By Chris Gibson
Originally published in Southeastern Theological Review (2022)
This Simply Trinity book review examines Matthew Barrett’s Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit (Baker, 2021). Current trends in systematic theology present contours in the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit that are not in step with the orthodox Trinity of the Great Tradition. In Simply Trinity, Barrett is on a mission to retrieve “the Son who is both distinct and equal to the Father because he is begotten from the Father’s essence” (p. 44).
Why This Simply Trinity Book Review Matters
Current trends in systematic theology present contours in the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit that are not in step with the orthodox Trinity of the Great Tradition (see Bruce Ware’s Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, & Relevance, 2005, Chapter 2, and Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, 2d. ed., 2020, p. 292). In Simply Trinity, Matthew Barrett, Associate Professor of Christian Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, is on a mission back in time to retrieve “the Son who is both distinct and equal to the Father because he is begotten from the Father’s essence” (p. 44).
The Problem of “Trinity Drift” in Modern Theology
The first three chapters of the book (Part 1) introduce the problem we face in the current milieu of Trinity exposition. Modern scholarship has “manipulated the Trinity of the Bible, our Trinity, beyond recognition.” In fact, “We are the victims” of a real “Trinity drift” (pp. 70‒71). Barrett asserts there are three culprits to blame. First, the trend in liberalism places priority on ethics and values, which depreciates the doctrine of the Trinity and appreciates a Trinity that contributes to the moral advancement of society. Next, modernism has endeavored to fit the Trinity into current social programs. Finally, God’s activity in history explains who he is, so there is no need for dogma that only complicates our understanding of the Trinity. The product is a Trinity made in the image of man.
Retrieving the Orthodox Trinity Through Simplicity and the Great Tradition
The balance of the book (Part 2) is dedicated to Barrett’s two-part defense of the way back to confessing the unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit. The first and most fundamental position of his defense is the divine attribute, simplicity. Theologically, a simple God has one divine essence that is not divisible or composed of parts. The simple nature of God allows him to be three persons and at the same time protected from the heresies of Sabellianism (modalism), subordinationism, and tritheism (pp. 57‒60). In contrast, the social Trinity is in real danger of falling into any of these.
Barrett’s second source of defense is, “we need help” (p. 35). The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is built on the concurrent affirmation that there is only one God and that this God exists eternally in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit. These three are equal in divinity and possess the same essence. According to Barrett, the Bible is our final infallible authority where the Trinity is revealed. Still, we need help from the Great Tradition and the Nicene Creed to assemble the orthodox doctrine correctly. Barrett defines the Great Tradition as “those great church fathers who battled with heretics and even put their lives on the line to ensure the church remained faithful to the Scriptures” (p. 35). The Great Tradition is deeply grounded in the Scriptures and maintains the Nicene Creed as a ministerial authority.
Confessing simplicity and relying on help from the Great Tradition led the church to three phrases that define the orthodox Trinity of the Bible. Barrett describes them as “strange but essential.” They are: modes of subsistence (existence), eternal relations of origin, and personal properties (p. 59). Together, these three allow the church to maintain the existence of one God while simultaneously defining the distinction of the three persons without fear of heresy.
Strengths of Simply Trinity
Three strengths can be noted in Barrett’s effort, along with one area for improvement.
First, this work provides the evangelical church with a concrete connection between the orthodox Trinity and the gospel. In Chapter 8 the soteriological weight of the Son, in Jesus, is cast on eternal generation as explained by the three “strange but essential” statements above. Through the subsistence of the divine essence in the Son, the Incarnation retains the ability to give life to the lost.
Second, Barrett firmly separates the orthodox Trinity from a social Trinity and from Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS). In Chapter 8, he takes aim at the supporters of EFS, charging them with creating “a society of hierarchy” inside the immanent Trinity (pp. 217‒18). Division and hierarchy in the relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit opens the door to doubt the saving ability of the Incarnation.
Third, the presentation of the Trinity is a technical process driven by technical terminology. Barrett’s work is a resource the average church attendant and seminary student can utilize and understand. The parts and chapters of Simply Trinity are well organized and build on one another. Text boxes are offered throughout the book for clear and succinct definitions of complex terms and concepts, and the back matter includes a glossary for the benefit of any level of study.
One Area for Improvement
One improvement to this project can be noted. In the discussion on Inseparable Operations (Chapter 10), Barrett presents the value of “communion with the Trinity in the Christian life” (p. 313). While it may be outside the book’s scope, adding a concrete application of the orthodox position to pastoral ministry and discipleship would benefit the church. In any event, Simply Trinity is a helpful resource for the evangelical church and for the retrieval of the orthodox Trinity. Overall, this book is recommended for a broad level of study.
Matthew Barrett. Simply Trinity: The Unmanipulated Father, Son, and Spirit. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2021. 364 pp. Paperback. ISBN 978-1540900074. $24.99.
Originally published in the Southeastern Theological Review (2022). Reprinted here with permission for the Recovering the Image book review archives. For a complementary study that extends many of Barrett’s contributions see Fountian of Salvation by Fred Sanders