‎Dennis Bray‎
‎Nichil melius, nichil perfectius caritate. Richard of St. Victor's Argument for the Necessity of the Trinity‎

‎, Brepols, 2025 Hardback, Pages: 280, Size:178 x 254 mm, Illustrations:2 b/w, Languages: English, Latin. ISBN 9782503613444.‎

Reference : 70585

‎Summary In his magnum opus De Trinitate, the twelfth-century canon Richard of St. Victor offers sustained reflection on core dogmatic claims from the Athanasian creed. At the heart of the treatise is Richard's argument for exactly three divine persons. Starting with the necessity of a single, maximally perfect divine substance, Richard reasons along four steps: (i) God must have maximal charity, or other-love; (ii) to be perfectly good, delightful, and glorious, God's other-love must be shared among at least two, and (iii) among at least three, divine persons; (iv) the metaphysics of divine processions and love each ensure the impossibility of four divine persons. For Richard, Scripture and trustworthy church authorities already provide certainty in these truths of faith. Even so, as an act of ardent love, Richard contemplates the Trinity as reflected in creation. From this epistemic point of departure, he supports his conclusions from common human experience alone. Recently, philosophers of religion have employed Richard's trinitarian reflection as a springboard for constructive work in apologetics and ramified natural theology. His unique and meticulous approach to the Trinity has garnered attention from scholars of medieval and Victorine studies, recognizing the novelty and rigour of his philosophical theology. This volume presents the first focused exploration of Richard's central thesis in De Trinitate, combining historical context with philosophical scrutiny. It confronts the most challenging aspects of his argument, presenting Richard's insights as not merely intriguing but also profoundly compelling. His thesis, if validated, promises to significantly enrich modern dialogues on the philosophical and theological dimensions of the Trinity. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Renewed Interest in Richard of St. Victor's Trinitarian Thought Aims, Scope, and Objectives Outline 1. De Trinitate: Context and Method Introduction Twelfth-Century Europe and the Abbey of St. Victor Three Notes on Method in De Trinitate Conclusion: De Trinitate Viewed Through the Contemporary Philosophy-Theology Paradigm 2. The Argument for Divine Charity Overview Three Components of Richard's Metaphysics of Goodness Exposition of The Argument for Divine Charity Summary and Conclusion 3. The Conditions and Order of Charity Introduction and Overview The Conditions of Charity The Argument Against Supreme Charity for Created Persons Conclusion 4. Arguments for Multiple Divine Persons Overview The Argument for Multiple Divine Persons from Goodness The Argument for Multiple Divine Persons from Happiness The Argument for Multiple Divine Persons from Glory Conclusion 5. Arguments for Three Divine Persons Introduction: What Happened in DT 3.6-10? The Argument for Three Divine Persons from Goodness The Argument for Three Divine Persons from Happiness The Argument for Three Divine Persons from Glory Conclusion 6. Arguments for the Impossibility of Four Divine Persons Introduction: Foundations of the Arguments Against Four or More Divine Persons The Argument Against Four or More Divine Persons from Processions The Argument Against Four or More Divine Persons from Love Concluding Thoughts: AF-L's dependence on AF-P Conclusion Review Implications for Social Trinitarians Implications for Non-Social Trinitarians Implications for Heterodox Christian Theologies Conclusion Bibliography Index‎