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Communicating God’s Trinitarian Fullness
An Exposition of Jonathan Edwards’ End for Which God Created the World
A glimpse into Jonathan Edwards’ rapturous vision of God
God created the world for his glory alone. Most Christians would confess this claim, but struggle to explain it. How could God be all-sufficient in himself and yet gain anything from creating this cosmos? Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) provided a classic answer to this timeless question in his
End for Which God Created the World
, but most modern readers need a guide through this difficult text.
In this book, Joe Rigney points the way to an enriched understanding of Edwards’s classic and the sublime mysteries which it plumbs: that God has an end in creation; that God is eternally happy and self-sufficient in Himself; that God creates everything from nothing; and that God values things according to their value. Rigney’s work invites academics, pastors, and laypeople alike into conversation with one of the brightest lights of the Reformed tradition.
Publication Details
- Publisher: Davenant Press
- ISBN: 978-1-949716-17-7
- Publication Date: September 19, 2023
- Author: Joe RigneY
- Price: $25.95
Endorsements
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“In his work Communicating God’s Trinitarian Fullness: An Exposition of Jonathan Edwards’ End of Creation , Joe Rigney demonstrates a careful approach to scholarship, making a distinctive contribution to the field of Edwards studies. Rigney not only provides a comprehensive examination of the theological underpinnings behind Edwards’s argument in End of Creation, but also offers a comprehensive exposition of this treatise, showcasing an exemplary level of engagement with existing scholarly discourse. Given the ongoing critical assessment of the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Rigney’s scholarship emerges as indispensable in the scholarly evaluation of America’s preeminent theologian.”
— Adriaan C. Neele, Vice President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary | Research Scholar, Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University
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“I love reading books that have clear goals. And Joe Rigney’s Communicating God’s Trinitarian Fullness does just that. It is in the first instance a commentary on Edwards’s End for which God created the world. But more than this, it is also a critique of competing interpretations of Edwards’s philosophical theology, providing a confident path through the debates. And it contains a concise contribution in its own right to Edwards’s doctrine of the Trinity, the basic bedrock for his eschatology. It isn’t a big book, but it does pack a punch beyond its weight.”
— Rhys Bezzant, Ridley College, Melbourne
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“Edwards’ End of Creation has for a long time both dazzled and puzzled readers: it contains such a breathtaking vision of God and the world he created, yet some of its statements appear to suggest that Edwards struggled to affirm a classical articulation of the Christian God. In this tightly reasoned and wonderfully compact book, Joe Rigney artfully compiles a superb set of arguments demonstrating Edwards’s fidelity to classical orthodoxy in End of Creation . It is an outstanding handbook that shines much light on Edwards’s classic!”
— Dr. Robert Caldwell, Professor of Church History | Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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“Jonathan Edwards’s Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World is a rare theological work in terms of its theoretical elegance, argumentative rigor, and depth of systematic insight. Joe Rigney is to be thanked for providing a clear and penetrating analysis of this text which showcases Edwards’s brilliance. Communicating God’s Triune Fullness is an invaluable resource for students of Edwards as well as for theologians, ministers, and Christian laypersons from various theological traditions who want to inquire into the end for which God created the world.”
— Jordan Wessling, Assistant Professor of Religion, Lindsey Wilson College
More Endorsements (2)
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“This is a book for heart and for head. It quenches our spiritual thirst by looking into the heart of the triune God. Carefully, Joe Rigney peels out Jonathan Edwards’ insights about the triune God. In doing so, he reveals God’s love for Himself that leads Him to communicate this inexhaustible fullness to his creatures. God’s glory does not compete with our happiness, but it makes us share in God’s own knowledge, love and joy. I like this book, this stuff, this depth, this logic, and this warmth.”
— Prof. Dr. Willem van Vlastuin, Director Jonathan Edwards Center Benelux, Chair Theology and Spirituality of Reformed Protestantism, Free University of Amsterdam.
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“Like all theological masterpieces, Edwards’s The End embraces, first, a theological background; second, a text that needs to be carefully understood over against that background; and third, a naturally following series of legitimate questions, understandable misunderstandings, and (less justifiable) misreadings that need to be address. Communicating God’s Fullness ably covers all the three areas above. This readable exposition of Edwards’s ‘metaphysical gospel narrative’ (J. J. Bombaro) will help the reader to gain a renewed appreciation of Edwards’s orthodox, awe-inspiring God-centered view of all things.”
— Marco Barone, PhD, Queen’s University Belfast, author of Luther’s Augustinian Theology of the Cross
