The Christian Vision of God (Truth and the Christian Imagination)

by Alister McGrath

Publisher:

SPCK

, 2008

Overview

Gloriously illuminated by a series of fine art paintings, The Christian Vision of God is an ideal introduction to what Christians believe about the Trinity. Alister McGrath seeks to engage both the mind and the imagination as he focuses on the astounding, life-transforming truth that God wants to be known by us. Astute and informed, McGrath also models an earnest religious quest for the divine meaning and human import of Christian convictions as reflected in their development and in the artistic and literary treasures of the broader culture. Poetry, prayer, and theological reflection are interwoven with commentary on the ideas conveyed through works such as Daniel Bonnell’s Pearl of Great Price, Klimt’s The Kiss, Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Morazzone’s Pentecost, William Blake’s Moses and the Burning Bush, Botticelli’s Holy Trinity, and Rublev’s Icon with the Trinity.

Key Features

• Discusses faith, and how it revolves around active trust and commitment
• Reflects on the mystery of God, and the doctrine of the Trinity
• Provides inspirational works of art to enhance the discussion

Contents

• Introduction
• God as the Heart’s Desire
• Enfolded in the Love of a Personal God
• The Lingering Presence of Evil
• The Holy Spirit
• The Mystery of God
• Approaching the Trinity
• The Trinity and the Christian Life
• For Further Reading
• Illustrations

Top Highlights

“You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you.” (Page 2)

“W. H. Griffith-Thomas (1861–1924) tried to express this aspect of faith when he spoke of it as beginning with ‘the conviction of the mind based on adequate evidence’, continuing ‘in the confidence of the heart or emotions based on conviction’, and being ‘crowned in the consent of the will, by means of which the conviction and confidence are expressed in conduct.’” (Page vi)

“Yet at another, it points to one of the most distinctive themes of the Christian understanding of God—the incarnation. God chose to be—and is—present in the midst of the turbulence, tension and tragedy of creation.” (Page 27)

“Faith goes far beyond assenting to ideas; it has to do with active trust and commitment. To believe in God, in the deeply Christian sense of that word, is to accept and embrace God, in the full knowledge that this act of trust and commitment leads to personal and social transformation.” (Page vi)

“that God is the true goal of the human heart and mind.” (Page 2)

Product Details

• Title: The Christian Vision of God
• Author: Alister McGrath
• Publisher: SPCK
• Series: Truth and the Christian Imagination
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 96

About Alister McGrath

Alister McGrath (Ph.D.) is a scholar and writer who is presently Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University. After his initial studies in natural science at Oxford, taking a doctorate in molecular biophysics under the supervision of Prof Sir George Radda, McGrath moved into the field of Christian theology. He was Oxford’s Professor of Historical Theology from 1999 to 2008. He then moved to King’s College London as Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education, before returning to Oxford as Idreos Professor in 2014. He also served as Gresham Professor of Divinity, a position established in 1597, from 2015-18. He retired in September 2022.

He is best known for his definitive and widely used textbooks on Christian theology and his authoritative biography of C. S. Lewis. As a former atheist, McGrath is fascinated by the interaction of faith, science, and atheism, and writes regularly on these themes. McGrath was born in Belfast in 1953, and holds both Irish and British citizenship. He lives in the Cotswolds near Oxford.

For McGrath’s website, including details of his weekly Youtube postings and videos helping you use his theology textbooks, go to alistermcgrath.net