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Faith, Freedom and the Spirit: The Economic Trinity in Barth, Torrance and Contemporary Theology, by Paul D. Molnar
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Distinguished scholar Paul Molnar adds to his previous work, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity, to help us think more accurately about the economic Trinity, about divine and human interaction in the sphere of faith and knowledge within history. Exploring why it is imperative to begin and end theology from within faith, Molnar relies on the thinking of Karl Barth and of Thomas F. Torrance in dialogue with other contemporary theologians (Catholic and Protestant) about divine and human freedom. Powerfully argued and meticulously documented, Molnar's magisterial study begins with an extensive discussion of the role of faith in knowing God and in relating to God in and through his incarnate Word and thus through the Holy Spirit. From there he proceeds to consider the divine freedom once again as the basis for true human freedom, discussing how and why a properly functioning pneumatology will lead to an appropriately theological understanding of God’s actions within the economy. He considers perils of embracing a historicized Christology, proposing an alternative way of understanding the connection between time and eternity that is christologically focused and pneumatologically informed. And finally, he discusses at length how the doctrine of justification by faith relates to living the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit and the economy of grace.
- Sales Rank: #1847748 in Books
- Brand: InterVarsity Press
- Published on: 2015-02-23
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x 1.20" w x 6.00" l, 1.40 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 448 pages
Review
"What does it mean to say that we are given to know the triune God through his actions in history? Paul Molnar is one of the most stimulating writers on this question in contemporary theology. Well-known for his insistence that the doctrine of the immanent Trinity remains crucial for a Christian depiction of divine freedom, here he addresses the related theme: What should a doctrine of the economic Trinity say? In dialogue with major figures in modern theology, Molnar offers a rich and highly perceptive account of what the revelation of the eternal God in time does―and does not―entail." (Ivor J. Davidson, professor of systematic and historical theology, University of St. Andrews)
"I consider Professor Paul Molnar to be the most outstanding Roman Catholic theologian in North America today. Erudite, perceptive and staunchly trinitarian, Molnar writes with a passion for the gospel and the truth revealed in and through Jesus Christ. His new book is a tour de force. It is really a sequel to his earlier and celebrated work on the Trinity, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity. The first book critiqued the many foibles of modern economic trinitarianism and urged us to think about the immanent Trinity based on God’s trinitarian self-revelation rather than human experience of relationality. In this new book, Molnar's concern is the economic Trinity, rightly understood via a 'properly conceived pneumatology' developed in dialogue with Karl Barth, Thomas F. Torrance and contemporary theology―note the addition of T. F. Torrance as a significant influence on Molnar's thinking. Molnar perceptively points to the appropriate way to think about human freedom and the role of faith in knowing the triune God and in living the Christian life. This is a crucial and sparkling work for everyone concerned about the future of trinitarian theology!" (Elmer M. Colyer, professor of systematic theology and Stanley Professor of Wesley Studies, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary)
"Paul Molnar is one of the outstanding theologians of his generation. Everything he writes is worthy of the most careful attention. In this new book he not only offers trenchant criticisms of his opponents, but also sets forth Barth and Torrance in continuity with historic Nicene orthodoxy, especially as seen in Athanasius, Cyril and Aquinas. Powerfully argued and meticulously documented, this book is a magisterial interpretation of Barth and Torrance on the Trinity in relation to election and the incarnation." (George Hunsinger, Princeton Theological Seminary)
"Few Protestant, let alone Catholic, interpreters of Karl Barth read him with as much skill and conviction as does Paul Molnar. Here again we find him making important and timely interventions not only in Barth studies, but also in theology in general, challenging the present dominance of a 'historicized Christology.' Molnar shows the deep difficulties such a Christology generates, and how Barth is not their ally. He then situates the Barth-Torrance position within the contemporary theological landscape defending its viability admirably. The result is compelling and deserves the attention of evangelical, Protestant and Catholic theologians." (D. Stephen Long, Marquette University)
"The best studies of Karl Barth have moved well beyond mere exegesis of his text and now probe the fundamental assumptions on which exegetical perspectives have been based. The interrelation of election and the Trinity has become a flashpoint in contemporary discussion. A main issue is whether and to what extent obedience and subordination may be read back into the immanent Trinity. Paul Molnar explores this by way of a close comparison of T. F. Torrance and Karl Barth. This is a demanding book which sets out technical issues helpfully and with great clarity." (Iain R. Torrance, pro-chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, president emeritus of Princeton Theological Seminary)
"Molnar's argumentation is clear, perspicacious, and spirited. . . . For any scholar interested in the thought of Karl Barth or the theology of the Trinity, Molnar's work deserves careful consideration." (Albert L. Shepherd, Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology, Autumn 2015)
About the Author
Paul D. Molnar (PhD, Fordham University) is professor of systematic theology at St. John's University in Queens, New York. He is the author of Incarnation and Resurrection, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity, Karl Barth and the Theology of the Lord's Supper and Thomas F. Torrance: Theologian of the Trinity, and has been published in numerous journals including the Scottish Journal of Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology and Modern Theology. Molnar is general editor of the Peter Lang Series: Issues in Systematic Theology, editor of the Karl Barth Society of North America Newsletter, membership secretary of the Barth Society and a current board member of the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship. He has also served as consulting editor for The Dictionary of Historical Theology and the Scottish Journal of Theology.
