The Named God and the Question of Being: A Trinitarian Theo-Ontology

It was heartbreaking to lose Stan when we did, but his voice lives on in this brilliant book. The first third of the book is a history of ontology, from its pre-Christian origins to Christianty's merger of faith and philosophy in the writings of men like Augustine and Aquinas, all the way to Heidegger and Derrida. It's a fascinating review, or a wonderful way to learn about this history if you know very little about it. The second third is when he really gets cooking, with a history of God's name, from Exodus 3 all the way to Revelation. The way he shows the unfolding of the "I AM" in this narrative is mind-blowing! It changed the way I read scripture! God is not some random deity who we can make theological claims about through analytical thought as much as he is the self-revealing Lord who has and shares his name with us! Lastly, Stan shows how ontology and theology can again join in conversation. But unlike before, theology must influence ontology, rather than the other way around. We must develop a theo-ontology rather than an ontotheology. To demonstrate, he unpacks Acts 17, using Paul's discussion with the philosophers as an example for us to use and thoughtfully follow. This is just a slight overview of what this book holds. It is ultimately about God's story, which we are invited into, which means our stories intertwine and tell a narrative much more grand than we could ever imagine. This is one of the most powerful books of theology I have ever read.