Pierce Taylor Hibbs

A landmark work on language and the doctrine of the Trinity. From 2015-2022, Pierce Taylor Hibbs (MAR, ThM Westminster Theological Seminary) wrote a series of articles that delved into the mysteries of God and language. Each article was published in Westminster Theological Journal. All of these articles are now collected for the first time, with a foreword by Vern Sheridan Poythress. Scholars, theologians, and philosophers alike will find much in this volume to engage with and pursue even further.One of the most mysterious truths is that God speaks. As creatures, we speak in his image. What are the implications of this revealed truth? In this collection of essays, the author expounds and explores the relationship between language and the doctrine of the Trinity. The topics range from a theological definition of language, to language as a proof of God's existence, to the nature of metaphor, and even a "linguistic ontology," that is, a theory of how all things exist only because of God's divine speech. Theologians, scholars, and researchers will find much to engage with here, especially in the work of Kenneth L. Pike, whose language theory the author has studied at great length. Read, explore, and marvel at the God who is always speaking, and who has given language to us as a holy gift.

Losing a parent can reveal much about who you are. Award-winning Christian author Pierce Taylor Hibbs (author of Struck Down but Not Destroyed and Finding Hope in Hard Things) offers a concise and gripping memoir that chronicles his spiritual journey through losing his father at a young age. In a narrative that blends prose, art, and intimacy, he shows three things grief has taught him about being a human. First is transience, the passing away of himself and all things. Second is limitation, which allows for human relationships. Third is perspective, seeing the world from a certain place. Last is hope, choosing to believe that there is more to life than what we see. The memoir works through these words in relation to his father's death, drawing out deep spiritual observations that serve to remind readers who they are. Hibbs takes what is a universal experience and makes it tangible for readers without removing its relevance for their own lives. These are words to be felt and experienced, not merely read.

What if giving can change the world? Well, it can. In fact, it already has. And you have the opportunity to join in the movement that God has begun, a movement close to his own heart. Giving is how God changes the world. We're often focused on what we can take or receive from God and others. But in The Book of Giving, the author reveals that this is stunting the growth of our souls. The God who always gives-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-has invited us into his giving circle. In that circle, we don't just hope to receive. We hope to move the giving forward-to receive, give thanks, and give back. This movement of giving is at the center of all relationships. Join the author as he uses gifts as a perspective on who God is, who we are, and what the world is like. This book is packed with reader resources to help you study yourself and grow as a giver. It's not just a book to read; it's a book to eat, a book that will energize change in your daily life. The changes God will make in the world can start inside you with the smallest seeds, with a prayer, a conversation, a cup of coffee. Change starts with giving. And you'll be amazed at the results. Come see God from a fresh perspective and find yourself anew in The Book of Giving.

