Upon reading the first 8 books of Augustin’s ‘On The Trinity’ it’s hard to know what I have learned. In many ways I may ask ‘have I been left with more questions then answers? At times reading this work was frustrating and I found myself saying out loud “What on earth are you talking about you mad man?”. I suffered many times from major reading fatigue because it’s one thing to read these words, but another thing to comprehend Augustin’s intent and the context in which he writes. On the upside,

Excellent. The first eight books are far surpassing the latter seven in terms of theological discourse and unique insights into trinitarian theology. The second half of the book is mostly a very Augustinian deviation from the subject in order to explore the trinitarian image of God ingrained in the human mind. The final books however make the latter half absolutely worthwhile.Augustine models a thorough, rigorous theological reasoning that is likewise orthodox and pious. He has much to teach us

How do I review a book like this? It has taken me some time to work through this book, but I have found it essential to understanding later writers, particularly St. Thomas Aquinas. In its own right, it is a wonderful read and an intellectual journey for those seeking to live in the mystery of the triune God. Also essnetial for those seeking to understand the development of Trinitarian thought.

On any relational issue between humans, I try to be the first one in the room to prove my Calvinist bona fides, usually among the Armenians, by pointing to the Trinity as the pattern for all our relationships. Augustine trumps me to the point of near exasperation. What some of his explorations of human perception and identity have to do with his Trinitarian subject I'm still not sure. He's Augustine. He's brilliant. We will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Finished! (Minus the intro, not by Augustine). I read this off and on over the course of about two and a half years. I enjoyed the earlier part much more than the latter which extended either beyond my comprehension or attention span or both. I'm an Augustine fan, but this seemed way longer than was necessary.

Augustine is an intellectual and theological monster in the Christian tradition. I’ve read The Confessions and City of God as well as his anti-Pelagian writings for a class in seminary. I think this work, On the Trinity, is probably his third most well-known work, after Confessions and City of God. It is most well-known for the Trinitarian analogy of memory-understanding-will. Overall, this is clearly a vital work in the development of the Christian understanding of God as Trinity. I’ve had a so...

Augustine's work on the Trinity truly illustrates the definition of the work "classic": a book much discussed but never read, either by his adherents or critics. To be fair, even Augustine's adherents admit his style could be improved--shortening passages and limiting some of the more fanciful exegesis (City of God is notorious in this regard). And as some of his critics point out, if you want a good introduction into Trinitarian thinking, Gregory of Nazianzus (or Basil) is clearer and is writin...

Excellent work. The first seven chapters are definitely the strong point of the book. Augustine is a careful exegete, considering what Scripture teaches about the Trinity. I was particularly helped and provoked by his consideration of the possible theophanies in Scripture with the revelation of God as invisible in 1 Tim. 1:17. The second half is more philosophical. Augustine looks for parallels to the Trinity within the nature and then mind of a man. Those sections were interesting, but merely i...

A classic on the Trinity. While too many chapters are dedicated to potential analogies of the Trinity in creation, Augustine's Trinitarian model of the Spirit as the love and gift of God is essential for understanding Western theology.

I had read Augustine's City Of God a few years ago and I was impressed with it, although I didn't agree with all of Augustine's points. When I do agree, it is a rather strong agreement. The Trinity (aka De Trinitate) was similar in that when I do agree with Augustine, it is a strong agreement; where I disagreed, it was more a matter of not going with the extremes of his position. For instance, while Augustine is trying to give honor to all three members of the Trinity, his trinitarian theology d...

Fascinating how Augustine considers all the previous ways of theorizing the Trinity and then develops an interpretation that harmonizes and includes a little of all of them. The introduction is just as valuable, because it gives a historical development of the doctrine, beginning with the ways the Hebrews thought of God in the Hebrew Bible, and how this becomes Father, Son, Holy Ghost in the NT. A bit technical and repetitive, as Augustine often is, but his interpretation basically created Trini...

A standard of Western trinitarian theology. I am not convinced by the logic of the double procession (of the Spirit from the Father and Son), but to his credit, Augustine stops short of the ill-fated step of making it necessary to secure the Son’s equality with the Father.The Hill translation provides copious introductory material and commentary. These are so helpful, they nearly make up for Hill’s pretension. By Hill’s reading every writer before Augustine, and every commentator on Augustine be...

Finished! A very difficult book, on a difficult topic, but I learned a lot from it. Very valuable. I love Augustine's style, he really takes you along his thought process. Also loved the footnotes, which were very helpful.It took me a while to get through this book, mostly because lots of sentences are very long and complicated, one really needs to pay attention and focus, to keep track of the argument. I will write a proper review later. I need some time to reflect, recall what I learned and wh...

I had to Skim this book over about a week, so I didn't get the chance to savor it. Given how dense it was, maybe I actually did myself a favor. Still, very moving and profound insights.

Very challenging, but worth the read. Also read in July 2015.

