Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T13:45:31.093Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Trinitarian life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Kathryn Tanner
Kathryn Tanner
Affiliation:
University of Chicago Divinity School
Get access

Summary

Christ is the key, we have seen, to human nature, and to the sort of grace human nature was made to enjoy. But Christ is also the key, I want to show now, to the trinity and its significance for us. Christ is the key to understanding this second set of topics because of the peculiar character of the human life he leads. Because he is the Word, Jesus Christ displays in his human life the relationships that the Word has to the other members of the trinity; as a human being he leads, in short, a trinitarian way of life.

The life of the Word is constituted by its dynamic relationships with the other members of the trinity from which it is inseparable; the Word has no life apart from the other two. In becoming incarnate the Word therefore extends this same pattern of trinitarian relationships into its own human life so as to give it shape according to that pattern. The description of Jesus' human life, which the New Testament offers, becomes in this way the basis for understanding both what the relationships within the trinity are like and what they are to mean for us as new organizing principles of human living.

This meaning of the trinity for us brings the discussion of previous chapters to its appropriate next step. Although the preoccupations of earlier chapters might seem to have nothing to do with the present one, they lead into it.

Type
Chapter
Information
Christ the Key , pp. 140 - 206
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bouyer, Louis, The Eternal Son: A Theology of the Word of God and Christology, trans. Inkel, Simone (Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor, 1978), p. 401.Google Scholar
Tanner, Kathryn, “Gender,” in Chapman, Mark, Clarke, Sathianathan, Douglas, Ian, and Percy, Martyn (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Anglican Studies (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).
Aquinas, Thomas, Summa Theologica [Theologiae], trans. Fathers of the Dominican Province, 5 vols. (Westminster, Maryland, Christian Classics, 1948), vol. i, Q43, a2, ad3, p. 220:Google Scholar
,Hilary of Poitiers, “On the Trinity,” trans. Watson, E. W. and Pullan, L., in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. ix, Second Series (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1994)Google Scholar
,Gregory of Nyssa, “Against Eunomius,” trans. Ogle, H. C., Moore, William, and Wilson, Henry Austin, in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. v, Second Series (Peabody, Massachusetts, 1994)Google Scholar
,Athanasius, “Four Discourses against the Arians,” trans. Newman, John Henry and Robertson, Archibald, in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. iv, Second Series (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1957)Google Scholar
Placher, William, Narratives of a Vulnerable God: Christ, Theology, and Scripture (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox, 1994), p. 53; and the whole of chapter 3.Google Scholar
Pannenberg, Wolfhart, Systematic Theology, trans. Bromiley, Geoffrey W., 3 vols. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1991), vol. i, pp. 268–9.Google Scholar
McIntyre, John, “The Holy Spirit in Greek Patristic Thought,”Scottish Journal of Theology 7 (1954), p. 365, citing Basil's Epistle 38 on Hebrews 1:3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Athanasius, The Letters of Saint Athanasius concerning the Holy Spirit, trans. Shapland, C. R. B. (London: Epworth, 1951), Epistle 1, p. 94.Google Scholar
, Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John 28–54, trans. Rettig, John W. (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1993)Google Scholar
Boyarin, Daniel, Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segal, Alan, Two Powers in Heaven (Leiden: Brill, 1977);Google Scholar
Hurtado, Larry, One God, One Lord: Early Christian Devotion and Ancient Jewish Monotheism (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1998).Google Scholar
,Athanasius, “On the Incarnation of the Word,” trans. Robertson, Archibald, in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. iv, Second Series (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1957)Google Scholar
,Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel according to John, trans. Pusey, P. E. (Oxford: James Parker, 1874), Book 12, chapter 17, p. 657 (John 20:17).Google Scholar
Calvin's Commentaries: The Gospel according to St. John, trans. Parker, T. H. L., 2 vols. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1993).
Bobrinskoy, Boris, The Mystery of the Trinity; trans. Gythiel, Anthony (Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1999);Google Scholar
Yarnold, Edward; “The Trinitarian Implications of Luke and Acts,”Heythrop Journal 7/1 (1966), pp. 18–32;CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weinandy, Thomas, The Father's Spirit of Sonship (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995), chapter 3.Google Scholar
,Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John 55–111, trans. Rettig, John W. (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1994)Google Scholar
