Rating: 
Summary: Unraveling the Mystery
Review: Ronald Rolheiser has referred to Michael Downey's "Altogether Gift: A Trinitarian Spirituality" as an "important, seminal work." I agree but would add that many may find reading this metaphorical and subtle work a difficult task. Perseverance is worth the effort, however, and readers who stay the course will be rewarded with a richness of discernment and understanding.Using the Trinitarian theology of the late Catherine LaCugna as his starting point, Downey attempts to make the mystery of the Trinity accessible to spiritual lives. He rejects a "dialogical" view of divinity (that is, the dialogue of a solitary human with a remote God) in favor of a more communal and relational approach. In Downey's view, prayer communion in the mystery of Trinity leads us to a fuller understanding of our share in the divine life and of our participation in the mission of word and spirit. The second chapter of this book was its apex. Arguing that Christian life is Trinitarian life yet noting how hard pressed Christians are to articulate this central truth, Downey introduces his readers to a new "grammar" of speaking of God. These poetical "rules of grammar" are not meant to be barriers but are intended "to invite meaningful and truthful communication about God as well as participation in the mystery about which this language speaks." Embracing Downey's grammar leads to a new perception of Trinity as "Giver, Given, Gift/ing." Another interesting part of "Altogether Gift" was its last chapter. Downey ends with fifteen prayers, points for prayerful reflection. He intends his readers to approach these points in the spirit of "lectio divina" and use them for prayerful consideration of "the mystery of three in one Love."
Rating:
Summary: Altogether Gift A Trinitarian Spirituality
Review: This small but spiritually powerful book is a gift to anyone, theologian or lay person, who seeks to know God in a deeper and more personal way. Reading "Altogether Gift" is more like engaging in prayerful reflection than reading an academic treatise on the subject. As a layperson, I found Downey's explanation of the Trinity a refreshing and inspirational approach to a doctrine often dismissed as "mystery" in homilies and adult discussion groups. As Downey writes, "...all too often, talk about the Trinity takes the form of lofty speeches rather than plain words." In "Altogether Gift," Downey developes a grammar for exploring the Trinity which helps take the "mystery" out of this doctrine.
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