Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity

by Kathryn Tanner

With simplicity and elegance, Tanner sketches a historically informed vision of the faith. Chapter 1 recovers strands of early Christian accounts of Jesus and his significance for a very different age. Chapter 2 situates Christology in a religious vision of the whole cosmos, while Chapter 3 lays out the ethical and political implications of the vision. Chapter 4 speculates about the "end" of things in Christ. Tanner's work was developed from the Scottish Journal of Theology lectures in 1999 in Edinburgh.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, Academic, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Christian

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2001

About the author

Professor Tanner joined the Yale Divinity School faculty in 2010 after teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School for sixteen years and in Yale’s Department of Religious Studies for ten. Her research relates the history of Christian thought to contemporary issues of theological concern using social, cultural, and feminist theory. She is the author of God and Creation in Christian Theology: Tyranny or Empowerment? (Blackwell, 1988); The Politics of God: Christian Theologies and Social Justice (Fortress, 1992); Theories of Culture: A New Agenda for Theology (Fortress, 1997); Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity: A Brief Systematic Theology (Fortress, 2001); Economy of Grace (Fortress, 2005); Christ the Key (Cambridge, 2010); and scores of scholarly articles and chapters in books that include The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology, which she edited with John Webster and Iain Torrance. She serves on the editorial boards of Modern Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology, and Scottish Journal of Theology, and is a former coeditor of the Journal of Religion. Active in many professional societies, Professor Tanner is a past president of the American Theological Society, the oldest theological society in the United States. For eight years she has been a member of the Theology Committee that advises the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops. In the academic year 2010–11, she had a Luce Fellowship to research financial markets and the critical perspectives that Christian theology can bring to bear on them. In 2015–16, she will deliver the Gifford Lectures at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Reviews

[C Dumaoal · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a simple guy really - KT writes theology and I write “holy fuck” in the margins

[David Choi · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jesus, Humanity, and the Trinity" is the prequel to Tanner's more elaborate "Christ the Key," although no less strenuous. In this volume, she is simply laying the groundwork for the purpose of establishing a broad systematic vision, which sets her up for later considerations of its doctrinal and ethical implications in "Christ the Key."

In the first chapter - to foreshadow its sequel - Tanner begins with Jesus. She specifically seeks to address modern concerns [i.e. human agency, freedom, historical criticism, and union of opposites] by offering a Christological exposition that is premised on the principles of non-competitiveness and divine transcendence. In doing so, Tanner argues that Jesus' divinity and humanity are not fundamentally at odds with one another [because they can't be] but are brought together via the hypostatic union. Only by affirming the fullness of both does it become intelligible for how God conveys his good benefits to his creation so that creation might partake in his triune life.

[Kathryn Tanner makes bold claims, based on orthodox Christianity, to address modern concerns and to counteract liberal tendencies of obfuscating moral ontology. Jesus is the sole subject that affirms the existence of the triune God and enables human beings to receive God's benefits in light of his humanity and divinity, joined via the incarnation. Thus, Tanner immediately rejects abstraction, appealing to the concrete revelation of Christ. The a priori principles of non-competitiveness and divine transcendence nicely illustrate the relation of creatures to God out of which we can proceed to make sense of God's economy and our part in it.]

The second chapter lays out a broad 'cosmo-theological frame' in order to draw out the meaning of Christ's human way of life for creation. The relation of human beings to God is made intelligible by observing the ways in which God distributes his benefits by way of analogous relations. The triune life of God involves things like unity of essence, co-inherence, and indivisibility, which constitute the goodness of God's own life. Because these things properly belong to trinitarian persons, God communicates his benefits to finite creatures 'imperfectly' through the Word, Jesus Christ. The Son's divinity communicates divine goods to Jesus' humanity in the incarnation. Therefore, human beings are blessed as they become joined to Christ by the power of the Spirit, receiving the gifts of the Father.

