This book presents a bold venture in theology, combining a presentation, explanation, analysis, and reinterpretation of trinitarian language. Rejecting the assumption that traditional trinitarian discourse is useless in an age of cults and sects, Jenson points to a profound and provocative renewal of trinitarian piety and reflection understood as a remedy for spiritual desolation and powerlessness.

Proceeding on the premise that any radical analysis of the formula "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" must work from biblical statements, Jenson investigates the significance of two biblical identifications of God: "God is whoever freed us from Egypt" and "God is whoever raised Jesus from the dead". In opposition to the notion that God is to be understood simply as timeless being, Jenson shows how the memory of God's acts and the presence of God in Christ leads to a hope for the future based on the promise of the spirit.