We all go through hard things. Do we miss the most important truth in the midst of them? In this book, the author argues that we usually do. Hard things are shaping things. In the difficult experiences we face, we can find the voice of a God who gave himself to hard things so that he could be with us in ours. We can always find hope in our hard things because we know that God will shape us through them in profound ways. In fact, hard things shape us in ways easy things can't. Join award-winning Christian writer Pierce Taylor Hibbs (author of Struck Down but Not Destroyed and Finding God in the Ordinary) as he walks through his father's early death, his anxiety disorder, and his struggles with self-doubt, showing how God shapes us in powerful ways through our hardest things. If you've been walking through hard things, you won't want to miss this powerful testament to the God who gives himself to us.Endorsements"We have come to expect the highest standards of Christian orthodoxy argued with remarkable clarity from Pierce Hibbs. Increasingly, though, his passion about facing the tough parts of life with ultimate confidence bring a dimension with them impossible to fabricate. They come to us with unusual honesty. I don't believe I know of any writings quite like his. Pastoral, practical and profoundly biblical, every Christian will be rewarded by these journeys into suffering and grace." - William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary"Hibbs's writing-clear, crisp, and passionate-makes for an easy read. And yet behind that simplicity is a depth that comes from someone who has been in a 'fellowship of Jesus's suffering.' When you meet a fellow traveler, like Pierce Taylor Hibbs, that has been through the valley of shadow of death, you want to sit down and listen. Hibbs will give you hope in the midst of your hard things." - Paul E. Miller, best-selling author of A Praying Life and J-Curve"There is redemptive beauty and meaning in the brokenness of this world. In the hard things, the really hard things, God speaks to us, and Pierce gives us the ears to hear." - Roger Lowther, author of The Broken Leaf"This is a case for suffering we need to consider. In his latest work, Finding Hope in Hard Things, Pierce Taylor Hibbs tackles the challenging reality of hardship in our lives. With biblical clarity and engaging experience, Hibbs writes winsomely about the positive side of suffering, while including personal pains, and how God shapes us by His grace-at times calling us to rejoice. Read this book and you will not only be encouraged and comforted, you will see and know the steadfast character of the One who stands with you in the hard things.." - Nathaniel Schill, Founder of Shepherd ApologeticsReader CommentsJust like Pierce Taylor Hibbs's other books, this read was so encouraging and helpful as I navigate through the trials and struggles in my life. Pierce uses life experiences and scripture to reveal how God uses our struggles to draw is closer to His side. I gladly purchased several more to pass on to friends and family who have been going through hard things.Poetic, honest and raw. The author shares deeply from his own experience and points readers to the depths of who God is and what he does for us in pain.Pierce Taylor Hibbs not only packs his books with theological and doctrinal truths that are well explained and easy to understand, but also has a reading voice/writing style that is so inviting to his readers.

A revolutionary approach to anxiety A 12-year anxiety veteran offers wisdom, encouragement, and resources for anxious Christians. Do you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does? Award-winning Christian author Pierce Taylor Hibbs shows that we've been approaching our anxiety the wrong way. It's not a terror to avoid but a tool in God's hands. The author draws on his own experience in living with an anxiety disorder for over 12 years to present descriptions, theological discussion, and concrete resources for fellow anxiety sufferers. In Struck Down but Not Destroyed, you will learn how to . . . Be confident in the spiritual purpose for your anxiety and suffering;Inspect your own habits and behaviors in light of Scripture;Accept your anxiety as a spiritual tool in the hands of God.It's time for us to focus on the spiritual purposes God has for our anxiety. It's time for us to revel in the amazing truth that the best part of being struck down is realizing that we will never be destroyed, not with God on our side.READER COMMENTS"I just read the introduction and was blown away.""This is a must read for those who deal with anxiety themselves, those who have someone they love who suffer with anxiety or for those in ministry. This book gives hope.""Whether you are worried, weary, or whittled down, Hibbs shows the reader how God stewards your anxiety for His glory and your good.""I am constantly amazed at how this theologian is able to make me understand our relationship with God in new and fresh ways.""If you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does, please read this book. I foresee, as a pastor, sharing this book with those I counsel and reading it as a prayer prompt to pray for those who do struggle in this area."

A revolutionary approach to anxiety A 12-year anxiety veteran offers wisdom, encouragement, and resources for anxious Christians. Do you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does? Award-winning Christian author Pierce Taylor Hibbs shows that we've been approaching our anxiety the wrong way. It's not a terror to avoid but a tool in God's hands. The author draws on his own experience in living with an anxiety disorder for over 12 years to present descriptions, theological discussion, and concrete resources for fellow anxiety sufferers. In Struck Down but Not Destroyed, you will learn how to . . . Be confident in the spiritual purpose for your anxiety and suffering;Inspect your own habits and behaviors in light of Scripture;Accept your anxiety as a spiritual tool in the hands of God.It's time for us to focus on the spiritual purposes God has for our anxiety. It's time for us to revel in the amazing truth that the best part of being struck down is realizing that we will never be destroyed, not with God on our side.READER COMMENTS"I just read the introduction and was blown away.""This is a must read for those who deal with anxiety themselves, those who have someone they love who suffer with anxiety or for those in ministry. This book gives hope.""Whether you are worried, weary, or whittled down, Hibbs shows the reader how God stewards your anxiety for His glory and your good.""I am constantly amazed at how this theologian is able to make me understand our relationship with God in new and fresh ways.""If you struggle with anxiety or know someone who does, please read this book. I foresee, as a pastor, sharing this book with those I counsel and reading it as a prayer prompt to pray for those who do struggle in this area."

