From Publishers Weekly
This book marks a new direction for Girzone, the septuagenarian retired priest whose parable Joshua catapulted him to the top of bestseller lists in the 1980s. Here he attempts to turn theologian, tackling one of traditional Christianity's most perplexing and controversial doctrines: that God, though one, is also three. Beginning with anecdotes affirming God's compassion, Girzone then looks at portrayals of God in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. In four breathless chapters, he whizzes through 16 centuries of theological disputes before settling back into territory that, for him, is far more comfortable: how to have a personal relationship with a loving God. The concluding three chapters provide a simple, beguiling introduction to contemplative prayer and the mystical pathway to God, but they are not worth the wait. Not only do the biblical and historical sections fail to inspire, they also reveal an author wandering through unfamiliar territory. There are factual errors; for example, Girzone claims that Origen and Eusebius were contemporaries, and incorrectly asserts that Ignatius of Antioch, who died around A.D. 107, "was one of the original disciples of Jesus, who knew Jesus well while he was on the earth." Such a claim is highly unlikely given both the constraints of chronology (Jesus was crucified in A.D. 33) and geography (Ignatius lived in Syria). There are also surprising omissions. Why, for example, is Chalcedon-a definitive fifth-century church council on Jesus' nature and the Trinity-never mentioned? Overall, this book is a disappointment.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
"I love to tell the story," says a popular American revival hymn, "to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love." In his books about Joshua, a contemporary Jesus figure, Father Girzone has told that story to great popular acclaim. Now he takes up the concept by virtue of which Jesus is considered divine. Unfortunately, while he says "those who already believe in God" constitute his audience, he pronounces immediately thereafter that the Trinity "is the very nature of God," which may drive Jews and Muslims, for whom God is prima facie unitary, from that God-believing potential readership. Indeed, considering the book's incidental thumbnail-clipping account of church history, it seems that Girzone is really addressing just other Catholics. Nothing wrong with that, for Catholics suffer no less than other monotheists from the misconception of God--namely, that His nature can be understood by analogy with human nature--that Girzone repeatedly and saliently decries. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Praise for Joseph Girzone:
“Girzone draws on the wisdom of the centuries, writing [with] humanity and spirit.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Girzone focuses on the heart of the matter, the truth of the Gospel, the revelations of the heart, and people relate to his words, respond to his wisdom, read his books, and beg for more.” –The Catholic Times
From the Hardcover edition.
Review
Praise for Joseph Girzone:
?Girzone draws on the wisdom of the centuries, writing [with] humanity and spirit.? ?Kirkus Reviews
?Girzone focuses on the heart of the matter, the truth of the Gospel, the revelations of the heart, and people relate to his words, respond to his wisdom, read his books, and beg for more.? ?The Catholic Times
From the Hardcover edition.
Trinity FROM THE PUBLISHER
Bestselling author Joseph Girzone returns to the reflections on his personal spirituality typical of Never Alone and A Portrait of Jesus, his most popular books since the original Joshua.
With Trinity, Joseph Girzone guides readers to a deeper understanding of this foundational concept, explaining why it is not antiquated theological dogma, but a living expression of the very essence of God. He offers support and clarity to those who already believe in God, and invites those who profess not to believe on a journey to find “an image of a God who is believable, and perhaps, even lovable.”
For centuries, Christians have struggled to understand the nature of God as three persons in one. But with grace similar to that which allowed Saint Patrick to explain the Trinity by using a shamrock, Girzone takes a step back from the most arcane explanations to offer a simple, useful understanding. He begins by showing the ways God was perceived by the ancient Hebrews and reveals how Jesus forever changed that image of God. As he chronicles the growth from the time of Jesus and the early Church, writing about the challenges Christianity faced from both within and without, Girzone elucidates the mysterious ways the Trinity works in the world and especially, in the Church, as an extension of Jesus' presence in history. Writing with passion and insight, he helps readers understand how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work within individuals as well, guiding them as they struggle along the pathways of life on Earth.
SYNOPSIS
Bestselling author Joseph Girzone returns to the reflections on his personal spirituality typical of Never Alone and A Portrait of Jesus, his most popular books since the original Joshua.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
This book marks a new direction for Girzone, the septuagenarian retired priest whose parable Joshua catapulted him to the top of bestseller lists in the 1980s. Here he attempts to turn theologian, tackling one of traditional Christianity's most perplexing and controversial doctrines: that God, though one, is also three. Beginning with anecdotes affirming God's compassion, Girzone then looks at portrayals of God in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. In four breathless chapters, he whizzes through 16 centuries of theological disputes before settling back into territory that, for him, is far more comfortable: how to have a personal relationship with a loving God. The concluding three chapters provide a simple, beguiling introduction to contemplative prayer and the mystical pathway to God, but they are not worth the wait. Not only do the biblical and historical sections fail to inspire, they also reveal an author wandering through unfamiliar territory. There are factual errors; for example, Girzone claims that Origen and Eusebius were contemporaries, and incorrectly asserts that Ignatius of Antioch, who died around A.D. 107, "was one of the original disciples of Jesus, who knew Jesus well while he was on the earth." Such a claim is highly unlikely given both the constraints of chronology (Jesus was crucified in A.D. 33) and geography (Ignatius lived in Syria). There are also surprising omissions. Why, for example, is Chalcedon-a definitive fifth-century church council on Jesus' nature and the Trinity-never mentioned? Overall, this book is a disappointment. (Oct. 15) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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