty of depth.
I am still pondering that the Trinity wasn't revealed until the New Testament ensued. I really think it would be better to say that the Trinity wasn't FULLY revealed until then. Nevertheless, I found even this section quite good.
Every Christian needs to read this defense of the Trinity.
I am still pondering that the Trinity wasn't revealed until the New Testament ensued. I really think it would be better to say that the Trinity wasn't FULLY revealed until then. Nevertheless, I found even this section quite good.
Every Christian needs to read this defense of the Trinity.
August 22, 2019
I appreciated that it worked well for the layman in explaining with simplicity yet conciseness the doctrine of the Trinity. Anyone who reads this book carefully should not walk away misrepresenting the doctrine. I also appreciated the interaction with Stafford the JW in his various comments towards undermining the Trinity. White flawlessly dismantled this cultist’s twisting of passages and upheld the doctrine of the Trinity throughout.
This book accomplished for me what it set out to do: make one love the Trinity more. I recommend every Christian get this on his or her book shelf.
This book accomplished for me what it set out to do: make one love the Trinity more. I recommend every Christian get this on his or her book shelf.
February 25, 2022
3.5- James white says this is a book meant for believers in the trinity but throughout the book he speaks as of he's trying to convince the reader of believing in the trinity. He also says this book is not an exhaustive book in explaining the concepts but instead starts getting technical at times with greek grammar. Then other times he seems to gloss over certain issues. Positives of this book is you can see how James is clearly passionate about his belief in the trinity and this comes across really well throughout the book.
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