The Trinity is a speaking God: three divine persons who share the same essence and commune with each other in love and glory. How does this truth shape the way we view the world and our place in it? The Speaking Trinity and His Worded World explores these questions by presenting all of life through the lens of language. Understood as communion behavior, language has its roots in God himself. What's more, God has used language not only to create our world, but to sustain and direct it. Because of this biblical fact, we live in a place that always and everywhere reveals the trinitarian God whose speech upholds it. All things ""speak"" of God by revealing aspects of his character (Romans 1). We live in a worded world, a world that was spoken and speaks of God. Thus, language is far more than a means of human communication; it is at the center of who God is, who we are, and what our world is like. Join the author as he walks through redemptive history and points out not only how all things can be perceived through the lens of language, but what this means for us practically in our use of language. ""Hibbs has given us an excellent book to present in accessible form the biblical basis for the centrality of language in God's communion with us, in God's creation and providence, and in human living. The book combines biblical exposition, practical examples, and clear, winsome writing. There is nothing like it on the subject of language "" --Vern S. Poythress, author, In the Beginning Was the Word: Language--A God-Centered Approach ""The last century has witnessed a major preoccupation with language among philosophers. Theologians, too, have tried often to understand the language of God--his word. . . . Hibbs stresses the centrality of language to reality and to human life, and he persuasively expounds his view that language is communion behavior. This thesis has huge importance, and therefore I hope that the book finds many readers."" --John M. Frame, author, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief ""What a bracing theology Pierce Taylor Hibbs has given those of us who have been called to preach the word ​Those who read and meditate on The Speaking Trinity and His Worded World will find their knowledge of God and his word expanded and elevated. Preachers will find their hearts on fire to preach God's holy word."" --R. Kent Hughes, author, Disciplines of a Godly Man ""This extraordinary book brings together themes from linguistics, biblical theology, and apologetics, arguing that human language derives from the communion behavior of the divine Trinity. . . . No one is more qualified to accomplish this task than Pierce Hibbs. His years of experience both as a theologian and a language instructor bear fruit in this profoundly edifying study. Accessible to the specialist and the non-specialist alike, the book bristles with insights. It has the makings of a classic."" --William Edgar, author, Created and Creating ""In a post-postmodern age that despairs of language, meaning, and truth, Pierce Hibbs's reminder that language--communicative and expressive behavior--is ultimately rooted in the triune God comes as a welcome Christian relief. Of particular importance is the claim that language is always personal and covenantal, oriented to communion, and that God is a speaking, communicative being. Anyone interested in God and language will profit from this book."" --Kevin J. Vanhoozer, author, Is There a Meaning in This Text? ""Building on the work of Van Til, Frame, and Poythress, Hibbs has written a fascinating account of the Trinity as communicative, with language integral to creation and the nature of humanity in communion with God. Superbly written, his highly accessible discussion should do much to stimulate thought about God as Trinity. . . . He mounts a credible case that the Trinity is discernible all around us."" --Robert Letham, author, The Holy Trinity ""God created the world by speaking and his own Son