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
a valuable read for those seeking to understand God’s ontological freedom in relation to creation.
By A&J Torrey
Author: Paul Molnar
Publisher: IVP Academic
Reading Level: High
Pages: 448
“There is no knowledge without experience of God. But when God is known through God, we immediately know that the guarantee of that knowledge is and remains God and not our experience” (93).
With a name like Faith, Freedom, and the Spirit: The Economic Trinity in Barth, Torrance and Contemporary Theology (henceforth FFS) a dense look at Trinitarianism and Christology is expected. It is nearly impossible to speak of such doctrines without paying attention to the great works of Karl Barth and T.F. Torrance. Yet, a divide exists among modern scholarship on these topics and in particular the proper way to read Barth’s theology on these doctrines. In FSS, Paul Molnar, professor of systematic theology at St. John’s University, adds clarification to previous works in this nuanced field. FFS presents a comprehensive look at Divine freedom in revelation, Christology/Trinitarianism, election, and vocation in the Spirit.
The nature of FFS demands a deeply theological book. Molnar is an excellent writer despite his tendency for repetition. Nevertheless, the theological matter prevents FFS from being accessible to readers without a background in Barth, Torrance, or modern discussion of the Trinity (McCormack, Hunsinger, Jenson, etc.). Those seeking to use FSS to dive into the discussion should start in the distilled conclusion before bogging down in the detailed analysis (419-429).
Molnar starts FFS with a recapitulation of man’s knowledge of God. Relying heavily on explanatory quotes from Barth and Torrance, Molnar puts forth a consistent epistemology that stresses knowledge of God as a gracious miracle bound only to God’s freedom to reveal Himself through His Spirit. Hence, “While faith is indeed a human action, as just noted, most attempts at apologetic theology inevitably try to establish the divinity of Christ in a way that bypasses the Holy Spirit as the one who alone enables true faith…Hence, in Christology, Torrance insisted that we must begin with the ‘fact of Christ’” [emphasis mine] (29). Therefore for Molnar, one can only know the true God as the Triune God revealed in history by Jesus Christ and understood through the work of the Holy Spirit. For illustration of this perspective’s importance to God’s freedom, Molnar contrasts it with the knowledge paradigms of Bultmann, Tillich, and Rahner (66-81).
In the chapters 3-7 Molnar looks to the freedom of God in His Triunity and Christology. This makes up the bulk of FFS and digs deeply into God’s freedom in His election to be “God for us.” Essential to this is the idea that “we in our Christology avoid any idea that the Word was not fully the Word prior to and apart from the incarnation” (137). God is God without creation. He has also chosen to be God for creation. And He has elected the Son to be part of creation in the person of Jesus Christ. Molnar is critical of Bruce McCormack’s logical reversal of God’s Trinitarian nature and election to be God for creation in Christ Jesus. McCormack bases God’s Triunity on his Election to be Creator. Both God’s Trinitarian nature and the Son’s incarnation are the superseded, or dictated, by creation. Evidence of this is found in McCormack’s rejection of Barth’s statement that “Jesus Christ has a beginning, but God has no beginning” (CD II/2; FFS 162). This concept of “before” and “after” for God is explicated through Torrance’s understanding of eternity and time (chapter 4) that “in the heart of Eternity there is motion. Eternity is not static” (207). Molnar echoes Torrance that both creation and incarnation are “new even for God.” There was a time when God was not creator. There was a time when the eternal logos was not incarnate. “God’s time,” as Molnar and Torrance call it, cannot be understood as similar to time experienced by creation. And yet, this concept of “before” and “after,” for God, must be affirmed to protect the freedom of God in creation and redemption. It is only in this freedom that “becoming man is itself an act of reconciliation” for both Torrance and Barth (214). Having explained this Molnar takes aim at the “historicized Christology” of Robert Jenson and Bruce McCormack (chapter 5). Molnar (and PTS Professor George Hunsinger) takes issue with the approach of Jenson and McCormack as collapsing the ontological and economical trinity through the person of Jesus Christ. Both ground the eternal existence and personhood of the second person of the Trinity in Jesus Christ. It is best summarized by Molnar that both “clearly confuses epistemology and ontology. It is certainly true that we cannot know the second person of the Trinity correctly in the absence of his humanity. But that hardly means that it is his humanity that makes him to be the eternal Son” (244). Molnar’s work is persuasive. The theology of Jenson and McCormack is not Chalcedonian nor ecumenical.