[In this section, Tanner focuses on the imperfect expression of God's outpouring of divine benefits to his creation through Jesus. She gives a succinct and compelling argument for what that means for benefits received in Christ. What she has failed to consider are the natural goods or those things made available to all outside of union with Jesus. I am referring to those things considered within the category of general revelation. Does God not confer benefits - albeit to a lesser degree - to his whole creation in natural ways? Are these not still a form of God's grace? In fairness, Tanner's systematic is written for believers; still, even for believers, there needs to be added an account of a wider understanding of God's economy in the ways he distributes other benefits - outside of life in Christ - to nonbelievers and believers through general means.]

In the third chapter, Tanner outlines the proper shape of human life as a result of Jesus' embodied outworking of trinitarian life. What are the ethical and anthropological implications? Human beings are essentially recipients of God's gifts, called to distribute them to the world. Life in Christ enables human beings to be passive before God but active in relation to the world. [Note: Tanner wants her readers to understand that passivity is not nonchalant inactivity; rather, it is receiving from God power for action]. Human actions are to imitate Christ's life by looking to the incarnation as opposed to abstraction, discerning its form for contemporary situations. Concerning communal life, Tanner is diametrically opposed to social trinitarian models and instead proposes a Christocentric model whereby communities are guided by their incorporation into the trinity through union with Christ.

[I found this to be a compelling theological ethic, yet requiring qualification on some parts. For instance, Tanner's vision for communities is socialistic in character, and she recognizes the difficulty of achieving communities that are defined by relations of unconditionality, universal distribution, noncompetitiveness, and nonexclusive possessions and identification. Yet, she admits its possibility and existence of some communities like this. Examples and practical steps?]

The final chapter considers eschatology. What is the character of Christian hope in light of modern scientific discoveries regarding the world's finality? If the world is to end, how do we avoid nihilism and self-indulgence? Tanner observes a problem with responses from modern theologians, namely they seek to resolve issues of theology and science by working within scientific categories, perpetuating the present-future dichotomy. However, Tanner proposes a reinterpretation of sorts in order to avoid conflict. She begins by supplementing biological notions of 'life' and 'death' with biblical understandings. Since there is eternal life for those in Christ, creatures are defined by that relationship to God. This is supported by Jesus' inability to exist as human apart from God. Therefore, Tanner proposes a spatial, not temporal, eschatology that gives weight to the present. And this gives greater urgency for present action to work out personal sanctification and counteract social injustice in living into the triune life of God. God commands present action while commanding hope for the future who is Jesus.

[The issue I took with this section is Tanner's insistence that "all one's achievements will come to nothing with the world's end" [122]. She falls into the trap of nihilism that she's trying to avoid. She ironically leaves out the broader context of salvation history from her own systematic vision in order to make intelligible the significance of present achievements at the world's end. For present labor and suffering, things I consider achievements, cannot result in nothing simply because the Lord has accomplished everything already apart from us. It suggests that God just wants to keep us busy until the end. But achievements cannot be rendered pointless since God uses those achievements not only to distribute divine benefits to creation but because of its broader teleological, soteriological and eschatological significance.]

[Benjamin Ball]

stood out on this particular re-read: Tanner's bit on individualism/community (pg. 77-9) absolutely rules. chapter 3 is a classic text is xian ethics. go team.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t agree w all her theology but made me think deeply - especially about topics I’ve neglected to discern thoughtfully previously.

[Anna]

“Kathy” Tanner is certainly one of the theologians I revere the most. I’m still resisting a little of what she puts forth in this book bc I really do love a social model of the Trinity (she makes a VERY nuanced argument kind of opposing it, but also not really?), but her work on the incarnation changed my life (for real). I’ll be thinking about this text for a while.

“Eternal life amounts to an unconditional imperative to action in that this life in God remains an empowering source of our action for the good, whatever the obstacles and failing of Christians. The imperative to act is also unconditional in that it is not affected by considerations of success. Irrespective of any likelihood that one’s actions to better the world will succeed…one is obligated to act simply because this is the only way of living that makes sense in light of one’s life in God. This is the only possibility for us given our reality as God’s own” (122).

