Welcome to the home page for Testing the Trinity, where you can read the entire book on-line and without cost. The links below are not excerpts, but contain the full content that you’ll find in the book.
So what’s the catch? No catch, just a couple of requests if you are so inclined:
- If you choose to read through the book—in whole or in part—I would just ask you to follow this site by subscribing to the blog. Subscribing isn’t required to access any of the links below, but it would be appreciated!
- If what you read strikes a chord with you and you feel led to support this site, please consider buying your own copy. The e-book versions start around $5 through Amazon.com (Kindle), Barnes&Noble.com (Nook), and Google Play. And if you want to contribute more, the paperback version is available from most on-line booksellers for about $16-$20.
Preface
Part 1: What is the Trinity?
Part 1 sets the stage for the rest of the book, both arguing for why we need to take another look at the Trinity, as well as providing the orthodox definition of this perplexing doctrine. In the process, the Trinity’s most glaring issues are introduced, which will be explored in Part 2.
The word God is nowhere in the Scriptures used to signify more than one of the three persons at once.
Isaac Newton
Part 2: The Making of a Doctrine
Part 2 digs into the history of the doctrine & explains where it came from, since (spoiler alert) it didn’t come from the Bible. It concludes by seeing how well the Trinity really stands up against Scripture.
It is indeed true that the name ‘Trinity’ is nowhere to be found in the Holy Scriptures, but has been conceived and invented by man.
Martin Luther
Part 3: A Better Alternative
Part 3 attempts to “make the case” for an alternative to the Trinity, what I’m calling the Filium, by setting aside the Trinity’s extra-Biblical notions and subsequently allowing Scripture to speak for itself.
The simplest act of obedience is better than the profoundest knowledge.
Charles Spurgeon
Part 4: Connecting the Dots
Part 4 considers some difficult passages of Scripture from the perspective of the Trinity vis-à-vis the Filium, and explores which framework actually helps us to make sense of them. It also addresses the supposed foreshadowing of the Trinity throughout the Old Testament, as well as how to better understand “the Word” in the prologue to John’s Gospel.
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.
Galileo Galilei
Peace if possible, truth at all costs.
Martin Luther
Socratic Christianity 