In the sixth chapter of FFS Molnar looks at whether Jenson or McCormack have correctly understood Karl Barth as to have adopted a “historicized Christology” in the later portion of his Church Domgatics (henceforth CD). In terms of strictly evaluating orthodox Christianity this chapter is less beneficial than others. But with respect to protecting the integrity of Barth’s orthodoxy and ecumenical spirit Molnar presents a reading of CD IV that is in agreement with Barth’s earlier CD I. It is perhaps in this chapter that the spirit of party lines shows itself the most. Molnar aligns with Hunsinger to present an ecumenical Barth that is more attractive to Roman Catholic engagement. So after many quotes from Barth’s CD IV (which do stress Molnar’s correct interpretation), Molnar summarizes Barth’s later theology by stating “that sounds awfully Chalcedonian to me” (304). This chapter’s defense of Barth is also important as it sets the stage for Molnar’s disagreement with Barth’s expression of Christ’s obedience (chapter 7). Molnar proceeds to points out that Barth went a step too far in reading the obedience of the Incarnate Word into the Eternal Word. Barth collapses God’s action in history with His historical being. Hence, for Molnar, Barth too is guilty of reading the economical trinity back into the ontological trinity. Because Barth does this with the Son in obedience to the Father, he inadvertently introduces a subordination theology. Barth was correct to see that the Divine nature, and not just the human nature, was a source of obedience within the hypostatic union. This was a position he likely stressed because of Anselm (a point Molnar does not explore directly) but overemphasized by reading it back into the ontological trinity. If obedience is required within the eternal relationship between the Father and Son then the atonement ceases to make sense as a meritorious action. Barth makes the very mistake he sought to dismiss early in Church Dogmatics. Molnar’s explanation of this is excellent and his presentation of Torrance’s healthier view establishes a valuable defense of the freedom of God in light of the Son’s obedience.
In his concluding chapter, Molnar takes the freedom of God and transports it to mankind. Through the reconciliation founded in Jesus Christ mankind is freed to obedience through the work of the Holy Spirit. This grounds vocation in the grace of Jesus Christ and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Molnar states in practical conclusion, “any implication that our vocation is to become Christ immediately obscures the all-important fact that vocation is the life each of us live in relation to the specific call of the true witness and the enabling but miraculous power of the Holy Spirit” (394).
In conclusion, “to those who sincerely believe that some apologetic approach to theology built on general human experience, history, psychology, sociology or philosophy is required before engaging in a strictly dogmatic theology, this book will certainly offer a challenge” (419). Paul Molnar provides a substantial and ecumenically sustainable defense to the freedom of God. He also presents himself to be a faithful reader of Karl Barth. Those still investigating the disagreements between George Hunsinger and Bruce McCormack will benefit from this perspective. Evangelicals who have not dwelt heavily on God’s freedom alongside His election to be “God for us” will find themselves wrapped in a deep theological debate. Faith, Freedom and the Spirit remains a valuable read for those seeking to understand God’s ontological freedom in relation to creation.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
A Solid Read, if at times esoteric
By J.W. Wartick
Paul Molnar’s Faith, Freedom and the Spirit is an extremely ambitious project. Its main thrust is the exploration of Trinitarian theology–particularly a distinction between the economic and immanent Trinity–in light of Torrance, Barth, and others.
The book is packed with insights into numerous topics, whether readers are interested in learning more about Barth and Torrance (and Rahner) or the relations within the Trinity, Molnar sweeps broadly but takes the time to dissect many topics in helpful ways.
