The Deep Things Of God: How The Trinity Changes Everything (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
This book has become one of my all time favorite books. Sanders does an amazing job to show "how the Trinity changes everything" and how the Trinity lies at the very bedrock of the Gospel and Christian life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a must read!He brilliantly addresses the three common questions Evangelicals tend to ask about the Trinity: Is it biblical? Does it make sense? Does it matter?His book can best be summarized in the last sentence of his preface, "A Christian, and especially an evangelical Christian, is somebody who is already immersed in the reality of the Trinity, long before beginning to reflect on the idea of the Trinity."As Sanders puts it, "Evangelicals are profoundly Trinitarian whether they know it or not" For those who follow my blog, you know that the doctrine of the Trinity is not only my theological specialty, but is also an area that I think is radically vital for the life of the Church and those Christians who constitute her. For this reason, I jumped at the opportunity to review the Deep Things of God by Fred Sanders. This relatively short (Aprox. 250 pages) book is an absolute treasure and is a valuable contribution to not only the field of theology, but also serves as a text which urges toward piety and doxology.There are three books that I recommend every lay Christian read: The Pilgrim Faith by Michael Horton, Life in the Trinity by Donald Fairbairn, and On the Incarnation by Athanasius. I am happy to add this book to this list. Sanders approaches this work as a scholar who clearly knows his stuff. Although relatively young, Sanders demonstrates a mastery of his field well beyond his years. I’ll admit, that prior to his recent interaction during the much discussed Future of Protestantism discussion, I had only had tertiary interaction with his work.The basic argument of this book is relatively straight forward. Evangelicalism has a robust and deeply rooted Trinitarian doctrine, it just doesn’t realize it. That is to say that Evangelicals instinctively worship and relate to God in ways that reflect the reality of the Trinity. However, it often fails in truly understanding or articulating this foundational commitment. Thus, the average Evangelical relegates the Trinity to a sort of place of mysterious and arcane knowledge, devoid of any practical implications for our lives or worship.From that point forward Sanders proceeds to masterfully unfold the doctrine, substantiating the claims in his thesis with ease. Once this has been accomplished, Sanders moves to encourage us to not only acknowledge the importance of this doctrine, but to cling to it as the vital wellspring of life and piety that it actually is.Overall, this book is approachable and winsome, and it is a perfect entry into the world of Trinitarian theology for any adult reader. It is also a suitable text for a college or seminary Theology Survey as a primer for the importance of Trinitarian commitment. Finally, this book would be an excellent resource for any pastor to recommend to his parishioners who may be struggling with this difficult doctrine.Please note: Crossway has provided me with an electronic version of this book for review purposes. They do not require positive reviews, nor have they edited or modified this review in any way.
What do You think about The Deep Things Of God: How The Trinity Changes Everything (2010)?
I was very glad to read this book. As much as anything, it made me want to study the Trinity more.
—kennedy
Wonderful introduction to trinitarian theology-particularly as it relates to the Gospel itself.
—charlotte
Very good. Especially from the middle to end. To sum up: the Trinity is the Gospel.
—lili
