Richard of Saint Victor, on the Trinity: English Translation and Commentary

Very few in the history of the church have not struggled with the dogma of the Trinity. Those who have not dismissed it as incomprehensible gibberish have found it a battlefield for division and misunderstanding. Even Christians, who adhere to the faith of the Creeds, have often found such dogma difficult to grasp. Richard of Saint Victor, a twelfth-century Scottish monk and Prior in the Abbey of Saint Victor, is emblematic in this struggle: I have often read that there is ... [only] one God... I have also read ... that he is one and triune... But I do not remember having read anything on the evidences for these assertions. Richard's theological response stems from a profoundly mystical life of prayer, which, in the Spirit, seeks to involve the mind, in continuation with the great Augustinian and Anselmian tradition. Ultimately, he presents a trinitarian model, intelligible to a Western context but which could also awake admiration from Greek theologians. Today Richard's dogmatics could represent a bridge for dialogue between different traditions. For the first time this theological masterpiece is being made available, unabridged, in English to allow a broader theological public to benefit from Richard's accomplishments. The translation offered here attempts to provide a clear and flowing text, while remaining as literally faithful as possible to the original Latin."

About the Author :
Ruben Angelici is a Graduate of the University of Manchester. He holds degrees and expertise in theology, philosophy, biology, and music. He has been a sessional lecturer in dogmatic and historical theology at Nazarene Theological College, University of Manchester.

Review :
...all theologians are in Angelici s debt.--Stephen H. Webb"Reviews in Religion and Theology" (01/01/0001) ."..Now, thankfully, we can set those momentous reflections in context with the whole work- its theological foundations and implications, because Angelici has offered a much needed, complete edition of this important work along with helpful commentary and referencing. Perhaps now, the legacy of the Abbey of St Victor will be more widely known and celebrated..."--Taylor Worley"Theological book review" (01/01/0001) [Richard of St Victor s] writing is assured as he sets out an ambitious and systematic statement of why we affirm the nature of God as Trinity. [...] Scholars of this period will be grateful for the first English translation of this important work, while those less familiar with it will find that it helps them to enter into the thinking and culture of a different age. --The Revd Dr John Binns"Church Times" (01/01/0001)