I’ve read dozens of books on the Trinity. The more popular books, that is, those written for the people in the pews, are too often not very helpful in unpacking the richness of Trinitarian theology. The more academic books are often too speculative, too novel, or too dense to be helpful for most pastors and disciples of Christ.
Matthew Barrett has written a book that does justice to the richness of classic Trinitarian Theology in a style that is accessible to any reader interested in exploring the mysteries of Trinitarian faith. Barrett is writing to his tribe, Evangelicals who confess Holy Scripture as foundational to the Faith. Even so, he chastises many evangelicals who have drifted from classic Trinitarian faith. Most re-interpretations of the Trinity in the last century have been primarily concerned with social and political issues. In effect, post modern re-interpretations of Holy Trinity seek to create a God in the image of humanity. Conservative evangelicals (including Pentecostals) have not escaped this temptation.
Barrett writes from the Reformed stream of the faith and demonstrates a hermeneutic that faithfully reads scripture in light of the witness and testimony of the historic Christian faith, a hermeneutic I embrace as a Wesleyan Pentecostal. I am often asked by pastors for good book recommendations. From now on, anytime I’m asked for a book recommendation about the Trinity, this is it!