The Trinity is a speaking God: three divine persons who share the same essence and commune with each other in love and glory. How does this truth shape the way we view the world and our place in it? The Speaking Trinity and His Worded World explores these questions by presenting all of life through the lens of language. Understood as communion behavior, language has its roots in God himself. What's more, God has used language not only to create our world, but to sustain and direct it. Because of this biblical fact, we live in a place that always and everywhere reveals the trinitarian God whose speech upholds it. All things ""speak"" of God by revealing aspects of his character (Romans 1). We live in a worded world, a world that was spoken and speaks of God. Thus, language is far more than a means of human communication; it is at the center of who God is, who we are, and what our world is like. Join the author as he walks through redemptive history and points out not only how all things can be perceived through the lens of language, but what this means for us practically in our use of language. ""Hibbs has given us an excellent book to present in accessible form the biblical basis for the centrality of language in God's communion with us, in God's creation and providence, and in human living. The book combines biblical exposition, practical examples, and clear, winsome writing. There is nothing like it on the subject of language "" --Vern S. Poythress, author, In the Beginning Was the Word: Language--A God-Centered Approach ""The last century has witnessed a major preoccupation with language among philosophers. Theologians, too, have tried often to understand the language of God--his word. . . . Hibbs stresses the centrality of language to reality and to human life, and he persuasively expounds his view that language is communion behavior. This thesis has huge importance, and therefore I hope that the book finds many readers."" --John M. Frame, author, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief ""What a bracing theology Pierce Taylor Hibbs has given those of us who have been called to preach the word ​Those who read and meditate on The Speaking Trinity and His Worded World will find their knowledge of God and his word expanded and elevated. Preachers will find their hearts on fire to preach God's holy word."" --R. Kent Hughes, author, Disciplines of a Godly Man ""This extraordinary book brings together themes from linguistics, biblical theology, and apologetics, arguing that human language derives from the communion behavior of the divine Trinity. . . . No one is more qualified to accomplish this task than Pierce Hibbs. His years of experience both as a theologian and a language instructor bear fruit in this profoundly edifying study. Accessible to the specialist and the non-specialist alike, the book bristles with insights. It has the makings of a classic."" --William Edgar, author, Created and Creating ""In a post-postmodern age that despairs of language, meaning, and truth, Pierce Hibbs's reminder that language--communicative and expressive behavior--is ultimately rooted in the triune God comes as a welcome Christian relief. Of particular importance is the claim that language is always personal and covenantal, oriented to communion, and that God is a speaking, communicative being. Anyone interested in God and language will profit from this book."" --Kevin J. Vanhoozer, author, Is There a Meaning in This Text? ""Building on the work of Van Til, Frame, and Poythress, Hibbs has written a fascinating account of the Trinity as communicative, with language integral to creation and the nature of humanity in communion with God. Superbly written, his highly accessible discussion should do much to stimulate thought about God as Trinity. . . . He mounts a credible case that the Trinity is discernible all around us."" --Robert Letham, author, The Holy Trinity ""God created the world by speaking and his own Son

We tend to look for God in the grand and spectacular, but most of our lives are filled with ordinary moments and routines: drinking coffee, reading a book, driving to work. Can we find God in the banalities of everyday life? In Finding God in the Ordinary, the author shows that we can, and that we must. Our world is not an ordinary world. Because it was spoken into being and maintained by the word of God's power (Heb 1:3), everything around us is always revealing the nature and character of the triune God. Our world is extraordinarily ordinary, always calling our attention to the God of glory and his work in the commonplace. ""I loved this short book by Pierce Taylor Hibbs on finding God in the ordinary. It is Scriptural, wise, and beautifully written. Reformed theologians are not supposed to write natural theologies, but the Bible itself says that God is clearly revealed in the creation, and that means not only in the big things like the skies and the mountains, but also in small things, like my morning cup of coffee. This book will help you to see God everywhere, for that is where he is."" --John M. Frame, author of Nature's Case for God ""This book is a tremendous stimulus to seeing the world as God would have us see it, and interacting with the world as God would have us interact. It helps us by showing what was always there, God's presence in the ordinary. Creative, illuminating, and godly."" --Vern S. Poythress, author of Knowing and the Trinity ""The meditations upon life's commonplaces that Pierce Taylor Hibbs has crafted in this remarkable volume are Dillard-like in their penetrating observations of creation, and Hopkins-like in their 'Glory be to God for dappled things' celebration of the Creator's work. And more, because Hibbs' meditations are grounded in a robust, polychrome doctrine of the Holy Trinity, they help us to see the work of the three-personed God in all of life--the extraordinary ordinary of our own lives."" --R. Kent Hughes, author of Disciplines of a Godly Man ""In this precious volume Pierce Hibbs has done what few can achieve. These pages credibly combine the eye of a keen observer of the world around with statements about God's nature and purposes. Putting it that way sounds a bit grandiose, for the book is both playful and lyrical, at times overflowing into poetry. . . . Interspersed are Hibbs's insights into language, which is his great specialty. This is a book I would give to many people, believers or not, as it would introduce them to our God, whom they would meet in the ordinary."" --William Edgar, author of Created and Creating ""Pierce has a contagious, child-like sense of wonder in the everyday moments and opportunities so many of us miss, leading to theological and worshipful reflection of God and all his glory. Read this book devotionally to regain your sense of awe and connect it to your sense of God's presence in the world he created."" --Aimee Byrd, author of Theological Fitness Pierce Taylor Hibbs serves as the Associate Director of the Theological English department at Westminster Theology Seminary. He is the author of The Trinity, Language, and Human Behavior (2018) and The Speaking Trinity & His Worded World (2019). He writes regularly at wordsfortheologians.org.

