The New Testament and the Theology of Trust 'This Rich Trust'

This study argues for the recovery of trust as a central theme in Christian theology, and offers the first theology of trust in the New Testament.

'Trust' is the root meaning of Christian 'faith' (pistis, fides), and trusting in God and Christ is still fundamental to Christians. But unlike faith, and other aspects of faith such as belief or hope, trust is little studied. Building on her ground-breaking study Roman Faith and Christian Faith, and drawing on the philosophy and psychology of trust, Teresa Morgan explores the significance of trust, trustworthiness, faithfulness, and entrustedness in New Testament writings.

Trust between God, Christ, and humanity is revealed as a risky, dynamic, forward-looking, life-changing partnership. God entrusts Christ with winning the trust of humanity and bringing humanity to trust in God. God and Christ trust humanity to respond to God's initiative through Christ, and entrust the faithful with diverse forms of work for humanity and for creation. Human understanding of God and Christ is limited, and trust and faithfulness often fail, but imperfect trust is not a deal-breaker.

Morgan develops a new model of atonement, showing how trust enables humanity's release from the power of both sin and suffering. She examines the neglected concept of propositional trust and argues that it plays a key role in faith. This volume offers a compelling vision of Christian trust as soteriological, ethical, and community-forming. Trust is both the means of salvation and an end in itself, because where we trust is where we most fully live.

Teresa Morgan, Professor of Graeco-Roman history and Nancy Bissell Turpin Fellow and Tutor in ancient history, Oriel College, Oxford

Teresa Morgan is Professor of Graeco-Roman history at the University of Oxford and McDonald Agape Professor-elect of New Testament and Early Christianity at Yale Divinity School. She studied Classics at Cambridge University and Theology at Oxford University, and held Junior Research Fellowships at
St John's College, Cambridge, Newham College, Cambridge, and from the British Academy. She was Fellow and Tutor in ancient history at University College, Oxford, before serving for over twenty years as Professor of Graeco-Roman history and Nancy Bissell Turpin Fellow and Tutor in ancient history at
Oriel College, Oxford.