Mutual Hierarchy: A New Approach to Social Trinitarianism

Social Trinitarians have not been shy about positing community as the chief ontological category for Trinitarian discourse. As beneficial as this is social Trinitarians have typically been less helpful in advocating the sort of human community for the Trinitarian analogy that most people would probably find desirable. To use the example of a marriage one has often been forced to choose between a fully egalitarian view where the spouses supposedly have no differences from each other and a hierarchical view where a husband exercises a unilateral and oppressive power over his wife. This book advocates a third alternative for the sort of community present in the Trinity. Just as genuine teamwork is generally desirable in various human communities the divine persons have a mutual hierarchy relationship with each other. Here each divine person has a unique hierarchy over the others and yet each uses this hierarchy to serve the others in a dignified way. Recognizing this mutual hierarchy of the divine persons fosters a view of the Trinity that is maximally social in keeping with the name social Trinitarianism. In proceeding thus the book attempts to in a unique way show the harmony between systematic theology exegesis and practice. Social Trinitarianism has proven stimulating and helpful. But its proposals often force a choice between either hierarchy or equality among the persons of the Trinity. Jeffrey Dukeman shows us that this choice is neither necessary nor helpful. In his own stimulating and helpful contribution he argues that discerning a mutual hierarchy in the Trinity does better both by the New Testament witness and by the life of the church. --Joel P. Okamoto Concordia Seminary Jeffrey A. Dukeman has served as pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Gulfport Mississippi since 2010 an adjunct professor for Concordia College Alabama and an adjunct professor for Concordia Seminary St. Louis Missouri through teaching online classes for its Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology and Specific Ministry Pastor programs.