The relationship between the Father and the Son in the Trinity has been hotly debated since the earliest centuries of the church. The Church Fathers like Tertullian, Athanasius and Hilary of Poiters wrestled with it; church councils at Nicaea, Syrmium and Chalcedon legislated about it in attempts to define orthodoxy and heresy. What did they and the Bible say, and why does it matter today? The contemporary implications are wider than you might realise, touching on matters as diverse as the ordination of women, male-female relations, the certainty of salvation and the nature of power, individualism and virtue. This thorough book persistently takes you back to first principles, logically pursuing the outcome of each thesis. If the Son is subordinate to the Father, in what sense can he be equal? If the Godhead is unchanging, how can it accommodate the Incarnation? How are the concepts of monarchy and love incorporated into the Trinity? In discussing these questions and more, Mike Ovey engages with both contemporary debators and with the great minds of the past. Be prepared to be challenged and enlightened!
Rev'd Michael Ovey, PhD, MTh, MA, BCL, BA was the Principal of Oak Hill Theological College, London, where he taught Doctrine, Apologetics & Liturgy. Before Oak Hill, he was a civil service lawyer; he trained at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, serving his title at All Saints, Crowborough, before teaching for three years at Moore Theological College, Sydney. He joined Oak Hill in 1998 and completed a PhD in the field of Trinitarian theology.