Trinity and Salvation: A Dialogue with Catherine LaCugna

This article looks at the current revival of trinitarian theology and takes Catherine LaCugna's pioneering, if controversial, work God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life as dialogue partner. The article explores how many themes in current trinitarian theology, e.g., Trinity as the structure of theology, the doctrine of God as a relational and dynamic concept, and the spiritual, political, and social implications of the doctrine, find a resonance in key figures of the tradition such as the Cappadocians and Augustine. Critical and sympathetic assessments of LaCugna's work are presented and discussed. An underlying question emerges as to how theology can appropriate patristic resources without projecting contemporary concerns and biases—epistemological, theological, or political—back onto earlier theological texts and cultures. The article concludes by critically examining how the doctrine has been developed as a symbol of inclusive communion where the values of mutuality, equality, and reciprocity are paramount.