Isaak A. Dorner: The Triune God and the Gospel of Salvation

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Norgate assesses the way in which the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation for all other Christian doctrines, especially the Christian understanding of salvation. He investigates in detail the approach of the German Lutheran theologian, Isaac A. Dorner (1809-1884) to this question. Analysis of his arguments concerning the priority of the doctrine of God for Christian belief and dogmatics is given. It examines the form of his doctrine of God's triunity, and gives an extensive study of how Dorner's particular account of God's triune identity informs the Christian conception of God's relation to the world, first, as Creator and, second, as Saviour. In this process, it seeks to refocus attention on Dorner as a major figure in the development of modern theology. The relationship between Dorner's doctrines of the triune God and salvation is assesed. Dorner's positive reconstruction of the Christian idea of God as Trinity provides helpful resources in delineating a non-competitive account of God's relation to the world. This means that God is not confused with nor distant from the world. The eternal vitality of God's immanent personality is the basis of His vital economic activity, which culminates in the incarnation of the Son. We follow the main tributories of Dorner's arguments in System of Christian Faith, beginning with an analysis of his doctrine of God, via his development of the doctrines of creation, humanity, and the incarnation of the God-man. An assessment is given of those doctrines which pertain to the way in which God brings salvation through Jesus Christ: sin, Jesus, and atonement. Norgate concludes by comparing Dorner's achievements with those found in more recent theologies of atonement.

Reviews

This is an impressive studyNorgate deftly explores what is very complex conceptual terrain to offer a greatly insightful analysis of the dogmatic architecture of I.A. Dorner's System of Christian Doctrine. He lucidly demonstrates the central role that the ideas of divine aseity and the absolute and ethical personality' of the triune God play in shaping the doctrines of creation, christology, salvation with the System, while scrutinising with care the implications of Dorner's apologetic aims and 'supralapsarian' logic. There is much to learn here not only about Dorner's own theological achievement, but also about the very task and shape of Christian theology itself.' - Philip Ziegler, University of Aberdeen, Scotland -- Philip Ziegler
Isaak Dorner belongs to what might be called the forgotten generation of nineteenth century German systematic theologians. Coming after Schelling, Hegel and Schleiermacher, they often combined impulses from these great predecessors to develop a theology that affirms the knowledge-element of Christian doctrine, stresses the divine Personality, and is profoundly Christocentric. At its heart it is a theology that attempts to do full justice to what it means to say God is Love'. Eclipsed by subsequent theological movements, it has to be admitted that these thinkers clothed their thought in a systematic form that can be forbidding to contemporary readers. Nevertheless, as Norgate shows here, there is both real Christian conviction in their work and much from which contemporary theology can learn. Attentive to Dorner's critics, Norgate offers a lucid presentation of the defining points of his subject's theology that will go a long way not only towards rehabilitating Dorner himself but also to increasing interest in this unjustly neglected group of thinkers.' - George Pattison, Christ Church, Oxford, UK -- George Pattison
The author offers a thorough analysis of an 'innovative' theologian who is committed to ecclesial traditions 'without gravitating towards mere doctrinal repristination'. -- Matthias Gockel, Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Germany * Scottish Journal of Theology *

Author Bio

Dr. Jonathan Norgate studied English Literature and Theology at King's College, Cambridge, and Systematic Theology at King's College, London, and the University of Aberdeen. He is currently on the staff of Christ Church, Fulwood in Sheffield, UK.