Faith, freedom, and the Spirit : the economic Trinity in Barth, Torrance and contemporary theology

Distinguished scholar Paul Molnar adds to his previous work, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity , to help us think more accurately about the economic Trinity, about divine and human interaction in the sphere of faith and knowledge within history. Exploring why it is imperative to begin and end theology from within faith, Molnar relies on the thinking of Karl Barth and of Thomas F. Torrance in dialogue with other contemporary theologians (Catholic and Protestant) about divine and human freedom. Powerfully argued and meticulously documented, Molnar's magisterial study begins with an extensive discussion of the role of faith in knowing God and in relating to God in and through his incarnate Word and thus through the Holy Spirit. From there he proceeds to consider the divine freedom once again as the basis for true human freedom, discussing how and why a properly functioning pneumatology will lead to an appropriately theological understanding of God?s actions within the economy. He considers perils of embracing a historicized Christology, proposing an alternative way of understanding the connection between time and eternity that is christologically focused and pneumatologically informed. And finally, he discusses at length how the doctrine of justification by faith relates to living the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit and the economy of grace. Distinguished scholar Paul Molnar adds to his previous work, Divine Freedom and the Doctrine of the Immanent Trinity, to help us think more accurately about the economic Trinity, about divine and human interaction in the sphere of faith and knowledge within history. Exploring why it is imperative to begin and end theology from within faith, Molnar relies on the thinking of Karl Barth and of Thomas F. Torrance in dialogue with other contemporary theologians (Catholic and Protestant) about divine and human freedom. Powerfully argued and meticulously documented, Molnar's magisterial study begins with an extensive discussion of the role of faith in knowing God and in relating to God in and through his incarnate Word and thus through the Holy Spirit. From there he proceeds to consider the divine freedom once again as the basis for true human freedom, discussing how and why a properly functioning pneumatology will lead to an appropriately theological understanding of God s actions within the economy. He considers perils of embracing a historicized Christology, proposing an alternative way of understanding the connection between time and eternity that is christologically focused and pneumatologically informed. And finally, he discusses at length how the doctrine of justification by faith relates to living the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit and the economy of grace Contents 4 Preface 6 Acknowledgments 12 Abbreviations 16 1 Thinking About God Within Faith: The Role of the Holy Spirit 20 2 The Role of the Holy Spirit in Knowing the Triune God 81 3 Considering God’s Freedom Once Again 128 4 Origenism, Election, and Time and Eternity 186 5 The Perils of Embracing a “Historicized Christology” 224 6 Can Jesus’ Divinity Be Recognized as “Definitive, Authentic and Essential” If It Is Grounded in Election? Just How Far Did the Later Barth Historicize Christology? 259 7 The Obedience of the Son in the Theology of Karl Barth and of Thomas F. Torrance 312 8 A Theology of Grace: Living In and From the Holy Spirit 354 Conclusion 418 Select Bibliography 430 Name Index 441 Subject Index 443 Praise for Faith, Freedom and the Spirit 448 About the Author 450