Description
Synopsis:
The Trinity is supposed to be the central, foundational doctrine of our entire Christian belief system, yet we’re often told that we shouldn’t attempt to understand it because it is a ‘mystery’. Should we presume to try to breach this mystery? If we could, how would it transform our relationship with God and renew our lives? The word Trinity is not found in the New Testament it wasn’t until the third century that early Christian father Tertullian coined it but the idea of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was present in Jesus’ life and teachings and from the very beginning of the Christian experience.
In the pages of this book, internationally recognized teacher Richard Rohr circles around this most paradoxical idea as he explores the nature of God – circling around being an apt metaphor for this mystery we’re trying to apprehend. Early Christians who came to be known as the ‘Desert Mothers and Fathers’ applied the Greek verb perichoresis to the mystery of the Trinity. The best translation of this odd-sounding word is dancing. Our word choreography comes from the same root. Although these early Christians gave us some highly conceptualized thinking on the life of the Trinity, the best they could say, again and again, was, Whatever is going on in God is a flow it’s like a dance. But God is not a dancer – He is the dance itself. That idea might sound novel, but it is about as traditional as you can get. God is the dance itself, and He invites you to be a part of that dance. Are you ready to join in?
PRAISE FOR THE DIVINE DANCE
Finding the sweet spot where contemporary science meets ancient mysticism, and theology meets poetry, The Divine Dance sketches a beautiful choreography for a life well-lived. In our joy or our pain, true life is always relational, a flow, a dance. (And was always meant to be.)-Bono, U2
The Divine Dance invites you into the heart of Christian mysticism: the lavish ever-expanding love of God. Richard Rohr and Mike Morrell show how the triune God is more than a philosophical concept – the Trinity is a joyous celebration of love and life, and we are all called to participate. – Carl McColman, Author, The Big Book of Christian Mysticism, CarlMcColman.net
More and more people are struggling with conventional understandings of God, like the big white guy on a throne with a long beard and a fistful of swords and lightning bolts by which you (or your enemies) might be smitten at any moment if you don’t think or act correctly. For many, the concept of Trinity simply triples their God-problems. But in The Divine Dance, Richard Rohr and Mike Morrell explore the Trinity as a pathway beyond problematic understandings of God. This beautifully-written book can do far more than change your troubled thoughts about God: it can change your way of thinking about God entirely.- Brian D. McLaren, Activist, speaker, and author, We Make the Road by Walking, brianmclaren.net
Review:
The Divine Dance is not only Richard Rohr’s best book; it’s the best book on the Trinity I’ve ever read. Tender, human, both pastorally and psychologically brilliant, this is the work Rohr was born to do . . . An instant spiritual classic. —Jonathan Martin, Author, How to Survive a Shipwreck
With the wisdom of C.S. Lewis and the accessibility of Rob Bell, Richard Rohr and Mike Morrell unpack our long-lingering questions about God, love, grace, and forgiveness, all through the lens of Trinitarian spirituality. This isn’t to say that this book answers every question. Like all good mystics, Rohr and Morrell circle our questions, reveling in the mystery of all that is. Join them. Stand with them under the waterfall of God s infinite mercy, and know that you are loved. —David James Poissant, L.A. Times Book Prize Finalist; author, The Heaven of Animals, davidjamespoissant.com
Richard Rohr is one of the great spiritual masters of our time, indeed of any time. His superb new book on the Trinity is vintage Rohr: clearheaded, provocative, inspiring, challenging, and, most of all, suffused with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity will of course always remain a profound mystery, but after reading Father Rohr’s book, you will experience it as a mystery that can, and will, transform your life. —James Martin, SJ, Author, Jesus: A Pilgrimage and Seven Last Words
