Trinitarian Studies Bookshelf:
These books are excellent additions to one's library and are particularly useful for research.
When Jesus Became God - The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome
Richard E. Rubenstein takes the reader
to the streets of the Roman Empire during the fourth century, when a fateful
debate over the divinity of Jesus Christ is being fought. Ruled by a Christian
emperor, followers of Jesus no longer fear for the survival of their
monotheistic faith but break into two camps regarding the direction of their
worship. Is Jesus the son of God and therefore not the same as God? Or is Jesus
precisely God on earth and therefore equal to Him? The vicious debate is led by
two charismatic priests. Arius, an Alexandrian priest and poet, preaches that
Jesus, though holy, is less than God. Athanasius, a brilliant and violent
bishop, sees any diminution of Jesus' godhead as the work of the devil. Between
them stands Alexander, the powerful Bishop of Alexandria, who must find a
resolution that will keep the empire united and the Christian faith alive. With
thorough historical, religious, and social research, Rubenstein vividly
recreates one of the most critical moments in the history of religion.
Jesus-God or the Son of God? A Comparison of the Arguments
This book is an analysis of the most
common arguments used to both prove and disprove the notion that Jesus is God.
Beginning with the book of Matthew and continuing through Revelation, it tallies
and discusses every scripture that implies Jesus is God and every scripture that
implies he is not. Not to be left out of the discussion is a comparison of the
arguments from the Hebrew scriptures. This work discusses the common arguments used by both sides and provides the
response given by the opposing view. It concludes by asking the reader to review
the arguments from both sides and determine for himself what he believes. If you
want to know what evidence there is that Jesus is God (or what evidence there is
that he is not), this is the book that presents a fair and balanced discussion
of the matter.
The Doctrine of the Trinity: Christianity's Self-Inflicted Wound
This important work is a detailed biblical investigation of the relationship
of Jesus to the one God of Israel. The authors challenge the notion that
biblical monotheism is legitimately represented by a Trinitarian view of God
and demonstrate that within the bounds of the canon of Scripture Jesus is
confessed as Messiah, Son of God, but not God Himself. Later Christological
developments beginning in the second century misrepresented the biblical
doctrine of God and Christ by altering the terms of the biblical presentation
of the Father and Son. This fateful development laid the foundation of a
revised, unscriptural creed that needs to be challenged. This book is likely
to be a definitive presentation of a Christology rooted, as it originally was,
in the Hebrew Bible. The authors present a sharply-argued appeal for an
understanding of God and Jesus in the context of the original Christian
documents.
Concepts of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Subtitled "A Classification and Description of the Trinitarian
and Non-Trinitarian Theologies Existent Within Christendom," this is a
theological and historical handbook of how the variety of Christian
denominations have defined and viewed God the Father, Christ the Son of God, and
the Holy Spirit. Detailed and penetrating, it demonstrates how Christendom's
many denominations and sects have differed and even powerfully clashed in
explicating this so-called "central doctrine of the Christian faith," often with
heated verbal sparring and sometimes by inflicting physical violence on
opposers. Objective in tone, which is rare for a work of this sort, this careful
study encourages the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Unlike
apologetic works, which often quote what critics say about variant
denominational theologies, this work allows the plethora of denominations to
speak for themselves. The author further solicited comments from many
denominational headquarters to clarify and expand upon material from their
available published works. It can truly be said that no stone has been left
unturned in order to provide the reader with full and complete coverage of the
subject. Includes 355 references and a detailed index. Sturdy libary binding,
brown cloth with gold-embossed cover illustration.
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