Human Anguish and God's PowerPersons anguished by another's profound suffering are often outraged by well-intentioned efforts to console them which suggest that God 'sent' that horrific suffering to their loved one for a 'purpose' according to a tailor-made 'plan' for just that person. However, the outraged reaction simply deepens the anguish. This book argues that such 'consolation' is theologically problematic because it assumes that unrestricted power is what makes God 'God.' Against that it outlines an account of 'who' and 'what' the Triune God is, framed in terms of God's intrinsic 'glory,' the attractive and perfectly self-expressive self-giving in love that is God's life, and sets limits to the range of things we can say God 'does.' Correlatively it offers an account of different senses in which God is 'sovereign' and 'powerful', one which reflects three ways God relates to all else: to create, to bless eschatologically, and to reconcile, as is scripturally narrated. |
Contents
part ii | 15 |
What and | 19 |
Efforts to Console the Anguished? Some Assumed Reality Claims about God 27 | 27 |
3 | 71 |
4 | 101 |
5 | 134 |
The Triune Gods Sovereignty in the Register | 158 |
6 | 167 |
power | 207 |
8 | 262 |
9 | 287 |
The Power of the Triune Gods Sovereignty in | 298 |
Register of Reconciliation | 313 |
10 | 349 |
11 | 379 |
Gods Role | 388 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abraham accounts of God’s active acts analogically anguish appropriate ascribed assume attributed basis beginning called canonical cause Chapter characterize Christian claim close communities conceptual concrete actuality constitutes context create creation creative blessing distinction distortions divine doctrine dynamic economy entails eschatological blessing eternal event evil exercise existence experience explain expressed faithful Father follows framed given goal God relates God’s intrinsic God’s power God’s relating God’s sovereignty goes about relating Gospels human creatures identified identity Incarnation inferences interactions Jesus kinds living logical manner means movement mystery narrative nature necessarily objection ontological ordered particular pastoral Persons positive possibility praise problematic promise providence providential qualities question radically reality reason reference relating in creative relating to reconcile remarks response rule Scripture self-relating sense simply single singular sort Spirit strands suffering suggest Summa theological things Thomas traditional Trinity Triune God Triune God’s understood warrant well-being