How do the three persons of the Trinity relate to each other? Evangelicals continue to wrestle with this complex issue and its implications for our understanding of men and women’s roles in both the home and the church.

Pushing back against feminist theologies that view the Trinity as model for evangelical egalitarianism, One God in Three Persons turns to the Bible, church history, philosophy, and systematic theology to argue for the eternal submission of the Son to the Father.

Review

“It is interesting to see how theology gets mixed up with ethics and politics. Recently, a number of writers have appealed to the Trinity to argue that just as Father, Son, and Spirit are equally worthy of worship, so man and woman should play interchangeable roles in marriage, the church, and society. Others argue that although the persons of the Trinity are equal, they are not interchangeable. It is not accidental, for example, that the Son, not the Father, came to the earth to die for our sins. And so it is inappropriate to appeal to the Trinity as a model for political and social egalitarianism. One God in Three Persons contains excellent scholarly essays defending this latter view. I find it thoroughly persuasive and I hope it plays a major role in both theological and social discussions.”
—John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

“This profoundly insightful book is a major contribution to our understanding of the nature of Tri-unity in God. Its focus on the question of whether the Son is both functionally subordinate to the Father and ontologically equal is of crucial importance for the life of the church and our understanding of the relationship between male and female. No attempt to answer that question can be regarded as adequate that does not give serious consideration to the content of this volume.”
—Sam Storms, Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

“What a fascinating banquet for all readers, whether agreeing or disagreeing with the common theme that God’s oneness of essence does not negate eternal taxis (or even eternal subordination) within God’s very being. Adding to the delight is that the authors provide a diversity of careful, weighty arguments within the basic harmony of the book.”
—J. Scott Horrell, Professor of Theological Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

“I am so grateful Ware and Starke are addressing these issues with such insight and wisdom. I pray that pastors see the important implications of this book and use it to teach their flock that God’s creation of male and female is an extraordinarily beautiful reflection of the unity and diversity of the Trinity.”
—Susan Hunt, former Director of Women's Ministries, PCA; author, Women's Ministry in the Local Church

About the Author

Bruce A. Ware (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has written numerous journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, and has authored God's Lesser Glory, God's Greater Glory, and Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

John Starke is the lead pastor of All Souls Church in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is also an editor at the Gospel Coalition, an organization committed to renewing faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming the ministry practices of local churches to conform fully to the Scriptures. He is married to Jena and has three children.

Wayne Grudem (PhD, University of Cambridge; DD, Westminster Seminary) is research professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary, having previously taught for 20 years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Grudem earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard University, as well as an MDiv from Westminster Seminary. He is the former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, a cofounder and past president of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, a member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version of the Bible, the general editor of the ESV Study Bible, and has published over 20 books, including Systematic Theology, Evangelical Feminism, Politics—According to the Bible, and Business for the Glory of God.

James M. Hamilton Jr. (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. He is the author of God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment and the Revelation volume in the Preaching the Word commentary series.

Michael A. G. Haykin (ThD, University of Toronto) is professor of church history and biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. He has authored or edited more than twenty-five books, including Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church.

Andrew David Naselli (PhD, Bob Jones University; PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is assistant professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

K. Scott Oliphint (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and has written numerous scholarly articles and books, including God With Us. He is also the co-editor of the two-volume Christian Apologetics Past and Present: A Primary Source Reader and Revelation and Reason: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics.

Michael Ovey is principal of Oak Hill Theological College. He has a PhD in Trinitarian theology from King’s College, London.