The Divine Dance () von Richard Rohr

Part I

Wanted: A Trinitarian Revolution

Spiritual Paradigm Shift 35

Dusting Off a Daring Doctrine 40

Math Problems 42

The Relationship Is the Vehicle 44

Metaphors Be with You! 47

A Mirrored Universe 49

Vulnerability 57

Young Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast MIA Table God Shift Doctrine Problems Vehicle You! Vulnerability

Weak WisdomM59

The Delight of Diversity 61

The World in a Word 64

Reshaping Our Image 66

Atomic Bonds 68

Creator and Destroyer of Worlds 70

Aristotle and Boethius: The Price of an Invading Noun 74

Scotus and Merton: Time to Re-verb 75

The Perfect Freedom of God 76

Creative Continuation 78

Paradigms Lost 79

Distinct Union 83

Tide Boxes at Kmart 86

Loving All the Wrong People 88

Emptiness Alone Is Prepared for Fullness 90

The Space Between 91

How the Law of Three Changes Everything 92

Is the Trinity a Boy or a Girl? 94

The Power of Concentric Circles 95

Richard of St. Victor and the Joy Supreme 98

The Paradox of Restlessness and Contentment 102

Body-Based Knowing 104

The Many Belong in the One 108

Accessing the Divine Force Field 111

Always Creating Otherness 113

Next 117

Part II

Why the Trinity? Why Now?

Three Reasons for Recovery 121

What Holds Us Back from Genuine Spiritual Experience? 122

Two Ways to Break Through 124

Suffering's Surprising Sustenance 127

At-One-Ment 131

What About the Wrath of God? 136

Expanding Our Horizons 140

Silence: Father 142

The Living Manifestation: The Christ 145

The Dynamism Within and Between: Holy Spirit 146

TDD-Trinity Deficit Disorder 147

Absentee Father 148

Son: Have You Seen Me? 149

The Relentless Drive of the Spirit 150

Inside-Out Prayer 151

Primal Prayer 154

Transcendence Deficit Disorder 155

Interfaith Friendship 157

Do We Have to Talk About Sin? 160

Entering By Another Door 161

Being There 163

An Amazing Chain of Being 164

Trinity in Eternity Past 164

The Wildest Wave Alive 167

Real Presence 169

Being and Becoming 169

Essential Ecstasy 170

Too Good to Be True? 172

The Incarnation Is the Gospel 174

Bleeding and Forbearing 176

The Great Attractor 179

Part III

The Holy Spirit

Wholly Reconciling 185

The Divine Energy 186

Everything Is Holy Now 189

Acknowledgments 195

Appendix: Experiencing the Trinity: Seven Practices 199

About the Authors 219

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?