Systematic Theology

Kendall Snulen's The Divine Name(s) and the Holy Trinity distinguishes itself from recent theological publications in several ways. Before identifying the substantive contribution it makes to the field, 1 feel compelled to bear witness to Soulen's fine authorial style. This is an exceptionally well-written book. It seems to come from some parallel world where the genre of systematic theology belongs nearer the belles lettres, as Soulen is graciously out of step w ith the low guild standards of contemporary theological writing. In The Divine Name(s) he crafts a complex argum ent with many moving parts, which dem ands frequent internal summaries. But Soulen never gets lost in the layers of his own case, never trudges from one point to the next, never cuts-and-pastes to recycle his own key sentences, and never settles for conventional, expected, ‫س‬ overused illustrations. He introduces a fresh thesis, expounds it without obfuscation, and juxtaposes it with a surprising breadth of dialogue partners from biblical studies, historical theology, and recent dogmatics. Owing to his good literary ear, he can interject the occasional allusion to Shakespeare, Goethe, T. s. Eliot, and Lewis Carroll without jarring the theology reader.