Essay / Theology

Yarnell: The Idiom of Biblical Trinitarianism

Malcolm Yarnell recently published God the Trinity: Biblical Portraits (B&H Academic, 2016). Yarnell, who is Research Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has previously written a fine study on The Formation of Christian Doctrine, among other things. I knew Malcolm had been

Essay / Theology

The Sent God

One of the organizing principles in my forthcoming book The Triune God (Dec. 6; available now for pre-order) is divine sending. The idea of God sending God is fundamental to this whole scheme of presenting the doctrine of the Trinity, and is especially prominent in

“How Does One Get In On This Divine Secret?” [video]

The headquarters of Grace Communion International is here in Southern California, and I recently drove down and talked with them for a while. Mike Morrison interviewed me for their video series called You’re Included, and the first part of that interview is now available at

Essay / Theology

Some Kind of Canonical-Genetic Method

My book The Triune God (part of Zondervan’s New Studies in Dogmatics) is available for pre-order now and will officially be released in December. In this book, without claiming to be more biblical than thou, I do try to articulate the doctrine of the Trinity

Essay / Theology

LATC17: Ten More Speakers

The 2017 Los Angeles Theology Conference (Jan 12-13 at Biola University), entitled “The Task of Dogmatics,” was already going to be a great conference: we have major presentations by Michael Allen, Henri Blocher, Katherine Sonderegger, Scott Swain, and Kevin Vanhoozer. This slate of plenary speakers,

Essay / Theology

Nicene and Quicunquan Styles

In brief presentations of the doctrine of the Trinity, we can observe two different styles. On the one hand is a kind of genetic style, which introduces the three persons in a salvation-historical framework, leading off with the Father, then adding the Son, and then

Essay / Theology

Theologoumenal Gaskets

To speak accurately about the triune God, theology has to indicate that he is high and lifted up, inhabits eternity, and has Holy as a name; yet simultaneously to indicate that he is intimately present with the contrite and lowly. His eyes are too pure

Essay / Theology

18 Theses on the Father and the Son

Last week while I was doing the very important work of riding trains and kayaking in mountain lakes and hiking and playing board games, all my internet theology friends were talking trinitarianism across multiple platforms from various nations. Since I can’t figure out the correct

Essay / Theology

Biblical Grounding for the Christology of the Councils

I have a brief article in the Criswell Theological Review‘s Fall 2015 theme issue on christology. The article is “Biblical Grounding for the Christology of the Councils,” CTR 13/1 (Fall 2015) 93-104. The main thing I argue in the article is that the most effective way

Essay / Theology

UnTrinitarian Discouragement (Sibbes)

Richard Sibbes’ (1577–1635) book The Bruised Reed is an extended meditation on discouragement. Sibbes has penetrating insight into how grace and disgrace are always mingled in the life of the Christian. Following his wise counsel can deliver you from unrealistic optimism on the one hand

Essay / Education

Sanctified by Grace: A Theology of Christian Life

I was surprised when they opened class in prayer. I had flown out to LA to interview for a job at Biola University, and the public display of piety took me off guard a bit. It shouldn’t have. Prayer and theological study belong together. Some