Reclaiming the Good News of Participation with Christ

Fountain of Salvation is a systematician’s book, whose concern is the systematic connections between the two central doctrines of the faith, the Trinity and Soteriology, but it is not systematics for the sake of good order alone. Like many of the theologians who have written about the Trinity in recent decades, Fred Sanders is convinced that if the doctrines of the Trinity and Salvation are not related together properly, our understanding of God and of salvation will necessarily be diminished. The book brings together articles written by Sanders over a thirteen year period, each of which has been revised for the volume. Sometimes collections of essays lack thematic coherence, but that is not the case with this work. The book is carefully structured, grouping together related articles with the aim of discussing the relationship between the two doctrines in a step by step way. In chapters one and two, Sanders surveys Christian theology to show, on the one hand, how the doctrine of the Trinity shapes soteriology and, on the other hand, how the contours and content of Trinitarian doctrine are affected by the economy. Chapters three and four look more closely at the economy of salvation, trying to tease out connections between the two doctrines. What Sanders describes as the ‘soteriological core of the book’ comes in chapters 5 to 8, in which he relates the saving work of God closely to the relations of origins and the missions of the Son and the Spirit. Finally, in chapters 9 and 10, he examines the Trinitarian revival in the second half of the twentieth century. Scott Swain, another theologian of the Trinity, describes Sanders in his review of the book as ‘our most gifted theologian of the Trinity’. Whether you agree with that description or not, there is no doubt that this is a rich volume, with depth, clarity and insights into many aspects of the doctrine of the Trinity. Sanders, a Professor of Theology at Biola University, writes from a Reformed perspective, grounded in the classical Christian understanding of the Trinity, rather than the more revisionist approach of theologians in the Trinitarian revival. While he is clear about his perspective, though, he is broad in his scope, ranging across the tradition and generous in his description of those with whom he would disagree, such as Jürgen Moltmann and Elizabeth Johnson. This is not a popular level book and, even in an academic setting, it would be better suited to upper undergraduate level. However, for those who wish to explore more deeply the interconnections between our salvation and God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, this volume will amply repay close attention. The contents of the book will not translate directly into the pulpit, but it will inspire deeper thinking.