Customer Reviews

Forgotten Trinity, The

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a very thorough book, with sound theological arguments and excellent scriptural support. To its credit, it is not exhaustive in covering all matters pertaining to the doctrine of the Trinity, but is a great primer and introduction to this doctrine and biblical teaching.

As was stated by another reviewer who did not give a favorable review, the point of this book is NOT to defend the Trinity against all of the confusing and misleading tendencies of scholars that are already decidedly agaist its revelation in scripture, nor try and answer every conceivable question or problem ever discussed. Rather, this author aims to provide a concise and specific demonstration of its strong presence in scripture, and to clarify some difficult passages regarding this doctrine. Attempts to limit and communicate this doctrine as simply being a couple of old guys in a room who needed a story to cover for Jesus being the incarnate God or that it was historically constructed much later and is bereft of biblical support and in opposition to significant portions of the canon of scripture is analysis gone awry.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to the theological student, or reader that has an interest in digging deeper, but recommend its technical nature for those who really want to examine things in a specific and grammatical manner.

What I learned: Passages supporting the doctrine of the Trinity, its presence in scripture, and techical "walk-throughs" of some greek NT passages showing the Trinitarian theology.

The Forgotten Trinity is an excellent treatment of a bedrock doctrinal truth. It is simple and direct and easy to understand. White furnishes his readers with three basic biblical truths which formulate and safeguard the doctrine of the trinity - 1. There is one God, 2. There are three Persons in the Godhead, and 3. The three persons are equal. These points are established and defended from exegesis of Scripture. Several key texts are looked at indepth including the prologue of John and Phil. 2:5-11. Much attention is given to establishing the Deity of Jesus Christ. This is an excellent book for refuting the heretical doctrines of the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. White sticks to the basics about the doctrine of the Trinity and avoids the more metaphysical speculative aspects of the subject. Excellent for those wanting a basic overview of this important truth!

This is not just a nice little book about the Trinity; rather, it is a very solid exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity that will help any and all to better understand the One true God. It is a sad reality that many people within the Christian church don't have a clue that this is a vital topic. This is not a peripheral issue that is open to debate. The doctrine of the Trinity establishes the orthodox Godhead, and Dr. White does an exemplary job in explaining this doctrine in an easy-to-understand way for all.

James R. White shows that the Trinity is not just an abstract notion, and that the concept of divine Trinity is as clear as day in Scripture.

White clearly demonstrates that the historic Christian doctrine of the Trinity is fully and inescapably biblical; and I found his refuation of Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons very useful.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit - the blessed Trinity - is the foundation of all being, and I believe God has never been "forgotten", as the title of this book strangely implies. If He has, then it must be due to the outward focus of society and science, which has been the main influence of the 20th century. I believe that society and scientists will soon start realising that the answers are to be found within.

The Ultimate foundation of all being will never be forgotten. Praise be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

There are a number of good books on the Trinity, but I would rate this right up there in the top 2-3. White knows his stuff, and this book shows his workmanship. While it does tend to get deep in several areas, for the most part it is easy to understand, and I believe the average layperson out there who wants to better comprehend this important teaching would be able to work his/her way through this. Much of the Greek is saved for the endnotes, which is probably a good thing because this is the stuff that drives the average Christian crazy. I would say, don't get discouraged. Stay with it, and I think you too will be able to have enough understanding to defend this teaching with the cultist at the door.

The Trinity will always remain, in my mind, the most unfathomable mystery of the nature of our God. It is all together puzzling and beautiful, a testament that we have such a limited comprehension endowed to us. Perhaps that is why many have found the concept so unbelievable that they have dismissed it.

In response to the denial by groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses and the LDS, as well as many questions some Christians have about the Trinity, James White wrote The Forgotten Trinity to defend the doctrine biblically as well as to clarify it and emphasize its importance to the believer. To put it more nobly, he invites "you, my fellow believer, to a deeper, higher, more intense love of God's truth." The book is not about gaining theological ammunition, but increasing the desire to know God more.

White starts with a brief intro into the nature of God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Then he dives right into some Christology as he demonstrates that the New Testament, beyond the shadow of a doubt, confirms the deity of Jesus, from the gospels to Revelations. White also discusses how Jesus associated himself with YHWH in the Old Testament, and how Paul described His role in the act of creation. Then the book examines the nature and personality of the Holy Spirit as a being and not a "force" as Jehovah's Witnesses claim. After detailing the witness of the church fathers to the Trinity, White closes the book by commenting on the relevance of the Trinity to worship, to the gospel, and to the believer.

This book was refreshing for me in clearing up some of my own confusion concerning the Trinity, as well as strengthening my belief in the doctrine. James White provided a detailed glance at the supporting Scripture that confirms the truth of one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you have questions or doubts concerning the Trinity, or have tended to ignore it, then I suggest you read this book. And if you read it then may it help you find a deeper understanding for, and love of, our wonderful God.

Of all of the books i have read on this topic i will have to be honest and say that this is one is my favorite. Scholarly, accurate, edifying, and best of all it truly helps us understand what would rather be relegated by cultists as "satanic"- I also found the apologetic information very helpful to the needy christian as many of my breathren have agreed. My favorite book of 1998...wonderful lord yahweh, 3 persons in one, worship god as he is, not as man wants to understand him with his finite mind.

