Trinity and Truth

304 Pages·1999·2.62 MB·English

by  Bruce D. Marshall

TrinityandTruth
Twocloselyrelatedquestionsreceivedistinctivelytheological
answersinthisstudy:Whatistruth?andHowcanwetellwhether
whatwehavesaidistrue?BruceMarshallproposesthatthe
Christiancommunity’sidentificationofGodastheTrinityserves
asthekeytoatheologicallyadequatetreatmentofthese
questions.ProfessorMarshallarguesontrinitariangroundsthat
theChristianwayofidentifyingGodoughttohaveunrestricted
primacywhenitcomestothejustificationofbelief,andhe
proposesatrinitarianwayofreshapingtheconceptoftruth.
Directengagementwiththecurrentphilosophicaldebateabout
truth,meaningandbelief(inDavidsonandothers)suggeststhata
trinitarianaccountofepistemicjustificationandtruthisalso
morephilosophicallycompellingthantheapproachesgenerally
favouredinmoderntheology,asexemplifiedbySchleiermacher,
Ritschl,Rahner,andothers.Marshalloffersacontemporaryway
ofconceivingoftheChristianGodas“thetruth.”
BruceD.MarshallisProfessorofReligionatSt.Olaf
College,Northfield,Minnesota.HetookhisdoctorateatYale
University,andhasheldtheCardinChairintheHumanitiesat
LoyolaCollege,Maryland,onavisitingprofessorship.His
publicationsincludeChristologyinConflict(1987),and(edited)
TheologyandDialogue:EssaysinConversationwithGeorgeLindbeck
(1991).

CambridgeStudiesinChristianDoctrine
Editedby
ProfessorColinGunton,King’sCollegeLondon
ProfessorDanielW.Hardy,UniversityofCambridge
CambridgeStudiesinChristianDoctrineisanimportantnewseries
whichaimstoengagecriticallywiththetraditionaldoctrinesof
Christianity,andatthesametimetolocateandmakesenseof
themwithinasecularcontext.Withoutlosingsightofthe
authorityofscriptureandthetraditionsofthechurch,thebooks
inthisserieswillsubjectpertinentdogmasandcredalstatements
tocarefulscrutiny,analyzingtheminlightoftheinsightsofboth
churchandsociety,andwilltherebypracticetheologyinthe
fullestsenseoftheword.
Titlespublishedintheseries
1. SelfandSalvation:BeingTransformed
1. DavidF.Ford
2. RealistChristianTheologyinaPostmodernAge
2.SuePatterson
3. TrinityandTruth
3.BruceD.Marshall
4.Theology,MusicandTime
JeremyS.Begbie
5.TheBible,Theology,andFaith:AStudyofAbrahamandJesus
R.W.L.Moberly
6.BoundtoSin:Abuse,HolocaustandtheChristianDoctrineofSin
AlastairI.McFadyen
7.Church,WorldandtheChristianLife:Practical-Prophetic
Ecclesiology
Nicholas M.Healy
8.TheologyandtheDialogueofReligions
MichaelBarnesSJ
Titlesforthcomingintheseries
APoliticalTheologyofNature
PeterScott
RemythologizingTheology:DivineActionandAuthorship
KevinJ.Vanhoozer

TrinityandTruth
Bruce D. Marshall
published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge
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©Cambridge University Press 2004
First published in printed format 1999
ISBN 0-511-03762-7 eBook (Adobe Reader)
ISBN 0-521-45352-6 hardback
ISBN 0-521-77491-8 paperback
For myMotherandFather,withlove
Whyonearthshouldweexpecttobeabletoreducetruthto
somethingclearerormorefundamental?Afterall,theonlyconcept
Platosucceededindefiningwasmud(dirtandwater).
DonaldDavidson
Illehomoessetipsadivinaveritas.
ThomasAquinas