, Basil, On the Holy Spirit, trans. Anderson, David (Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997), chapter 19, section 49, p. 77; see also chapter 16, section 39, p. 65.Google Scholar
, Irenaeus, “Against Heresies,” trans. Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James, in Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James (eds.), Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. i (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1989), Book 3, chapter 17, sections 1–2, p. 444.Google Scholar
Staniloae, Dumitru, “The Procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and his Relation to the Son, as the Basis of our Deification and Adoption,” in Vischer, Lukas (ed.), Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ: Ecumenical Reflections on the Filioque Controversy, (London: SPCK, 1981), p. 179.Google Scholar
Coffey, David, Deus Trinitatis: The Doctrine of the Triune God (Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 42, 138, 148, 154–5.Google Scholar
Dunn, James, “Jesus – Flesh and Spirit: An Exposition of Romans 1.3–4,” Journal of Theological Studies 24/1 (1973), pp. 52–6.Google Scholar
Barth, Karl, Church Dogmatics 2/1, ed. Bromiley, G. W. and Torrance, T. F. (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1957), p. 260.Google Scholar
,John of Damascus, “Exposition of the Orthodox Faith,” trans. Salmond, S. D. F., in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. ix, Second Series (Peabody, Massachusetts, Hendrickson, 1994)Google Scholar
Staniloae, Dumitru, Theology and the Church, trans. Barringer, Robert (Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1980), p. 29Google Scholar
,Gregory of Nyssa, “An Address on Religious Instruction,” trans. Richardson, Cyril, in Hardy, Edward (ed.), Christology of the Later Fathers (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1954), section 2, pp. 272–3.Google Scholar
Torrance, Thomas F., Divine Meaning: Studies in Patristic Hermeneutics (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995), pp. 267–8.Google Scholar
,Augustine, “On the Trinity,” trans. Haddan, Arthur West and Shedd, William, in Schaff, Philip (ed.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. iii (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1956)Google Scholar
Clement, Olivier, Byzance et le christianisme (Paris, 1964), pp. 46–7Google Scholar
Hodgson, Leonard, The Doctrine of the Trinity (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1944), p. 68.Google Scholar
Balthasar, Han Urs, Theo-Drama, vol. iv (The Action), trans. Harrison, Graham (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994), p. 364.Google Scholar
Balthasar, Hans Urs, Theo-Drama, vol. iii (Dramatis Personae), trans. Harrison, Graham (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1992), p. 521.Google Scholar
Nazianzen, Gregory, “Orations,” trans. Browne, Charles Gordon and Swallow, James Edward, in Schaff, Philip and Wace, Henry (eds.), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. vii (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1983)Google Scholar
Barth, , Church Dogmatics 3/2, ed. Bromiley, G. W. and Torrance, T. F. (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1960), pp. 268–9Google Scholar
God against Religion: Rethinking Christian Theology through Worship (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2008)
,Augustine, Tractates on John 11–27, trans. Rettig, John W. (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1988)Google Scholar
, Barth, Ethics, trans. Bromiley, Geoffrey (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1981), pp. 500–3, 505.Google Scholar
Congar, Yves, I Believe in the Holy Spirit (The Complete Three-Volume Work in One Volume), trans. Smith, David (New York: Crossroad Herder, 1999)Google Scholar
Kasper, Walter, The God of Jesus Christ, trans. O'Connell, Matthew (New York: Crossroad, 1984), p. 220.Google Scholar
Boff, Leonardo, Trinity and Society, trans. Burns, Paul (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 1988)Google Scholar
Swete, Henry Barclay, The Holy Spirit in the Ancient Church (London: Macmillan, 1912)Google Scholar
Lossky, Vladimir, The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church (Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1976), pp. 57–8.Google Scholar
, Bobrinskoy, “The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Christ,”St. Vladimir's Seminary Quarterly 28 (1984), pp. 61–2.Google Scholar
Calvin, John, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Battles, Ford Lewis, ed. McNeill, John T. (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1960), vol. ii, Book 4, chapter 17, p. 1360.Google Scholar
Vagaggini, Cyprian, Theological Dimensions of the Liturgy, trans. Doyle, Leonard and Jurgens, W. A. (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1976)Google Scholar
, Torrance, Theology in Reconciliation (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1975)Google Scholar
, Jungmann, The Place of Christ in Liturgical Prayer (Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1989).Google Scholar
Jasper, R. C. D. and Cuming, G. L., Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and Reformed (New York: Pueblo, 1987), pp. 104–13.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×