[Shane Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like some of what Tanner has done in this book, especially in reframing eschatology. In the end, though, I come down with some of the writers (Zizioulas, etc) on the social dynamics of the trinity that she criticizes. While it was a good exercise to hone my brain to read some academic theology again, I didn't find her emphasis on the non-competition of God and humanity exceedingly helpful. Ultimately, I read this one to get a framework for her writing as I look towards her new book on Christianity and Capitalism coming out later this year.

[Tomos]

Enjoyed it - Tanner's notions of radical non-competitiveness and unconditional gift-giving as the foundation of her systematic theology struck a chord. There were times that I felt she was 'going on' a bit but everything she says is said for a reason and builds to a major point.

Doesn't feel right to leave a rating.

[Aleana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanner bridges doctrine and social action. Dogma and ethics. The cerebral with the concrete. Not for a moment does Tanner allow theology to drift into the realm of impersonalized abstractions, but rather she demands that we take a long and lingering look at persons and experiences. Lest me forget-good theology offers renewal, while poor theology does violence.

[Gage Fowlkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

(5 stars = my enjoyment of the read)

✅Her “organizing principles” of non-competition and radical divine transcendence (total gift to Total Giver) work really well for her. Tons of explanatory power.

✅Her Christology and Trinitarian theology are beautiful. wonderfully and overtly creedal. Intellectual and doxological. I have read and reread her Christology, it’s beautiful.

✅ Does not read like a Neo-orthodox voice, she in fact calls higher criticism “methodological agnosticism” and draws from a wealth of patristic and reformation-era voices (alongside a healthily
dose of Barth and contemporary voices)

✅and❌ Her atonement theology (incarnational Christus Victor) is really wonderful, reads like Athanasius, works as an umbrella for many perspectives on the atonement. BUT she explicitly plucks vicarious or satisfaction atonement theories out from under that umbrella and repudiates them without specifically saying why they’d be incompatible with her ideas beyond a 1 sentence nod to unnamed critiques from feminist, womanist, and liberationist theology.

❌Her eschatology is worth reading because it represents an interesting project (in her words: attempting to do for eschatology what aquinas did for creationism in Summa ct Gentiles), BUT she articulates a future without our (or any?) physical universe (noting heat death of the universe). Really rubbed me wrong.

[Parker Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly technical, but exceptional.

God as non-competitive is a very helpful and practical category for Christian life and ministry.

[Austin Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Systematic theology doesn't seem to be my thing :/

(There is a large correlation to majority of my lower reviews being with content I did not understand)

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars Unreasonably dense prose that, nevertheless, reaches astonishing insights (for the most part—I did not agree with her final chapter).

[Sooho Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year just started but I am bold enough to say that this particular book will be one of the best reads of my 2017.

As the subheading depicts, it is very (and sorrowfully) brief. It truly is its only major flaw. Yet, it speaks much of Tanner's unique craft to say so much in such powerful rhetor with such brevity. Thematically speaking, Tanner addresses her prolegomena, Christology, ethics, and eschatology. Structurally speaking, unlike other contemporary systematic theologies, Tanner places Christology prior to her prolegomena. In other words, her creedal-conscious Christology precedes her creedal-conscious trinitarian structure of theology. Tanner is unapologetically Christocentric, a refreshing insistence to hold while engaging in Christian theology.

What does the unique hypostatic union between divinity and humanity in the Second Person, Jesus Christ, have to say about ethics and eschatology? Life in and with God is achieve in and through Christ by the Spirit. It is in the presence of God where life flourishes, overwhelming and subsuming finitude and mortality, healing them just by proximity with God, and challenging those who are near God to be like Christ to those around them. As we draw closer to the communicator of God's goods, Jesus, we must become fellow communicators to others--hence "Christians" as "little Christs."

cf. www.sooholee.wordpress.com

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathryn Tanner is positively one of the greatest theologians of our time.

[Reed Fagan]

The central tenets of Tanner’s theology are one, a “non-competitive relation between creatures and God”, and two, a “radical interpretation of divine transcendence” (2). She sees god the LORD as a gift-giver to creation and the cosmic saga as God giving greater gifts - creation, covenant, salvation in Christ - to humans that often refuse or try to horde from others such gifts. What Tanner seeks to demonstrate by these tenets here is a resolution of “Christological conundrums [“Jesus as truly divine and truly human”] and puzzles” (6).

