I don’t have a lot of time today, and obviously haven’t over the last few (given the dearth of fresh posts here). But I wanted to leave you with a Trinitarian prayer for today, provided by, Augustine. This prayer is actually cited by Khaled Anatolios at the end of his book Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine. I intend over the next few weeks (we’ll see if this actually happens) to work through the last chapter of Anatolios’ book here at the blog. The last chapter is basically an offering of theological conclusions and synopses of the preceding work that Anatolios has already done through the rest of the book on the theologies of Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine. The points that we will cover as we look at these ‘conclusions’ (which are very fruitful!) are: Revelation, Scripture, Tradition and Ecclesial Scriptural Interpretation, Worship, The Primacy of Christ, The Person of the Holy Spirit, Creation, Christian Salvation, Humanity in the Image of the Trinity, Divine Being as Trinity. Hopefully this whets your appetite to see what Anatolios and I (as I reflect on Anatolios’ thought) have to say on these central topics of the Faith. Let me close, as I said we would do, with Augustine’s Trinitarian prayer:
O Lord our God, we believe in you, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Truth would not have said, “God and baptize the nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), unless you were Trinity. Nor would you have commanded us to be baptized, Lord God, in the name of any who is not Lord God. Nor would it have bee said with divine authority, “Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is one God” (Deut. 6:4), unless while being Trinity you were still one Lord God. And if you, God and Father, were yourself also the Son your Word Jesus Christ, were yourself also your gift the Holy Spirit, we would not read in the documents of truth, “God sent his Son” (Gal. 4:4), nor would you, only-begotten one, have said of the Holy Spirit, “whom the Father will send in my name” (John 14:26), and, “whom I will send you from the Father” (John 15:26). Directing my attention toward this rule of faith as best I could, as far as you enabled me to, I have sought you and desired to see intellectually what I have believed…. Do you yourself give me the strength to seek, having caused yourself to be found and having given me the hope of finding you more and more…. Let me remember you, let me understand you, let me love you. Increase these things in me until you refashion me entirely. [Augustine, Trin. 15.28.51, cited by Khaled Anatolios, Retrieving Nicaea, 292.]
amen.
I love Augustine’s heart here…
Bobby,
I picked up this book a couple of weeks ago and have been slowly making my way through it; I can’t read at the breakneck speed that you do! Now I’m going to have to boycott your blog if you’re going to give away the end of the book – at least until I get to the end that is… π
By the way, I’m not sure if you got my text last week. Let me know if/when you get some free time.
@Jerome,
Me too!
@Daniel,
Did you pick this book up because you saw me citing it here at the blog, or did you come across it independently? This book actually took me awhile, about two weeks; so not that breakneck π . Just look away when you see a post about Anatolios’ stuff (I’ll make it clear in the title of the posts); that way the “metal count” won’t be given away to you :-).
No, I didn’t get your text; I wonder why our phones aren’t connecting lately? I might have some tomorrow between about noon and 3. I’ll try to text you.
By the way, what do you think of Anatolios’ book so far (what part are you at)?
Bobby,
Not too far into the book yet (about 50 pages), but really enjoying it! In choosing the book, I was intrigued by two things: 1) The topic of the historical development of Trinitarian doctrine and understanding. Your writing on this has been a great encouragement to me. I love our Triune God, and I love His acts in/thru the history of His Church – so I was glad to find a book dealing with both! 2) I’ve been impressed recently by some EO commentary on another blog I peruse. This person’s grasp of the Church’s doctrinal development spurred me to further learning. So, finding an EO author addressing the development of Trinitarian doctrine grabbed my interest as well.
Email me or call me directly when you get a chance so we can work a time out to get together.
Daniel,
What’s this other blog you peruse? I’d like to look it over myself.
Okay, I’ll just call you a little later this evening π . This book is a great resource, and the next one you’ll want to read in the same vein and with the same eruditeness is Lewis Ayres book Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology—which you will see Anatolios referencing at points throughout his book.
And then once you get thru these two you will finally have to read the crown jewel Thomas F. Torrance’s The Christian Doctrine of God: One Being Three Persons and then his more historic treatment The Trinitarian Faith. I’d say your reading list is stacked for awhile π !