The Heavenly Trio - Adventist Book Centre Australia [with ABC Christian Books, Better Books and Food and Christian Life Resources]

The Heavenly Trio

Exploring the views of Ellen White and the early Adventist Pioneers regarding the Trinity.

by Ty Gibson

We will explore the implications that emerge from the theological premise, in its antitrinitarian form, that God is a solitary self. We will also explore, by contrast, the implications of a social theology of God, which we will call Covenantal Trinitarianism, for reasons that will become beautifully evident as we proceed.

This book is titled, The Heavenly Trio. It is a follow-up to my previous release, The Sonship of Christ, which explored the identity of Jesus as “the Son of God.” In that study we engaged in what we called “an Old Testament reading of the New Testament,” allowing the Hebrew narrative of Moses and the prophets to tell us what the apostles mean when they say that Jesus is “the Son of God.”

While Sonship was written for a wide audience of Bible students from all denominational backgrounds, Trio offers perspectives of specific interest to Seventh-day Adventists.

It explores the anti-trinitarian views of the founding pioneers of the Advent movement, as well as the view developed by Ellen White, who is regarded as a prophetic voice to the Advent movement.

Reviews and Endorsements


[Endorsement]

What I appreciate about Ty and specifically this book is his fervent devotion to reframing the beautiful paradigm that God is relational. I also appreciate the honesty of showing how the Advent Movement and its understanding of the Trinity is true to its name—moving, growing and constantly getting a bigger and more beautiful picture of God. I thoroughly enjoyed The Sonship of Christ and to anyone looking to dig in deeper on this subject within the framework of the nuances of the Advent Movement, The Heavenly Trio will make for some rich and thought-provoking reading. - Jared Thurmon, Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, Adventist Review


[Endorsement]

Ty is known for bringing clarity to complicated theological subjects. The idea of the Trinity can be a complicated subject. So clarity is what you will find in this follow up to The Sonship of Christ. The book begins with how the Trinity was understood by Adventist pioneers and then moves forward into a beautiful exposition of how the nature God illuminates covenant, the cross, and the very existence of the Christian community. But to me, the beauty of this book is that there is something for everyone in it. If your church community is facing challenges related to some form of anti-trinitarianism, this book is a valuable and indispensable resource. If you are just starting to study the Bible, this book offers a great introduction to the main issues concerning who God is and the theological nuances surrounding the subject of the Trinity. If you are theologically trained, this book provides a thoughtful summary of deep theological ideas related to God’s being, the nature of agency and human freedom, and implications of Trinitarian thinking to community living. If you are a Pastor, this book will provide an opportunity to start a conversation or small group study about crucial questions such as: How can God be loving and all-powerful at the same time? Were the Adventist pioneers anti-trinitarian? What are the implications of believing in God in a non-trinitarian way? It was a joy to read this book, and I hope that by reading it you might end up finding your place in the great story of Covenant Triune Divine Love. -Tiago Arrais, Pastor Advent Life Church, Santa Fe, New Mexico


[Endorsement]

In this follow-up volume to The Sonship of Christ, Ty Gibson addresses himself to the larger subject of trinitarian theology and its historical development. His thinking and writing, as per usual, are marked by clarity and accessibility. This is not a mere survey; Ty offers some unique historical and even theological insights that are well-argued and persuasive. This book deserves a wide audience, particularly among Seventh-day Adventists. -Pastor David Asscherick, Light Bearers


[Endorsement]

In his characteristically fresh and accessible style, Ty Gibson offers a compelling case for the essentially relational nature of God being foundational to all discussions of who God is and what human flourishing looks like. The Heavenly Trio traces the revolutionary, counter-intuitive thread of other-centered love woven through the biblical narrative from the opening pages of Genesis to the closing pages of Revelation and on into the life and thought of Seventh-day Adventist Christians today. - Jody Washburn, Assistant Professor of Theology: Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Languages & Cultures


[Endorsement]

You will cry, you will sigh, you will burst with joy, and you will experience a firework of love in your theological mind. The Heavenly Trio is the most relatable, comprehensive, and beautiful treatment of the Adventist position on the Trinity I have ever read. Derived from the Hebrew narrative of Scripture and framed in the glorious reality of the eternal covenant of selfless love, this book will open your eyes to the matchless charms of The Heavenly Trio. - Jonathan Walter, General Conference Ministerial Association


[Endorsement]

I had a professor in seminary that said, “True profundity takes place when an individual is able to take the complex and make it so simple you think to yourself, ‘Why haven’t I ever thought of that?’ and then you realize you never could have reached their conclusion on your own.” Ty has achieved true profundity in The Heavenly Trio. My heart and my intellect have been blessed. - Chad Stuart, Senior Pastor, Spencerville Seventh-day Adventist Church


[Endorsement]

The Heavenly Trio may be one of the most significant books produced in the last couple of decades that addresses a theological issue. This book is a ground-breaking work that pushes out the frontiers of Adventist understanding on the subject of the Trinity. A compelling, coherent defense of the doctrine of the Trinity in the context of God’s extravagant covenant love. Timely and profoundly relevant. The Holy Spirit was moving powerfully when this book was written! - Stan Beerman, MDiv, Assistant to the President, Oregon Conference of SDA


[Endorsement]

Superb writing and a perfect companion to The Sonship of Christ! The Heavenly Trio compels us to elevate Christ to His rightful place in the Godhead. Truly a seminal work for our time. - John S. Nixon II, DMin, Lead Pastor, Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church


[Endorsement]

Ty Gibson has written a superb study of the doctrine of God as it was perceived by Ellen White and the early Adventists, sensitive to their real concern for God as a distinct relational being. Gibson appropriately portrays how diligent Bible study moved Adventists past various philosophical pitfalls and took them to a truly biblical perspective of The Heavenly Trio. This sequel to The Sonship of Christ is a brilliant call for Adventists to follow in the footsteps of those early Adventists to comprehend and experience divine, relational, covenantal dynamics. - Denis Kaiser, Assistant Professor of Church History, Theological Seminary, Andrews University