We tend to look for God in the grand and spectacular, but most of our lives are filled with ordinary moments and routines: drinking coffee, reading a book, driving to work. Can we find God in the banalities of everyday life? In Finding God in the Ordinary, the author shows that we can, and that we must. Our world is not an ordinary world. Because it was spoken into being and maintained by the word of God's power (Heb 1:3), everything around us is always revealing the nature and character of the triune God. Our world is extraordinarily ordinary, always calling our attention to the God of glory and his work in the commonplace. ""I loved this short book by Pierce Taylor Hibbs on finding God in the ordinary. It is Scriptural, wise, and beautifully written. Reformed theologians are not supposed to write natural theologies, but the Bible itself says that God is clearly revealed in the creation, and that means not only in the big things like the skies and the mountains, but also in small things, like my morning cup of coffee. This book will help you to see God everywhere, for that is where he is."" --John M. Frame, author of Nature's Case for God ""This book is a tremendous stimulus to seeing the world as God would have us see it, and interacting with the world as God would have us interact. It helps us by showing what was always there, God's presence in the ordinary. Creative, illuminating, and godly."" --Vern S. Poythress, author of Knowing and the Trinity ""The meditations upon life's commonplaces that Pierce Taylor Hibbs has crafted in this remarkable volume are Dillard-like in their penetrating observations of creation, and Hopkins-like in their 'Glory be to God for dappled things' celebration of the Creator's work. And more, because Hibbs' meditations are grounded in a robust, polychrome doctrine of the Holy Trinity, they help us to see the work of the three-personed God in all of life--the extraordinary ordinary of our own lives."" --R. Kent Hughes, author of Disciplines of a Godly Man ""In this precious volume Pierce Hibbs has done what few can achieve. These pages credibly combine the eye of a keen observer of the world around with statements about God's nature and purposes. Putting it that way sounds a bit grandiose, for the book is both playful and lyrical, at times overflowing into poetry. . . . Interspersed are Hibbs's insights into language, which is his great specialty. This is a book I would give to many people, believers or not, as it would introduce them to our God, whom they would meet in the ordinary."" --William Edgar, author of Created and Creating ""Pierce has a contagious, child-like sense of wonder in the everyday moments and opportunities so many of us miss, leading to theological and worshipful reflection of God and all his glory. Read this book devotionally to regain your sense of awe and connect it to your sense of God's presence in the world he created."" --Aimee Byrd, author of Theological Fitness Pierce Taylor Hibbs serves as the Associate Director of the Theological English department at Westminster Theology Seminary. He is the author of The Trinity, Language, and Human Behavior (2018) and The Speaking Trinity & His Worded World (2019). He writes regularly at wordsfortheologians.org.