Tanner’s Christology attempts to avoid kenoticism, historicizing God, and a co-mingling of divine and human natures making a third kind of nature (10, 11, 23). She argues that each of these views tend to assume some kind of competition between or exchange of divine and human attributes, resulting in Jesus having diminished human or divine natures. Instead, for her, God has a “radical transcendence” and inhabits another “plane of reality” altogether than creatures do (11, 17). It is because of this transcendence that there is no give-and-take making Jesus less divine the more human we envision him, or vice-versa (11). Being wholly different in kind from humans, God can therefore take on humanity without losing any god-ness or human-ness.

Tanner argues these natures exist together in such a way that Jesus’ divinity is inferred rather than clearly seen. Jesus is, and appears, completely human but his “person and acts are nevertheless so out-of-the-ordinary as to be called divine, because they have a character and consequences exceeding any mere creature’s capacities” (18). Therefore, for example, “Jesus acts as if he is omniscient… despite the fact that as a human being he clearly is not” (19). In this way, Tanner’s Jesus can have a full humanity and a full divinity.

Tanner closes the chapter saying that it is through the incarnation rather than specifically the crucifixion that humanity is saved (28-29). Jesus saves humanity by taking it on, living it, and in so doing reconciling it to God. The crucifixion was the natural, inevitable end for such a life but not salvific in an atoning sense (30).

The simple, common-sense principles underlying Tanner’s Christology make it attractive: God as a gift-giver (for which there is good biblical support) and Tanner’s illustration of God as on another plane of existence than humanity (which echoes Sokolowski’s god distinct from creation). However, I am puzzled with how she would treat scriptural texts describing the crucifixion as an atonement of blood. I also am puzzled by how she views her sense of sin as the refusal of gifts from God with texts describing sin as rebellion and an inherent, corruptive human force. Lastly I wonder whether Tanner could give a fuller picture of what these gifts she mentions are: I take them to be “creation, covenant and salvation in Christ” but I want to know if this is all she means by “gift” (2).
--
In her second chapter, Tanner attempts to show that “The Theological Structure of Things” is a divine “effort to repeat the perfection of God’s own triune life” (36). To paint with broad strokes, in the Trinity, God communicates to and with Godself; in creation, God communicates created versions “of God’s own goodness” - the world itself, life, truth, beauty, goodness - to the world (43); in covenant-like fellowship, God communicates Godself to humanity at a distance; in the Incarnation, God communicates Godself directly to humanity at no distance in the person of Jesus; and in sanctification, while God in Jesus communicates Godself to humans, humans can communicate “saving effects” (perhaps more versions of God’s goodness) to others (48). Tanner states that as this theological “structure variously permutated becomes visible” it enhances its meaning, presumably that God desires to eventually fill the world with God’s perfection and goodness, i.e. Godself (38).

Tanner’s portrayal of God as gift-giver comes through quite strongly in this structure. At each level we see gifts bestowed in one way or another. Noteworthy is those gifts’ receptions and reciprocations. Giving, receiving and reciprocating are epitomized and even interchangeable in the Trinity where the Father gives to the Son and, in so doing, the Son co-inhering the Father gives to the Father, and the Son, and so forth. However as these gifts are expressed to what is not divine, distances creep between the giving, reception and reciprocation. Ultimately the fundamental distance between gift and its receipt is overcome in Jesus where divinity and humanity seem to kiss, but humans might continue to refuse gifts or keep them from others to the extent those humans are not in Christ. This refusal or disruption of God’s giving is sin. Furthermore, whereas Jesus can give back equally, so to speak, to the Father in “a human life of praise and service”, humans cannot give back in any way equivalently to Jesus (58). However the hope for humans lies not in our ability to give back but in our ability, brought through by Jesus, to receive.

