Ebook134 pages2 hours
The Mystery of Communion
By Giulio Maspero, John Cavadini and Colin Howell
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this ebook
Dr. Giulio Maspero is a priest, theologian and physicist who in this work embarks on a study of the Trinity––the Christian triune God––and in a single narrative pieces together the classical metaphysics, revealed truths and Patristic apologetic theology that directed the development of Trinitarian dogma. Maspero views the importance of this project from several perspectives. It connects us both exegetically and in fellowship to Christianity’s Jewish roots and the living God of shared Scripture. It introduces the reader to a deeper understanding of the historical development of the Trinity, which is especially engaging given the formidable minds and arguments involved in this history, particularly on the part of the Cappadocian Fathers: Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nanzianzus and Basil the Great. Maspero also notes that knowing the Trinity better will offer greater insight into papal descriptions of the human family as necessarily rooted in a Trinitarian foundation, a “communion of persons in the image of the union of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
An approach to Trinitarian theology often favors overly technical language, or undue triteness. Maspero succeeds in leading both scholar and student to see how the unfolding of the mystery of the Trinity and its dogmatic development is a discovery of the “mystery from which all true love flows” in history. This discovery is only possible because of God’s self-revelation and immanence––that is, his heart and his “within.” The revelation of his being wholly and eternally Father and Son and the Love between them has made a more complete unity know to humanity through the perfect unity of divine communion. The foundation of all being and reality is this communion of love, personal unity that is given in relation and not in spite of relation. After a career of studying theology and theoretical physics, Maspero is especially keen on emphasizing the radical nature of this concept. It is an extension of Greek philosophy but ripped open and assigned immeasurable new value in communion and relation.
The brevity of this work limits the amount of citations and textual references given, and Maspero instead urges the reader to study the book alongside Scripture. His manner of writing respects the impossibility of speaking of God in his immanence, but he nonetheless carves out a place for the Trinity in the human intellect, a place where the Jewish and Christian God might be encountered. As Maspero observes, truth is found in the personal dimension, but “just as in the use of a map for a journey, the cognitive grasp of the Trinity is to prevent us from getting lost, to keep us from reducing and simplifying the Trinity into something we understand merely on a natural level.” A highlight of this work is Maspero’s reliance on Mary, Theotokos, in his presentation of Trinitarian theology, the person who first opened herself to this manner of thinking.
An approach to Trinitarian theology often favors overly technical language, or undue triteness. Maspero succeeds in leading both scholar and student to see how the unfolding of the mystery of the Trinity and its dogmatic development is a discovery of the “mystery from which all true love flows” in history. This discovery is only possible because of God’s self-revelation and immanence––that is, his heart and his “within.” The revelation of his being wholly and eternally Father and Son and the Love between them has made a more complete unity know to humanity through the perfect unity of divine communion. The foundation of all being and reality is this communion of love, personal unity that is given in relation and not in spite of relation. After a career of studying theology and theoretical physics, Maspero is especially keen on emphasizing the radical nature of this concept. It is an extension of Greek philosophy but ripped open and assigned immeasurable new value in communion and relation.
The brevity of this work limits the amount of citations and textual references given, and Maspero instead urges the reader to study the book alongside Scripture. His manner of writing respects the impossibility of speaking of God in his immanence, but he nonetheless carves out a place for the Trinity in the human intellect, a place where the Jewish and Christian God might be encountered. As Maspero observes, truth is found in the personal dimension, but “just as in the use of a map for a journey, the cognitive grasp of the Trinity is to prevent us from getting lost, to keep us from reducing and simplifying the Trinity into something we understand merely on a natural level.” A highlight of this work is Maspero’s reliance on Mary, Theotokos, in his presentation of Trinitarian theology, the person who first opened herself to this manner of thinking.
Author
Giulio Maspero
Giulio Maspero is professor of theology of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. His research focuses on Gregory of Nyssa, Trinitarian theology, and the relationship between philosophy and theology. He is the author of Trinity and Man, the coauthor of Rethinking Trinitarian Theology (with R. Wozniak), and the coeditor of The Brill Dictionary of Gregory of Nyssa (with L. F. Mateo-Seco).
Read more from Giulio Maspero
Rethinking the Filioque with the Greek Fathers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfter Pandemic, After Modernity: The Relational Revolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Mystery of Communion
Related ebooks
Convergences: To the Source of Christian Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEpilogue Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God's Grace and Human Action: 'Merit' in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5My Work: In Retrospect Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Trinity Mystery: Discovering the Doctrine of the Trinity and Its Implications Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsClearing a Path for the Gospel: A Lutheran Approach to Apologetics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEating Christ’s Flesh: A Case for Memorialism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChurch of the Ever Greater God: The Ecclesiology of Erich Przywara Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Spirit of Hope: Theology for a World in Peril Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDonum Dignitatis: The Catholic's Guide to Miscarriage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDivine Kenosis: Day-by-Day with Hans Urs von Balthasar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Holy Trinity: Hans Urs Von Balthasar and His Sources Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsActing on Principles: A Thomistic Perspective in Making Moral Decisions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsANGELS, An All-Catholic Summary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAbraham in the Works of John Chrysostom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Word Made Flesh: A Theology of the Incarnation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSubordinated Ethics: Natural Law and Moral Miscellany in Aquinas and Dostoyevsky Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRatzinger's Augustinianism and Evangelicalism: An Exploration in Ecumenical Rapproachement Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOne of a Kind: The Relationship between Old and New Covenants as the Hermeneutical Key for Christian Theology of Religions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Scriptural Evidence Is There for a Mid-Acts or Post-Acts Dispensation?: Books by Kenneth P. Lenz Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Theo-Logic: Theological Logical Theory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New Elucidations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Parochial and Plain Sermons Volume Six Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5About You: Fully Human, Fully Alive Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEmbracing Our Finitude: Exercises in a Christian Anthropology between Dependence and Gratitude Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Place of the Spirit: Toward a Trinitarian Theology of Location Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1–3 John: Worship by Loving God and One Another to Live Eternally Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAquinas on Being and Essence: A Translation and Interpretation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5God Ahead of Us: The Story of Divine Grace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better (updated with two new chapters) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Mystery of Communion
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Mystery of Communion - Giulio Maspero
Enjoying the preview?
Page 1 of 1