Dr. William Spencer’s New Book Analyzes Global Analogies for the Trinity
Dr. William Spencer, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Theology and the Arts, recently published his eighteenth book titled Three in One: Analogies for the Trinity. Analyzing imagery and analogies from a multitude of global cultures, Dr. Spencer presents the strengths and weaknesses in our understanding of Trinitarian theology. His goal is two-fold: to renew the readers’ appreciation for our great, mysterious God, as well as to equip the reader with resources for effectively teaching people of all ages about the Trinity.
He begins by writing, “This book is about a variety of attempts Christians use to explain the triune God using illustrations and images of the Trinity and the theologies—good, bad, and confusing—that these illustrations convey. The approach is to analyze a number of these images, highlight what is good about them, warn about what might be misleading in them, and then suggest how they may be used best to teach about God’s nature.”
Dr. Alice Mathews, Lois W. Bennett Professor Emerita of Educational Ministries and Women’s Ministries, commends Dr. Spencer for helping the reader to navigate this complex theology, history, and morphology. She writes, “Concerned that we use illustrating images correctly in talking about the nature of the triune God, Spencer urges caution in our use of one-dimensional images for our multidimensional God. But he also reminds us of the profoundly effective ways in which Jesus’ parables helped his listeners grasp truths about God.”