This is a sprawling and sometimes tortuous tome on the Trinity by Augustine. I'll do my best to summarize it and provide my thoughts.Augustine's work is organized into fifteen books, each book having several chapters. Books 1-7 can be taken to make up one part, books 9-15 can be taken to make up the other part, with book 8 providing a transition between the two. In the first part, Augustine establishes the equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit from scripture. He then moves on to examine O...

This is one of those books that is so imposing that the subdivisions of the book are themselves books, like with Paradise Lost. This has fifteen books, and so I figure that if I understand one fifteenth of each section, I'll have the equivalent of one impressive book read.

Just magnificent. Takes discipline from the reader at times but moments of sublime beauty are within. Edmund Hill's notes which, while unfailingly courteous to the reader, often adopt the tone towards Augustine of a parent of a teenager who is prodigiously talented but who still needs to be kept in line, are a good book in themselves.

I cannot believe I read this book. THE WHOLE THING. Wow. I respect the effort, I really do, but dude that was BORING. *Laugh’s like Nelson*

Required reading for trinitarian studies as this is the basis for all other works of trinitarian theology. Though Augustine goes off the path into other matters at times, the entire work is stimulating. Perhaps the strongest aspect is its devotional and affectual nature which should serve as an example to all those engaged in theological discourse.

A friend told me I would enjoy this work, and added that it had really worked their brain. After reading "De Trinitate", I can think of no better description to fit my own experience! St. Augustine, in the 15 books comprising this study of Trinitarian doctrine, uses very full terminology and rhetorical sentences to convey his points. Often I found it challenging to work through a paragraph, and I would read a chapter at a time, then mentally digest it for a few hours before continuing. This is

One of the most brilliant minds of the Christian tradition (and beyond!), St. Augustine plunges into the most captivating, yet also the most incomprehensible pillar of the Christian faith--the Triunity of God. Arguably Augustine's most taxing and enigmatical work, The Trinity is a rite of passage for all students and learners of Trinitarian theology (and beyond!). Inflexible in his meticulous bend, Augustine exacts demanding intellectual and spiritual prowess to delve deep into the most wondrous...

When I first got my hands on this translation (published by NCP), I was pretty excited... And I enjoyed it overall. I take issue with Augustine at several points in his theology... his understanding of our Lord's sovereignty, his soteriological anthropology etc... but I now, having read this, I also take issue with his theological method and conclusions regarding the Trinity... in the end, ultimately too Western for me... also at times flirts too heavily with autonomous reason and logic and not

A staggering examination of the doctrine of the Trinity. Augustine’s rigorous thinking is on full display in his treatment of theology proper, ascertaining not only the necessity of the equality persons of the Godhead through their sharing in the same substance of deity but also how humanity must necessarily acknowledge the objective existence of God’s triunity. His extended defense of the full deity of the Spirit also helps to further concretize his unique standing in the ontological and econom...

I like the idea more than the execution.I am not a theologian, but from what I know--namely from repeated hints by Dr. Leithart--this book has been treated rather unfairly by modern theologians. It is easy without historical background to criticize Augustine for his psychological metaphors of the Trinity, which seem to smack of individualism. However, a closer look will show he is not trying to find the Trinity in all creation, but how three can be one inextricably--acting together.We also owe t...

Hard to review a book like this. Before getting into it, I just wanted to acknowledge that Augustine is a master theologian, exegete, scholar, philosopher, and thinker. It's always a blast getting to read his works. To begin, I'd just like offer a word of praise to Edmund Hill for his incredible helpful, insightful, and often times funny introduction and footnotes. I'll add some quotes from them at the bottom of this review. He makes the point that Augustine's big three works (Confessions, City

The most challenging of all St Augustine's works I have read to date. The problem is, simply, that he failed in his efforts to describe and understand The Holy Trinity. It's not, however, that he failed to prove its existence - it was never in doubt, that was not the issue. "I found that no adequate expression followed whatever understanding I came to; and I was only too well aware that my attempt even to understand involved more effort than result." (p. 435) But still, a great book, and an hono...

Augustine's work on the trinity is obviously a classic and hugely important to Christian theology. It's well worth reading what he actually says rather than just encountering his thoughts via secondary sources that sum up (and therefore often oversimplify or mischaracterize) this massive and complex work. What I particularly want to praise about this book is the translation, notes, and introductory essays which Edmund Hill has provided. This is THE translation to get! It's worth buying just for

A beautiful classic; I wish I could go back in time and listen to Augustine speak. So grateful we have his writing. Four stars are mainly for the translation, which, although it is clear and easy to read, it includes anachronisms such as "secular scientist," "embryonic formation," and "psychoanalytic," that leave me wondering what Augustine really wrote in the Latin. I won't comment about my thoughts on the Trinitarian theology because I think this is a must-read for anyone grappling with unders...

An excellent start as Augustine works through argumentation on the three persons of the Trinity, demonstrating that each is a completely separate person, yet fully divine. In doing so, he also addresses various heresies, particularly those dealing with Jesus. Where it got bogged down for me was when he spent many pages using various aspects of our human nature to somehow be metaphorical of the Trinity. This went on and on and really added no value, at least not to me.