Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction

1. Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction Chapter 9 The Doctrine of God Wiley-Blackwell 2010

2. Is God Male? • Biblical language • Gregory of Nazianzus • Theological language as analogy • Sallie McFague, Models of God • Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love A Personal God • Difficulties of calling God a “person” • Defining “person” • An impersonal God • Aristotle • Baruch Spinoza (1632-77) • Dialogical personalism: Martin Buber • I-it and I-You relations • God cannot be reduced to a concept • God’s self-revelation • God as active subject rather than passive object Wiley-Blackwell 2010

3. Can God Suffer? • The classic view: the impassibility of God • Philo of Alexandria (c.30 BC-c.AD 45), That God is Unchangeable • Anselm and Aquinas • A suffering God: Jürgen Moltmann • The rise of protest atheism • The rediscovery of Martin Luther’s theology of the cross • The growing impact of the “history of dogma” movement • The rise of process thought • Fresh studies of the Old Testament • Notions of “love” • Moltmann’s The Crucified God (1972) • Kazoh Kitamori, A Theology of the Pain of God (1946) • Patripassianism (3rd century) • Theopaschitism (6th century) Wiley-Blackwell 2010

4. The death of God? • Charles Wesley, “And Can It Be?” • Amazing love! how can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? … ‘Tis mystery all! th’immortal dies! Who can explore his strange design? • 1966, “God is dead” • Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) • 1960s “Death of God” movement • God “dies” in Christ • Eberhard Jüngel • Jürgen Moltmann, “death in God” Wiley-Blackwell 2010

5. The Omnipotence of God • Defining omnipotence • Anselm of Canterbury • Thomas Aquinas • The two powers of God (William Ockham) • The absolute power of God • The ordained power of God • The notion of divine self-limitation • Kenoticism (Philippians 2:6-7) God’s Action in the World • Deism: God acts through the laws of nature • Thomism: God acts through secondary causes (Aquinas) • Process theology: God acts through persuasion Wiley-Blackwell 2010

6. God as Creator • Development of the doctrine of creation • Historical, prophetic, and wisdom writings • Creation as ordering • Nature is not divine • Creation and the rejection of dualism • Gnosticism • Augustine • Augustine of Hippo’s doctrine of creation • On the Literal Meaning of Genesis • Two “moments” in creation • Image of the seed • The doctrine of creation ex nihilo • Conflict with Gnosticism • Tertullian Wiley-Blackwell 2010

7. Implications of the doctrine of creation • Distinction between God and creation • Implies God’s authority over the world • Human stewardship • Implies the original goodness of creation • Human beings are created in the image of God • Models of God as creator • Emanation • Construction • Artistic expression • Creation and Christian approaches to ecology • Lynn White Jr • Douglas John Hall, Imaging God: Dominion as Stewardship • Calvin B. DeWitt • The earthkeeping principle • The sabbath principle • The fruitfulness principle • The fulfillment and limits principle • Jürgen Moltmann, God in Creation Wiley-Blackwell 2010

8. Theodicies: The Problem of Evil • The problem of evil • God is good • A good God would not permit suffering or evil • Yet suffering and evil are observed in the world • Therefore a good God does not exist • Irenaeus of Lyons (c.130-c.200) • Maturity and growth requires encounter with evil • John Hick (b.1922), Evil and the God of Love • Augustine of Hippo (354-430) • Rejection of Gnosticism • Evil as a consequence of the misuse of human freedom • Karl Barth (1886-1968) • Confidence in the ultimate triumph of the grace of God • Evil as das Nichtige, nothingness Wiley-Blackwell 2010

9. Alvin Plantinga (b.1932) • Free will is morally important • Genuine free will requires evil as a real option • God must bring into being the best possible world that God is able to do • God must create a world with free will • God will not compel human beings to do good nor restrain them from doing evil • Liberation theology • Participation in God’s struggle against and confrontation of suffering • James Cone • Process theology • God persuades rather than coerces • “Protest theodicy” • Old Testament themes • Elie Wiesel (b.1928) Wiley-Blackwell 2010

10. The Holy Spirit • Models of the Holy Spirit • Spirit as wind • Spirit as breath • Spirit as charism • The debate over the divinity of the Holy Spirit • The early church: Montanus • Patristic era: pneumatomachoi v. Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea • Council of Constantinople, 381 • Divinity established later 4th century • Scripture applied all the titles of God to the Spirit • The Spirit has divine functions • Baptism in the name of the “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” • Sequential development • Recognition of Jesus’ full divinity • Recognition of Spirit’s full divinity • Formulation of doctrine of the Trinity Wiley-Blackwell 2010

11. Augustine of Hippo: the Spirit as bond of love • The Spirit as the bond of the Father and the Son • The Spirit as the bond of unity between God and believers • The Spirit as forging bonds of unity between believers • The functions of the Spirit • The illumination of revelation • Inspiration of Scripture • The origin of faith • The appropriation of salvation • Sanctification and divinization • The energization of the Christian life • Unity within the church • Prayer, spiritualiy, and worship • Shaping and sustaining the church • Mission Wiley-Blackwell 2010