Author: ed. William G. Rusch
Pages: 182pgs
Publisher: Fortress Press
Price: 18.00 or Used for 3.00
Genre: Church History/Theology
Quick Summary:
The Trinity is one of the most difficult doctrines (if not THE most difficult doctrine) to understand in all of Christendom. Issues related to the Godhead dominated early Christian discussion. The Trinitarian Controversy is a volume in the Sources of Early Christian Though series. In this series original sources are brought to light to discuss certain theological issues. In this particular volume the reader gets to hear from Arius, Alexander of Alexandria, Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, and a fair amount of Creeds, Letters, and Canons.
What I Liked:
It is always fun to read the original sources—though undoubtedly some is lost in translation. This series is a great idea, and probably a very difficult task. The introduction to the issue and bibliography is also helpful for further study. I read through this for a church history class and it was somewhat helpful to understand the issues surrounding the Trinitarian debates of the first centuries.
What I Disliked:
This is a pretty difficult read. Reading things from the first five centuries of Christendom is often a difficult task. The Trinity is hard enough to understand; trying to moderately grasp the Trinity and also understand the mind of early Christian thinkers is a difficult task. It’s fun, but it’s tough. But this book is not meant for light study.
Should You Buy It?
If you are a seminary student or studying the Trinity in depth this is a great resource. If you are just casually interested in Trinitarian debates there are probably better places to go to get a summary of early Christian thought.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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