Christ and the Cosmos

Keith Ward will be well known to many readers for his work on science and religion as well as philosophical theology. In this reformulation of Trinitarian doctrine, he introduces various historical perspectives and biblical sources of Trinitarian thought before criticising a social approach that he thinks ultimately incoherent; he contrasts his view of three forms of existing of one divine Subject with those who refer to the Trinity as a society or communion of three individual subjects. He explains that for him God as Father remains transcendent to all creation, God as Son manifests in creation, while God as Spirit unites creation to the divine (p. 220); in other words, transcendent, incarnate and immanent in created things. His central argument for this formulation is 'because theosis is the purpose of creation, and the heart of Christian faith. This universe is created in order that autonomous persons can come into existence, can shape their own lives freely and creatively, and can find their fulfilment in being united to the divine in love.' I find this an inspiring vision where Jesus is the self-expressive unfolding of the divine will, 'the embodied Ideal of human personhood.' (p. 245). The last chapter explains why a modern formulation of the Trinity must be cosmic, in view of our new knowledge of the nature of the universe. Here he builds on the work of Whitehead and John MacQuarrie with his primordial, expressive and unitive forms of divine action - on our planet, this can be expressed through the Christian faith, but it might take different forms elsewhere without changing the essentials. Although quite technical, this book provides an important update of thinking about the Trinity.