A primary topic is how we relate to God, and through Barth (though alongside other theologians), Molnar argues that God is perfectly free in relation to us and frees us through grace. It is not our work that saves us but rather God entirely and miraculously revealing Himself to us through Christ by the power of the Spirit.
Throughout the entire book, the aforementioned theologians are highlighted, often providing readers with lengthy quotes and expositions of their positions in order to lend more detail and analysis to topics related to the Trinity.
There seems to be a bit bit too much discussion of various other scholars’ dissent from Molnar’s position or misunderstanding it. At times it reads as though there are journal articles put into the book rather than developing as a book itself. Responses to specific authors seem to often be esoteric rather than helpful, though I’m sure in the broader project Molnar is tracing, it makes sense.
Another downside is that it seems that at a few points the “low hanging fruit” is that which is engaged. For example, Molnar’s discussion of eternal subordination was interesting–in particular his insight from Barth and Torrance about how such a position confuses the immanent and economic Trinity–but then he went on to focus on specific views of select scholars which were blatantly subordinationist in the Arian sense rather than on some of the more nuanced approaches of others. Another example is his discussion of natural theology, which did not seem to take into account the various ways in which Barth’s attack on the notion are undermined by other considerations.
Overall, Faith, Freedom and the Spirit is worthy of careful consideration. Readers may not always find it helpful in its discussion of specific scholars, but the broader theme of the economic Trinity and the channeling and condensing of the thought of several important theologians makes it well worth the time and effort to read it.
The Good
+Insight into many aspects of the economic and immanent Trinity
+Deeply thought-provoking
+Solid critique of some views of the Trinity which (potentially or actually) stray from orthodoxy
The Bad
-A few too many rabbit trails make it feel like pieced-together journal articles at times
-Fails to distinguish adequately between types of apologetics
-At times feels repetitious
I received a review copy of the book from InterVarsity. I was not required to give any kind of review whatsoever. My thanks to the publisher for the book.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Staying Faithful to the Historic Doctrine of the Trinity
By Chris Woznicki
Several years ago Paul Molnar wrote a book on Divine Freedom and the doctrine of the Immanent Trinity – now he adds to his works on the trinity by offering us a book on Freedom and the economic Trinity (specifically in Barth, Torrance, and contemporary theology).
Summary
Molnar’s aim in this book is to explore divine and human relations within the economy of salvation with a major emphasis being placed upon the work of the Holy Spirit. He seeks to demonstrate how our experience of and knowledge of God changes when it is considered in light of the sphere of faith in God’s Word and Spirit as revealed within the economy.
He focuses in on the Holy Spirit as the thing which enables us to have faith in and know God. However his religious epistemology is not merely grounded in our experience of God in the economy. He argues that any articulation of who God is and what our relationship with God is like must begin by articulating who God is in himself (immanent Trinity) in order to even speak clearly about who God is for us what God does in the economy of salvation. Otherwise we allow history and experience dictate the content of our theology. When this happens the result is that God and revelation tend to become indistinguishable from own own experience within the economy. According to Molnar this is a problem that many recent interpreters of Barth (including Bruce McCormack and Ben Myers) run into.
There are several ways Molnar sees this in recent interpretations of Barth. One is the discussion about Trinity and election. Molnar argues that one cannot reverse the direction between election and Trinity without doing damage to our knowledge of Christ’s true deity and humanity. Those who take election to be first are out of line with what Barth thought. (Molnar thinks that Barth did not change his Christology – still believed God would be God without incarnation or even without creation.) To reverse Trinity and election undermines God’s freedom for us and our freedom which is only enabled by God himself. Also rejecting the Logos Asarkos (which some recent Barth interpreters do) undermines Jesus’ deity and makes God dependent upon history.
Human freedom is the freedom to live by the grace of God. If God’s grace is not free (as historicized theology makes it) then we are not truly free. Thus our freedom is based upon God’s own freedom.
Thoughts
Molnar makes a powerful argument for traditional historic positions on the doctrine of God. Whereas many Barth scholars have moved towards a more revisionist reading of our faith Molnar keeps us grounded in the historic doctrines of the church. Specifically he steers us away from historicized versions of the doctrine of the Trinity and Christology. He ensures that God is in no way dependent upon creation or reconciliation for his own identity. This allows us to speak of a Triune God who is truly free. This will be a must read book for anyone interested in the Election/Trinity debate and recent discussions which seek to get rid of the Logos Asarkos. This book deserves to be read by anyone interested in staying faithful to the historic understanding of who God really is.
(Note: I received this book from IVP in exchange for an impartial review.)
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