GOD

the Holy Trinity

Reflections on Christian Faith and Practice

TIMOTHY GEORGE

EDITOR

Baker Academic

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2006 by Timothy George

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

God the Holy Trinity: reflections on Christian faith and practice / Timothy George, editor.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 10: 0-8010-2765-9 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-8010-2765-9 (pbk.)

1. Trinity. I. George, Timothy.

BT111.3.G63 2006

231′.044—dc22

2006018859

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

For

James M. Houston

O Trinity, O Trinity,

the uncreated One;

O Unity, O Unity

of Father, Spirit, Son:

You are without beginning,

Your life is never ending;

and though our tongues are

earthbound clay,

light them with flaming fire today.

From the Lenten Triodion of the Orthodox Church

Contents

Introduction Timothy George

1 The Doctrine of the Trinity: An Evangelical Reflection Alister E. McGrath

2 Out of the Box: The Christian Experience of God in Trinity Gerald L. Bray

3 Faith and Christian Life in the African-American Spirituals James Earl Massey

4 The Trinity and Christian Unity Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

5 The Old Testament Trinity Frederica Mathewes-Green

6 A Puritan Perspective: Trinitarian Godliness according to John Owen J. I. Packer

7 The Trinity and the Challenge of Islam Timothy George

8 The Soteriological Importance of the Divine Perfections Ellen T. Charry

9 Deep Wisdom Cornelius Plantinga Jr.

Contributors

Index