The doctrine of the Trinity is the keystone of Christian faith and teaching, yet most of the secondary accounts on the development of this crucial doctrine do not extend beyond Nicaea and pay scant attention to vital cultural traffic. In this volume, the author examines the exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity in a set of texts from key Arabic Christian thinkers from the eighth and ninth centuries and demonstrates that fresh thinking of this cornerstone doctrine occurred in the new context of a regnant Islamic culture; in this context, Christian theologians discovered the salience of the Nicene doctrine while engaging a new religious partner. The author provides an overlooked angle on the history of Trinitarian theology and brings attention to several profound Christian figures rarely found in Western accounts.
The doctrine of the Trinity is the keystone of Christian faith and teaching, yet most of the secondary accounts on the development of this crucial doctrine do not extend beyond Nicaea and pay scant attention to vital cultural traffic. In this volume, the author examines the exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity in a set of texts from key Arabic Christian thinkers from the eighth and ninth centuries and demonstrates that fresh thinking of this cornerstone doctrine occurred in the new context of a regnant Islamic culture; in this context, Christian theologians discovered the salience of the Nicene doctrine while engaging a new religious partner. The author provides an overlooked angle on the history of Trinitarian theology and brings attention to several profound Christian figures rarely found in Western accounts.
Thomas W. Ricks earned a Ph.D. in theology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and is a graduate of Duke University. He received a certificate in Arabic language and Arabic cultural studies from the Defense Language Institute.
"Thomas Ricks combines the latest scholarship with writing that is vivid and accessible to produce an essential guide to Christian-Muslim encounters." Joseph P. Amar University of Notre Dame "In this carefully researched study, Thomas W. Ricks examines oft-neglected eighth and ninth century Arabic Christian defenses of their Christological and Trinitarian beliefs against Islamic accusations of polytheism. This work is an important contribution to both the history of Christian theology and the contemporary Christian-Muslim dialogue." John P. Galvin The Catholic University of America
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