Tanner’s “radical transcendence” meaning the Trinity’s operation on a completely different plane than the human plane comes through in this chapter as well. We have looked at how the gift-act is a repetition of God’s perfection. It seems we can think of the immanent Trinity’s gift-acts occurring on one divine plane whereas Jesus’ gift-acts occur on two planes, one human and one divine. In turn, humans-in-Christ’s gift-acts occur on two planes, one human and one “elevated” or “graced” (57). As with the repetition of gift-giving, Tanner’s theological structure is contingent on notions of radical transcendence between divine and human actions.

Revisiting some of my questions since our earlier reading, I am still curious how Tanner would deal with scriptural texts describing sin as rebellion and an inherent, corruptive human force, though I have better understanding of her view of sin as the refusal/obstruction of gifts. I believe she has now given a fuller picture of what the gifts she mentions are: creation, divine fellowship or covenants (this is still fuzzy for me), salvation in Christ, and also light, life, love, goodness, beauty and truth.
--

In the final chapters of Tanner’s book, she produces this statement: "The cross simply does not save us from our debts to God by paying them" (88). I will organize my summary of these chapters around this short quotation.

Tanner holds that sin is real and people suffer from it, but we do not have sin-debts to God because God is so transcendent we cannot violate God. It is wrong to think of God like a human: God is on a different plane, beneficent and bountiful in ways we can't approximate, and, except for the incarnation, somewhat removed from human life. We are saved because in the incarnation, Jesus brought humanity and divinity together, and reconciles all who have human nature to Him who has the divine nature, without pre-conditions or requirements. The cross was not an atonement but the final moment in Jesus' earthly life of faithfulness, enabled by His divinity, to God. Salvation for Tanner comes through the incarnation, is universal, needs no faith confession, and is a process of deification.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best recent systematic theology (and she does live up to the title, it was very brief, but she tackles all the big concerns in systematics) I've read. I'm not sure you could find as insightful a theology published in the 21st century as this one. She manages to utilize a broad array of theologians from church history to weave a theology that does not sharply depart from Christian orthodoxy, but in a way that points the tradition into meaningful dialogue with our current world. I'm still trying to understand all the implications of her Christology (but inclined to agree if I believe I have understood her correctly), but I believe her concept of the Trinity, and ethics are spot on. I'm most unsure about her eschatology, but either way it still exhibits Tanner's innovative engagement with the tradition. If you feel trapped in rigid traditionalism, but do not want to throw out 2000 years of theology, this book seems like the place to start. I am very glad I picked it up and read it.

[Joseph Sverker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very impressed by this book. Tanner manages to be very deeply rooted in patristic discussion in christology as well as arguing for a contemporary reader. Karl Barth takes up a fair bit of the discussion in the footnotes, which is not surprising I suppose. Also I think this book is a forerunner to Rowan Williams' Christ the Heart of creation in Tanners argument about how it is the life as a whole (from Bonhoeffer) of Christ in which Christ's divinity should be understood. It is by no means an easy read, but very rewarding.

[Paul Burkhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing and profound despite its short length. Took FOREVER for me to get through. Don't know that I've ever read as dense of a book that's still written so plainly. It's all the ideas rather than the prose. Still think the last section on eschatology isn't as fill formed as it could be. I feel Tanner thinks she is saying something more novel and radical than it is, but it sounds like pretty typical patristic theology, albeit with some rhetorical corrections for modern errors. But otherwise, dang, what a deep and profound little systematic (ish) theology.

[Lukas Stock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dense despite its brevity. It’s very much modern theology, but perhaps the best christology I’ve encountered in modern writing heavily indebted to Barth, even if there’s a consistent use of language that smacks of Nestorianism-lite (Jesus and the Word being spoken of in the same sentence as seemingly two different subjects). Tanner’s interest in and use of the tradition goes a long way to balancing what for me are modern deficiencies.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I had some issues with Tanner's understanding of Christ's vicarious work, and wish she had engaged more thoroughly with Scripture on this and other points, I give this work five stars for her depth of theological thought, grounded especially in the Fathers and, to a lesser degree, Barth, and the combination of this depth with interesting and creative theological construction.

[Guilherme Cordeiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um ótimo exemplo de declínio. Terminando o primeiro capítulo: “nossa, um dos melhores livros de teologia sistemática que eu já li”. Terminando o último capítulo: “nossa, acaba logo que já não aguento mais”.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, dense theological survey, boasting an excellent third section that is unfortunately balanced out by the first two being pretty unremarkable and the fourth being seriously disappointing.

3/5. Read "The Shape of Human Life" and skip the rest.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short book is incredibly dense and was a little difficult to get through. There were some parts I felt were lacking. However, the perspective of the Trinity and the incarnation in this books is incredible!

[Renée]

Best lines:
“God does not so much want something of us as want to be with us”
“The Gift is never separable from the giver”

As always, strongest on gift/community/covenant

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t agree with Tanner on everything (does anyone on any book of theology?), but this is really a splendid and helpful work of systematic theology.

[Harrison Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seemed pretty great, but also went over my head. 5 stars?

[Abigail Matheny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanner is the GOAT.

[Aeisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really wonderful book. She really develops a nice theological position on a number of things. The most important aspects though are her two principles concerning any discussion of God. First, she says there is a "non-competitive relation between creatures and God, and secondly, a radical interpretation of divine transcendence" (pg 2). The second is really the basis of the first. The second means that God is not one object among others (a point that Joseph Merachal and Karl Rahner both made in reference to Kant), and hence cannot be cognized the same way. This means that, e.g., in terms of Jesus Christ's divinity, we do not have to have a competing view of which "works" of his are either divine or human. They can be both, because his divinity can be the source of his humanity, without overshadowing and thus disregarding that humanity.
With these principles are in place, Tanner is able to talk about our relationship to God as non-competitive, and hence the goal of our relationship with each other as non-competitive. In both cases this is extremely important, since Christians often assume that the more they rely on God, the less they rely on themselves. This is true in the sense that in pure autonomy we are lost. Yet, this is not true insofar as God as the source of our life gives increase to our who we are, rather than decreases us.
While Tanner does not explicitly deal with gender issues in this text, she does give the basic foundation for a feminist theology in my view, especially with this non-competitive relationship between God and creatures. Typically the idea that increase in God means a decrease in humans has fallen the hardest on women, as "self-sacrifice" gets to be the defining characteristic of male-female relationships - and you can guess who gets to sacrifice themselves. Tanner's position argues that being assertive is by no means wrong within our framework as humans. Assertion comes in the context of God's gifts to us, as the source which allows us this assertion, all while enabling us to come fully into our own as humans.

So, overall, this book is fantastic.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very deep and rich book (not for theological novices) that develops the authors main assumption that "God is the giver of all good gifts," interpreting from there the identity of Jesus, the role of the Spirit, and the shape of human life. For example, she says, "The already replete triune God may not need anything from us, but the world does, especially in so far as it is our very sinful actions that hinder the world's reception of God's gifts."

Tanner's work here is very well organized and cohesive. Its primary drawback in my mind is that it seldom directly quotes scripture. Tanner's concepts and images are certain supported by scripture, and as I read I would often connect things she said to certain passages, but any theological work should at least include chapter and verse references that relate to what is said. The first direct reference to scripture is on page 45, 1/3 of the way through the book.

Also, Tanner's writing style is probably a bit too complicated and could be simplified without all the qualifiers.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a brief, but at times dense treatise, University of Chicago theologian Kathryn Tanner offers us a brief systematic theology. Influenced by Karl Barth, Tanner offers us a way into reflecting on the person of Jesus, the role of humanity, and the Trinity. In her conversations about the Trinity, which she fully embraces, she challenges the social trinity of Moltmann and others. As one who finds the social trinity helpful, I wasn't convinced, but was challenged to continue thinking about what this means. The book closes with a chapter on eschatology, which offers a helpful exposition of eternal life, which she rightly (in my mind) believes begins in the here and now. And while this has eternal implications, it doesn't negate action in this life.. in fact, it should be an expression of God's act of reconciliation.

This isn't an easy read, but it should prove enlightening to the one who takes up the challenge.