In this volume, Pohle traces references to the doctrine of the Trinity in the Old and New Testaments, and shows how the Trinity is foreshadowed in God’s covenant with Israel and in the fulfillment of the covenant in Christ. He then outlines a detailed doctrine of the Trinity, drawing from the entire Bible, the liturgies of the Early Church, and the subsequent development of doctrine. A discussion of various heresies in the church’s history also figures prominently.
The second half of this volume deals with the relationships between each person within the Trinity, along with the ways in which the Trinity is revealed—through reason, revelation, and the acceptance of mystery. Pohle asserts that evidence for the Trinity exists in both reason and revelation, but famously states: “Christians must first believe, then inquire.”
- Detailed footnotes and bibliographical material
- Contains a detailed topical index
- Title: The Divine Trinity: A Dogmatic Treatise
- Author: Joseph Pohle
- Edition: 2nd
- Publisher: B. Herder
- Publication Date: 1915
- Pages: 299
About Joseph Pohle
Joseph Pohle (1852–1922) studied in Trier, Rome, and was ordained as a priest in 1878. He served as a professor in Baar, Switzerland from 1881 to 1883, as professor at St. Joseph’s College in Leeds, England from 1883 to 1886, and as professor of philosophy in Fulda from 1886 to 1889. In 1889, he moved to America to teach at the newly-founded Catholic University. Pohle returned to Europe in 1894, teaching at Münster and then Breslau, where he served as professor of dogma, and wrote his Dogmatic Theology. He was also a frequent contributor to the Catholic Encyclopedia.