BOOK REVIEW: The Story of the Trinity: Controversy, Crisis, and the Creation of the Nicene Creed by Bryan Litfin (Baker, 2025)

This book is a concise story of how the Nicene Creed, and its doctrinal affirmations, came to be. The Gospel Coalition bookstore describes the work perfectly, “The Story of the Trinity relates the settings, characters, and conflicts that led to the Council of Nicaea and the creation of the Nicene Creed, a simple yet beautiful statement of faith that expresses core Christian beliefs that continue to be affirmed worldwide.”

If a history book can be an exciting page turner this is it. Litfin is a gifted writer and the book reads very easily. It would be no problem to read it on a weekend, or in an afternoon if you are ambitious. It is a tight 177 pages and when you start reading the book you will be 100 pages in before you know it. Then you will struggle to put it down. So be warned.

The book is 14 short chapters divided into 4 sections.

The opening section explores what might be called “pre-Trinitarian” themes in the Old Testament. In these chapters, Litfin highlights the progressive unfolding of God’s trinitarian self-revelation, moving through the landscape of polytheism and monotheism toward the fuller disclosure of God in Jesus Christ. The discussion effectively challenges the common misconception that the doctrine of the Trinity is exclusively a New Testament development.

The second section turns to the New Testament and the theological implications of Christ’s coming for the early church. The church realized that salvation in Christ is inseparable from his person and character. This meant that he must be God; but how does that work? Litfin then surveys early orthodox presentations of Trinitarian doctrine, engaging figures such as Tertullian, the theologian who gave us the terms we still use to discuss the trinity, including the word itself, and examining the framework of economic Trinitarianism. The story moves quickly into a discussion of Arianism, a Trinitarian perspective that significantly disrupted early Christian theology by asserting an ontological hierarchy within the Godhead and proposed that the Son was a created being. This controversy generated profound doctrinal tensions that would ultimately demand a definitive ecumenical resolution.

The third section focuses on the church’s doctrinal defense against Arianism, particularly through the debates culminating in the Nicene Creed. This section is rich in history, and Liftin shows the important elements of that time in a concise and thrilling manner. In brief, the conversion of Constantine, the Emperor who once again united the Roman Empire, the proliferation of theological controversies, and the convening of the Council of Nicaea collectively shaped the trajectory of Trinitarian orthodoxy. Further advancements of Arian doctrine and debates about the Holy Spirit following the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD meant further clarification was required, leading to the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. This latter council played a decisive role in consolidating creedal consensus and stabilizing orthodox Trinitarian theology.

The fourth section examines the lasting theological consequences of the Nicene Trinitarian statement. Litfin underscores how Nicene-Constantinopolitan Trinitarianism grounds and enriches our understanding of redemption and the gospel itself. In short, without a proper understanding of the Trinity there is no biblical gospel. The doctrine of the Trinity is thus shown not to be an abstract metaphysical construct but a framework essential for understanding salvation itself.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this great little book. You won’t regret it.

Soli Deo Gloria