The Trinity in the Book of Revelation, Seeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in John's Apocalypse
How should we read the book of Revelation? Interpreting Scripture faithfully is a challenge with regard to any text and for any reader of the Bible. But perhaps no text confronts and confuses readers as much as the book of Revelation. With its vivid imagery and rich prophetic language, John's Apocalypse provokes and stirs our imaginations. Some have viewed it primarily as a first-century anti-imperial document. Others have read it as a book of prophecies or eschatological promises. Still others wonder why it is in the biblical canon at all. Theologian and biblical scholar Brandon Smith brings clarity to this question by reading the book of Revelation primarily as John's vision of the triune God. In conversation with early church theologians, including Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius, and the Cappadocians, as well as modern biblical scholarship, Smith shows how John's vision can help us worship the one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture, edited by Daniel J. Treier and Kevin J. Vanhoozer, promotes evangelical contributions to systematic theology, seeking fresh understanding of Christian doctrine through creatively faithful engagement with Scripture in dialogue with church tradition.
Publisher: IVP
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781514004180
______________
Brandon D. Smith (PhD, Ridley College, Melbourne) is assistant professor of theology and New Testament at Cedarville University. He is also a cofounder of the Center for Baptist Renewal and host of the Church Grammar podcast.
______________
"Amid the twenty-first century 'trinitarian retrieval' currently underway, Brandon Smith's book stands out as the kind of project desperately needed—firmly grounded in exegetical rigor, clearly shaped by the narratival structure of the biblical canon, keenly aware of the unique literary features of John's Apocalypse, and uniquely capable of drawing out the theological implications of those textual realities. This is a model for constructive theological reflection on Holy Scripture." Matthew Emerson, dean of theology, arts, and humanities at Oklahoma Baptist University