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The History & Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity
The History & Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity is a journey through seven centuries of religious thought, telling the story of the formation of trinitarian doctrine. The Trinity remains one of the most ubiquitous dogmas in Christian thought, yet it was not always so. This book will guide the reader through many of the greatest epochs in world history, revealing the politics, philosophies, and theologies that motivated the final articulation of a succinct trinitarian creed in Christianity.
454 pages, Hardcover
Published February 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 18, 2024
If I am honest, I did not expect to be convicted by a history text on the Oneness of God. But it has convicted me. It has made me even more passionate about the truth of the Word of God, that our God is not a Trinity. Of course, I knew this and am a licensed minister of the United Pentecostal Church International. But after reading the Coda of the book and reading the sacrifice of Michael Servetus and understanding that many unnamed believers probably perished for their faith as well, I can't help but be even more passionate about the nature of God.
This book shows how the ideas of the Trinity take shape, starting with Alexander the Great and going to the 4th century. By the end, it is obvious how much this doctrine is a work of man rather than God.
It explains it clearer than any other book I have read on the subject. It should be required reading for Oneness Pentecostals everywhere.
Thank you, Steven Gill, for this amazing work. I look forward to reading more from you!
This book shows how the ideas of the Trinity take shape, starting with Alexander the Great and going to the 4th century. By the end, it is obvious how much this doctrine is a work of man rather than God.
It explains it clearer than any other book I have read on the subject. It should be required reading for Oneness Pentecostals everywhere.
Thank you, Steven Gill, for this amazing work. I look forward to reading more from you!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
Such a great book! It is so educational and informational! Would very much recommend! The more I learn the more I realize I really don’t know anything!
August 5, 2025
Pros:
1. Most books that cover thousands of years of history, like this one, are dry and seemingly devoid of any life whatsoever. However, Steven Gill's writing style brought historic battles, conferences, and speeches to life.
2. Steven Gill does an excellent job of establishing a framework or lens, if you will, and consistently proving it to be true. His point is that, because religious compromise is preferable to war or other forms of social conflict, leaders who invaded territories would combine "gods" and religions.
Hence, If I worship god "A" and you worship god "B," then by extracting the most essential portions of the two, we can create god "C".
The first to do this was Alexander the Great, who paid homage to the Egyptian God Ammon, and the Egyptians in turn honored Alexander's god and "father" Zeus. Alexander, upon his return home, would create a unified god known as "Zeus - Ammon".
3. Steven Gill did an excellent job of connecting his historical breakdowns with scripture. For instance, when discussing the Essenes, he delves into their beliefs and practices of Jewish Mikvah (immersion in water for cleansing purposes), and how their baptism pools have been discovered near the Dead Sea Scrolls.
He then correlates this to John the Baptist whose teaching and baptism methods were very similar to the Essenes, suggesting that perhaps John was a part of this group.
4. Steven N. Gill does a great job of describing the events surrounding the ultimate manifestation of the Trinity in detail. He dives into the various councils, the groups involved, and the individuals who influenced the spread of the trinity. Most stop at the Council of Nicea, but Steven N Gill goes far beyond that.
Cons:
1. I think the end of the book felt a little rushed and lacking in detail. I feel like it would have been better to leave out the 21st century entirely tbh.
1. Most books that cover thousands of years of history, like this one, are dry and seemingly devoid of any life whatsoever. However, Steven Gill's writing style brought historic battles, conferences, and speeches to life.
2. Steven Gill does an excellent job of establishing a framework or lens, if you will, and consistently proving it to be true. His point is that, because religious compromise is preferable to war or other forms of social conflict, leaders who invaded territories would combine "gods" and religions.
Hence, If I worship god "A" and you worship god "B," then by extracting the most essential portions of the two, we can create god "C".
The first to do this was Alexander the Great, who paid homage to the Egyptian God Ammon, and the Egyptians in turn honored Alexander's god and "father" Zeus. Alexander, upon his return home, would create a unified god known as "Zeus - Ammon".
3. Steven Gill did an excellent job of connecting his historical breakdowns with scripture. For instance, when discussing the Essenes, he delves into their beliefs and practices of Jewish Mikvah (immersion in water for cleansing purposes), and how their baptism pools have been discovered near the Dead Sea Scrolls.
He then correlates this to John the Baptist whose teaching and baptism methods were very similar to the Essenes, suggesting that perhaps John was a part of this group.
4. Steven N. Gill does a great job of describing the events surrounding the ultimate manifestation of the Trinity in detail. He dives into the various councils, the groups involved, and the individuals who influenced the spread of the trinity. Most stop at the Council of Nicea, but Steven N Gill goes far beyond that.
Cons:
1. I think the end of the book felt a little rushed and lacking in detail. I feel like it would have been better to leave out the 21st century entirely tbh.
June 24, 2023
This is my first foray into church history from an academic viewpoint. The book satisfied my interest in history, and helped deepen my understanding of the early church. The author connects the dots between the paganism of the Greco-Roman and the development of the doctrine of the Trinity. His research supports his position, and he articulates his findings in a way the are engaging and easy to follow.
August 28, 2022
Very insightful history of the trinitarian doctrine. I learned a lot about the historical roots of the Trinity and how it dated back to the Christian Apologists, and even as far back as Alexander the Great. I would highly recommend this resource to every Christian.
June 4, 2024
The author is a oneness believer, however, he does an excellent job in presenting the facts of history without prejudice. This book is an excellent read and further cements that God is absolutely one and that doctrines that do not support that, do not stem from the truth in God’s word.
April 16, 2022
Amazing, deep and thought provoking study of history leading to and including the erroneous doctrine of the trinity in religion
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews