On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God

“Controversy, in the hand of our triune God, drives the church into deeper clarity concerning its beliefs. That proved true in the Arian controversy that produced the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. It has also proven true in the modern evangelical controversy over the doctrine of the Trinity, and On Classical Trinitarianism is strong evidence of that deepening clarity. Matthew Barrett has brought together forty essays by trinitarian scholars that explore the lofty theological mountain peaks of the Trinity, the eternal generation of the Son, the spiration of the Holy Spirit, God's simplicity, aseity, and impassibility, and inseparable operations. Such doctrines require hard thinking, and this is not a book for the intellectually faint of heart, but the fruit of such profound theology is magnificent doxology as we bow before the incomprehensible mystery of our infinite Creator and Redeemer.”

“Matthew Barrett has compiled the perfect guest list of authors to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This is the perfect textbook for learning the biblical and trinitarian grammar of God—and for learning why retrieving classical trinitarianism matters more than ever.”

“Evangelical retrieval of classical trinitarianism is a vital project. This massive resource represents various approaches and levels of polemical intensity along with a core set of convictions. I can't believe I read the whole thing! But its many fine essays convey valuable insights, sound some necessary alarms, and pose enduring questions.”

“On Classical Trinitarianism is a breathtaking accomplishment. An astonishing array of contributions maps the field of trinitarian theology—historical, dogmatic, and polemical. The forty chapters, written by prominent theologians from each of three major branches of the church, are a major refutation of the so-called revival of the Trinity in twentieth-century theology. This publication is a serious, in-depth reassertion of classical Nicene theology over against the recent onslaught of social trinitarianism with its rationally comprehensible and compositional (and, often, subordinationist) view of the Trinity. Anyone attempting a return to the social trinitarianism of the previous century will have to reckon with Matthew Barrett's major accomplishment in this volume”

“The Trinity gives coherence to Christian faith and life. While multiauthor volumes often lack coherence, a beautifully biblical and classically catholic vision of the Trinity draws these contributors together. Presenting a positive, and overwhelmingly persuasive, depiction of ideas such as divine simplicity, processions, missions, and appropriations, this book has potential to change permanently how many modern Christians think about the Trinity. Though it is likely naive to hope that this will be the case, this material should kill and bury any notion of subordination in the Trinity, showing that such dead ideas are incompatible with the living faith of the church. A lot remains at stake in trinitarian theology, and this volume goes a long way toward illustrating why and how.”

“Matthew Barrett has compiled the perfect guest list of authors to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This is the perfect textbook for learning the biblical and trinitarian grammar of God—and for learning why retrieving classical trinitarianism matters more than ever.”