Hofmann (1810 1877) was one of the most significant theologians of the 19th century and perhaps the century s most influential Lutheran theologian. Matthew L. Becker introduces us to Hofmann s trinitarian view of God. According to Hofmann, God freely chose to give himself out of divine love. Becker s book centers on Hofmann s understanding of history. In Hofmann s trinitarian kenosis, the eternal God has become historical by self-emptying God s self into Jesus. For Hofmann, world history can only be understood within the historical self-giving of the triune God who is love. Thus, for Hofmann all of history is salvation-history, a kind of history that embraces and fulfills God s purposes in the world. Matthew L. Becker is a Professor of Theology at Concordia University, Portland, Oregon. An ordained Lutheran minister, Dr. Becker has served congregations in Chicago and Orgegon. He is a co-editor of God Opens Doors, a history of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the Pacific Northwest.