Posted by Donald Ensign on March 11, 2008 at 10:30am
What About the Trinity?, (2007), Amazing Facts, Inc., Jim Pinkoski (writer & artist), 56 pp., b & w., $3.95 In 1999 Intervaristy Press published Dr Doctrine's Christian Comix #3: On the Trinity written and drawn by seminary professor Fred Sanders. This book was an educational comic whose cartoon sheep host, Dr Doctrine, does a historical survey of how the doctrine of the Trinity was elucidated from scripture. Sanders format is somewhat similar to that used by Scott McCloud in his Understanding Comics and Making Comics volumes. Sanders includes one page shorts on how different theologians have spoken about the Trinity, sections on how the Trinity has been represented in Western art and Trinity Math--examining the paradox of the Trinity. Christian artist and cartoonist Jim Pinkoski working with two pastors has produced another educational comic book on the Trinity. The pastors are Doug Bachelor (the head of Amazing Fact, Inc. ministries) and the late Harry Anderson. Pinkoski uses these two men as co-lecturers/teachers to guide the reader through the numerous points of theology contained in this publication. This book is more of an illustrated lecture than a true comic book. It is very text heavy and while Pinkoski strives valiantly to make the text as visually interesting as possible one wonders if straight prose would have been more effective and efficient. The view of the Trinity presented here is orthodox and our two lecturers take great pains to show how the Trinity is supported from scripture. They also discussion how the doctrine of the Trinity was formalized by the early church (Nicaean Creed). Pastor Batchelor gives some analogies from the physical universe on how the Trinity might be understood (p. 45a). He also deals with early heresies and certain unbiblical doctrines concerning the nature of God( p. 43, 53). Only rarely does the Seventh Day Adventist orientation of this publication come into play as it did with Pastor Anderson's criticism of pre-tribulation teaching (p. 17-18). To this reviewer this seemed a doctrinal rabbit trail better examined at length in another publication. Jim Pinkoski is to be commended for dealing with this very important and vital Christian doctrine and presenting it in visual form. For those who do not want to tackle this formidable and often difficult to understand teaching in a strict prose format this illustrated lecture "comic" would be a good place to start. Amazing Facts, Inc
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