Just finished Pitirum Sorokin’s The Ways and Power of Love: Types, Factors, and Techniques of Moral Transformation (1954). Very good. Spot-read the parts that weren’t of interest ‘cause I had other things to read also. But the bulk of it was great.

Also, just read Vincent Brummer’s Atonement, Christology and the Trinity: Making Sense of Christian Doctrine (2005). I have always liked Brummer. Two earlier books by him were awesome. This book started out great but ended up in a train wreck. I was very disappointed. His starts out by insisting on our making doctrine intelligible, making the case that doctrines which are unintelligible to us cannot function for us on an existential level. So he says we have to make some intelligible sense of the doctrines of the Trinity and incarnation if these doctrines are to properly engage us on the level of experience. Through the middle of the book he makes use of Bernard of Clairvaux to come up with a model of free and creative personhood right in line with what I have been thinking. I was pumped! I’ll get back to St. Bernard later down the road. But towards the end of the book Brummer dumps all over social theories of the Trinity and over the Cappadocians as well, essentially calling Eastern Christianity polytheist! He then says the Latin/Western approach is better. But he sees the problem the West has in accounting  for the distinction between F, S, and SP in other than modalistic ways. He even asks, So how do I account for the meaningfulness of such a belief? His answer? He takes back everything he said about the importance of intelligibility of doctrine at the beginning of the book and says we shouldn’t speculate. Well, if we’re going to abandon intelligibility, foreswear speculation, and just play the mystery card, what’s the advantage of looking like a modalist but denying that you really are a modalist over looking like a polytheist while denying that you really are a polytheist?

I also enjoyed reading Gary Charter’s The Analogy of Love: Divine and Human Love at the Center of Christian Theology (2007). Excellent. But he doesn’t really deal with the nature of love in necessary (in God) vs contingent (in humans) being.

Just yesterday I began David Bentley Hart’s The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth. Gotta order a 10 lbs. dictionary so I can follow along. Slow, thick, and tough reading. But I’m liking this guy more and more. Towering intellect. I hope I can wade through it between now and June when I come home. By the way, Charter has some interesting things to say in his book in favor of UR. Quite developed. But more surprisingly, Hart devotes his last chapter (on ‘Eschatology’) to Gregory’s eschatology and UR. Harts says he can’t really come out and promote UR (‘cause Orthodox tradition doesn’t allow him to do so), but the point seemed clear enough to me.

Tom

Recommendations for Tom #1:

 

INTRODUCTION:   TOWARD A TRANSPARENCY TO THE HOLY TRINITY: THE LIFE AND WORK OF FATHER BORIS BOBRINSKOY "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their ...

http://www.amazon.com/Compassion-Father-Boris-Bobrinskoy/dp/0881412511/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200842605&sr=8-1

In this work, Boris Bobrinskoy shows how by spiritual union to the life of Christ, we can be clothed with the Holy Spirit and filled with the infinite mercy of the Father, who far from pleasing himself in a blessed transcendence, suffers with humanity. This way of purification triumphs over all the deadly forces of division, darkness, and hate that dwell in the heart — a universe vaster than any other universe. The invocation of the Name, the asceticism of the body, and the baptism of the intellect constitute this long and difficult way of conversion and of cure: of unification with God, others, and even oneself. Facing the suffering and the misery of the world, where may one find the strength to offer sympathy, support, and discernment? How may one descend into the hell of the human heart without despairing? In this work, the priest Boris Bobrinskoy shows how by spiritual union to the life of Christ, we can be clothed with the Holy Spirit and filled with the infinite mercy of the Father, who far from pleasing Himself in a blessed transcendence, suffers with humanity. This way of purification triumphs over all the deadly forces of division, darkness, and hate that dwell in the heart'a universe vaster than any other universe. The invocation of the Name, the asceticism of the body, and the baptism of the intellect constitute this long and difficult way of conversion and of cure: of unification with God, others, and even oneself.

SEE:  http://books.google.com/books?id=eePg3D2UUw4C&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=the+mystery+of+the+trinity+boris+bobrinskoy&source=web&ots=8z7CZTxpd1&sig=2mX-WHi7CBOP-asPp7z3vH_761g

Post Edited (PotOnWheel) : 1/20/2008 9:27:52 AM (GMT-6)

Recommendation #1 for Tom:

This is a book that I own, but have not read yet beyond browsing through it and reading part of the intro.

It's top-shelf scholarship about top shelf theologians. (Its a must read!!!)

Being With God: Trinity, Apophaticism, and Divine-Human Communion
by Aristotle Papanikolaou

http://www.amazon.com/Being-God-Apophaticism-Divine-Human-Communion/dp/0268038317

INTRO BEGINS:  "This book is about 'being with God,' about the realism of divine-human communion as it is expressed in the work of Vladimir Lossky (190358) and John Zizioulas (1931- ), arguably two of the most influential Orthodox theologians of the past century. Since it discussed divine -human communion through these two figures, it is also a small window into contemporary Orthodox theology. In addition to their impact on twentieth century Orthdoxy, each has served in their own time as a spokesperson for Orthodoxy to the non-Orthodox world. ......." 

Post Edited (PotOnWheel) : 1/20/2008 9:30:14 AM (GMT-6)

#2 -- to go with #1, in one way (complementraity) and #3 by author.

This one I've read about half of. Its constructed so as to illumine what scripture says about the Trinity, and effects a devotional experience along with a scholarly experience at the same time. (Tom, that's the best I can describe it. ) 

The Mystery of the Trinity: Trinitarian Experience and Vision in the Biblical and Patristic Tradition

by Boris Bobrinskoy and Anthony P. Gythiel

340 pages (paperback)

The thought of the Eastern Fathers on the Trinity from the time of the Apostles to the end of the Byzantine era.

ONLY $40.24 from Alibris.com  BEST PRICE.

(Amazon's resellers want to scalp it for $100. 'll find you better. It was about $30 when I got mine new two years ago.) 

http://www.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?S=R&bid=9344387611&cm_mmc=shopcompare-_-base-_-aisbn-_-na )

 

Post Edited (PotOnWheel) : 1/20/2008 9:33:10 AM (GMT-6)

SEE:  http://books.google.com/books?id=eePg3D2UUw4C&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=the+mystery+of+the+trinity+boris+bobrinskoy&source=web&ots=8z7CZTxpd1&sig=2mX-WHi7CBOP-asPp7z3vH_761g

Post Edited (feelinahole) : 1/20/2008 12:40:52 PM (GMT-6)

I'm reading the Bible. I like to discuss it too.

Hope I'm not too old fashioned.