Unlike the self-proclaimed anti-trinitarian reviewer "rstamp," I read the book. Apparently, he read chapter 6's title and modified a "canned" WT response. He pretended White admitted a weak link between the One God, Jehovah (YHWH), and the same One God, Jesus, the "I AM," of the Gospel of John. In reality, the chapter is an exciting addition to Christological research. It unfolds like a detective story and nails shut the anti-trinitarians' canned red herrings.

It is all the more exciting for apologists because White traces the "Jehovah"--ani hu--ego eimi link through Isaiah 43:25 and 51:12 and then ends up at Isaiah 43:10. Let me explain why that is filled with ironic drama! 43:10 is the verse that JW's claim their name comes from. And everyone familiar with the context knows the threat of Isaiah 43:11 (the following verse) if the JW is wrong about Jesus not being Savior. Also, see the treatment of 1 Jn 2:23 at White p. 154, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father..."

Now let's get down to the heart of the book review:

If you missed the drama of scholarly sleuthing in your first reading, it's because the point of this book is not to bash anti-trinitarians. I daresay Dr. White's book cares less about "proving God" and more about worshiping the One Triadic God. The title, "Forgotten..." is meaningless to anti-trinitarians like rstamp: one cannot forget what one never knew. Pity. But all the more pitiful to Trinitarian disciples, students and pastors who would merely worship One of Three instead of Three in One.

The Forgotten Trinity also re-tells the stories of those earliest Christians proclaiming monotheism in three equal, divine persons. Many bore torture scars because they would not recant or forget the Ultimate Being of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The poignancy of the stories of Melito of Sardis (180 AD), Ignatius (d. 108) and Athanasius remind modern Christians that truth has a cost, and we are the beneficiaries of their insistence on a precise formulation for understanding Who God is. Let no man ever say that "trinity" was unknown before the fourth century!

As to style, The Forgotten Trinity matches accessibility with masterful coverage. The first two hundred pages read almost like a novel, but don't pass up the endnotes; they are full of exciting gems and delightful teaching points. White's handling of the important Bible passages is the most understandable you will ever find-especially considering that cults and modalists have been abusing them for years; White simply gets back to what they really said.

To love God includes loving the hard parts-to resist dumbing-down what scripture has to say about God's self-revelation. To recover the heart of Christian belief encompasses fidelity to the reality of Jesus' deity as well as the Holy Spirit's. Trinity, then, fulfills monotheism's highest relational revelation, and it embraces the earliest Christians' witness of the unique Divine Triad. That is what White really presents. My favorite book of 1999 so far.

When I got this book, I didn't know what to expect. I was quite pleased, though. James White did an excellent job. The book is scholarly and yet it is concise, it doesn't waste any space

I really liked the explanations Mr. White used and I found the book very convincing and helpful. He projected a passion for the triune God that really made the book an enjoyable read.

James White has written a thoughtful, Biblically based book on the doctrine of the Trinity that effectively walks the difficult line between being too scholarly that most folks won't understand what is being said, versus being so popularized that there isn't much meat in the analysis. As White correctly points out in this book, the doctrine of the Trinity is fundamental to the Christian faith, but it is a doctrine that is both misunderstood and misrepresented by many both inside and outside the church. This book provides an excellent basis to understand and defend what the Bible teaches about the nature of the triune God.

I thought White did a good job on a number of fronts. First, he adequately defines the doctrine of the Trinity at the start so that the reader has a good basis for what the rest of the book will attempt to demonstrate. White does an excellent job of analyzing the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as described in Scripture in order to support the Biblical truth of Trinitarianism. His analysis of the first chapter of John is one of the real highlights of the book. Lastly, I thought White did a good job of showing where the Jehovah's Witnesses are often in error on this issue, and does a good job, especially in the notes, of contrasting Trinitarianism with the often inconsistent unitarianism of other worldviews. One of the underlying strengths of the book which greatly bolsters all of the above areas is White's treatment of various Greek terms that really shed light on what the Scriptures are truly trying to communicate.

A comment needs to be made about the layout of this book. I found the notes to be extremely illuminating to the main text of the book. I would therefore greatly encourage the reader to read the notes concurrently with the main text in order to gain a deeper appreciation for White's work.

The only criticism I have of the book is not really a criticism as much as it is regret. White declares early on that this book is not meant to be an extensive apologetic of the Trinity, in the respect that White is not attempting to refute every argument that has been lobbed against Trinitarianism. He indicates that there are other works that deal with this. I respect the approach that White takes in this book. But unfortunately, a book like this cries out for a list of suggested readings which would complement White's book. The omission of such a list is not sufficient to demote the 5 star rating I've given the book, but it is an omission that I, for one, regret.

But overall, this is an excellent resource on Trinitarianism that I would recommend to all Christians, but especially new Christians. The Trinity is a complicated doctrine, but it is an essential doctrine of the faith. This book provides the reader with an entertaining read that is nonetheless meticulous in demonstrating the truth of Trinitarianism, and showing that this doctrine is inescapably Biblical. A fine resource.