Abstract

At its best, Christian theology has strived to balance God’s transcendence and immanence both in the east and the west. In the spirit of ecumenism, here I compare and contrast the seemingly different Trinitarian doctrines of Barth and Lossky. Due to the interrelatedness of various doctrines in their theological systems, the comparisons will be made in three key areas that are pertinent to our discussion: epistemology, revelation, and soteriology. Each area yields important and stark differences, yet I argue that their differences arise partly due to their different respective traditions. But, despite their differences, they share great similarities in their attempt to maintain a Trinitarian God who is both transcendent and immanent. Thus, divine transcendence and immanence may prove to be good topics to pursue ecumenical dialogue in that can transcend the immanent doctrinal differences between the east and the west.