Paging the Trinity

I have just returned from my first clergy conference, where all the clergy from around the diocese get together. Let's just say it was 17 different kinds of interesting. There were some reasonably good talks on community (given by a guy who used to work for a Baptist church, no less). But the highlight for me was a minister being interviewed and asked what theological exploration he was doing at the moment. He responded that he was exploring Eastern Christian spirituality, and had come to the conclusion that the West had not placed enough emphasis on the Holy Spirit (fair cop, possibly). However, the greatest comment came a bit later when he said that the doctrine of the Trinity had not really been taught in Western theological colleges until the two Karls came along (Barth and Rahner).

Right. So Calvin the 'theologian of the Holy Spirit' didn't deal with the Trinity. And Owen's two volumes on the Spirit, and his work entitled 'Communion with the Triune God' didn't actually address the doctrine of the Trinity. C'MON people. READ!

But the terrible thing was that everyone sat there nodding in agreement.