Theology for the Church: A Review of D. Glenn Butner’s Trintarian Dogmatics

The Holy Trinity by Pietro Novelli

If you look at the lineup of many theological conferences, the topics are often boringly predictable: disrupting, dismantling, deconstructing, and confronting rule the day. In particular, much of academic theology in recent years has spent its energy reacting variously to Trump and beating the dead horse of an amorphous phenomenon termed "evangelicalism" that I generally find unrecognizable. In that landscape, a book like D. Glenn Butner's Trinitarian Dogmatics: Exploring the Grammar of the Christian Doctrine of God (Baker Academic, 2022) is both surprising and refreshing.

It is surprising because there is nothing trendy about it. It is a straightforward introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity that is not attempting to break new ground or deconstruct classic Christian convictions–quite the opposite, really. Butner succeeds in explicating Christian teaching on the Triune God in a systematic, direct, and fascinating manner. He is not so much reinventing the wheel as reminding us that the wheel is valuable, and why and how it is constructed as it is. 

It is also refreshing, because his is a unique approach to Trinitarian dogma. Many introductions come from a historical perspective, unfolding chronologically from the biblical witness through the ecumenical councils and beyond. Others are primarily biblicist in approach. Still others might be called polemical, advocating for one side or another of a Trinitarian controversy such as the filioque as much as they introduce the subject matter. But what Butner has achieved here is a carefully balanced introduction to the Trinity that is organized conceptually rather than chronologically. The reader is taken on a journey from the immanent Trinity (the inner life of God) in the first five chapters to the economic Trinity (God revealed in history) in the final three chapters. Where much contemporary theology begins with application, "What does the Trinity teach us about community?" and so forth, Butner only approaches questions like this after seven chapters of very nuanced work. He avoids what I once heard Jason Byassee call "raiding" doctrine for political or sociological insight. This is theology for grown-ups. Or, put more charitably, theology that serves both the academy and the church well.

One of the best compliments I can pay this work is that, after reading it, I don't know Butner's own ecclesial context or theological persuasion. He weaves together both ancient and modern theologians deftly, while also wading skillfully into exegetical matters when needed. Moreover, he reads with an eye to both Eastern and Western perspectives, while also calling into question what has often been a false, or at least exaggerated, dichotomy. Beyond that, he shows a strong awareness of theology from contexts outside of Europe and North America, and a familiarity with non-canonical literature.

Butner astutely anticipates possible critiques throughout. He attempts to be as fair as possible on delicate and divisive questions such as the procession of the Spirit, while offering a compromise when possible or admitting when the conversation is moving towards the unknowable and apophatic. Butner even at times tackles Oneness Pentecostal critiques, pointing out places where their traditional arguments fall flat. Most helpfully, the author names the danger early on of overemphasizing either the divine unity or the divine threeness. With that in mind, he almost never discusses the one without then referencing the other. Butner constantly reaffirms that unity must norm the threeness, and threeness must norm the unity.

It is difficult to find critiques of this work, to be honest. The writing is clear and succinct, the breadth of authors referenced laudable, and the organization of the work brilliant. My one quibble might be with the description of this work as an introduction. This is a fair categorization in terms of the range of the material. Any chapter could easily be a dissertation on its own, given the weight of the topics that are tackled. But do not be fooled into thinking that this is an introductory level book. Some sections are particularly challenging, and to be fair, Butner does note places where this is the case. All that said, I would not recommend someone read this unless he or she has tackled some introductory systematic theology first. The author notes the intended audience in the introduction is "the seminary and other graduate level classrooms." Educated laity, theology students, clergy, and professional theologians will find much that is helpful here.

I often teach and preach on the Trinity, and I discovered this work to be true to its title. That is, Butner's work has given me a more complete Trinitarian grammar; I now have more precise language for dogmatic notions I knew but could not formally name or describe, such as the doctrine of appropriations. I suspect this will be a book that rewards multiple readings, and one I will reference regularly. This is so not simply because the contents of the chapters are strong, but also because supplementary materials are helpful as well, such as the suggested reading at the end of each chapter and the glossary in the back. The glossary is especially useful given the deployment of technical terminology (marked in bold) throughout.

Butner, to the best of my knowledge, is not a Wesleyan, but this work deserves a wide reading among people in all Wesleyan movements. (Some United Methodist theologians do appear in the acknowledgements, such as Firebrand contributor Warren Smith and Stephen Long.) John Wesley himself, in his sermon "On the Trinity," argued, "The knowledge of the Three-One God is interwoven with all true Christian faith; with all vital religion." I am among those who believe there will be no spiritual and institutional renewal in the Methodist movement–whatever its denominational expression–outside of a renewal in doctrine and catechesis. That is, revival will not happen apart from celebrating and teaching basic Christian beliefs. If that is true, Trinitarian Dogmatics is a gift to Wesleyans everywhere who long, as did our forebears in the faith, for the people called Methodists to experience the vital religion that comes from knowing the Three-One God.