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This article presents selected excerpts from my PhD, The University of Wales, Trinity Saint David (2010) in regard to the love of God.
Objections
John Hick (1970) writes that evil is the most serious objection against the Christian belief in a God of love, and is probably the most difficult objection to write about. It can be disastrous to say too little or too much. Hick (1970: xi).
R.Wickham (1964) explains that within the discussion of the problem of evil and theodicy, it is asked how human suffering can be reconciled with the goodness of God. How can evil occur if God loves humanity? Wickham (1964: vii).
Incompatibilism versus Compatibilism
Tim Mawson (1999) indicates free will theodicy assumes moral evil that accompanies free will is necessary as a universe with free will is better than one without free will. Mawson (1999: 323).
The idea being that within free will theodicy significant, unfettered, human freedom, is vital for meaningful existence. Feinberg (1994: 65).
A greater good could not be realized unless God allowed his human creatures to freely reject him, since this was the only means by which they could also ultimately love, trust, and obey God. Schoenig (1997: 458).
This is incompatibilism.
Feinberg as a compatibilist states that within an incompatibilistic approach: God is therefore justified in having evil exist in his creation because the amount of overall good produced with significant human free will would far outweigh the negatives within the problem of evil, even though many persons reject God. Feinberg (1994: 65).
Compatibilism in contrast, states that human freedom can be significantly influenced by other secondary causes and most importantly, a primary cause. The primary cause is God, within a theistic model.
Robert H. Mounce (1995) explains that God directs the affairs in life, for those who love him, for the greater good. Mounce (1995: 187).
G.R. Lewis (1996) explains God does, at times, choose to work through angelic and human intermediates. Lewis (1996: 458). This would be a means by which God uses evil for his good purposes.
The idea that God is love is demonstrated through Christ’s work on the cross. Moltmann (1993: 227).
God is showing love within this system by allowing significant human freedom and not using compulsion to counter it (Calvin (1543)(1996: 68). It is also showing love through the work of Christ. This love of God needs to be presented within a Calvinistic sovereignty theodicy. God’s love may often be an overlooked idea within some Reformed, and Calvinist writings, and this may be because Calvinism is a largely philosophical system of theology. Green (1971: 2).
Millard J. Erickson explains that God demonstrates his love through benevolence, grace, mercy, and persistence. Erickson (1994: 292). The love of God and Christ needs to be demonstrated within a Calvinistic sovereignty theodicy in order to serve as an effective form of practical theology for those suffering. I favour compatibilism, to hard determinism or incompatibilism.
CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book II, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College.
CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College.
CALVIN, JOHN (1540)(1973) Romans and Thessalonians, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1550)(1978) Concerning Scandals, Translated by John W. Fraser, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
CALVIN, JOHN (1552)(1995) Acts, Translated by Watermark, Nottingham, Crossway Books.
CALVIN, JOHN (1553)(1952) Job, Translated by Leroy Nixon, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
CALVIN, JOHN (1554)(1965) Genesis, Translated by John King, Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (2003) What Does God Know and When Does He Know It?, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, in David Basinger and Randall Basinger (eds.), Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.
FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books.
GREEN, JAY (1971) Five Points of Calvinism, ‘Forward’, Grand Rapids, Sovereign Grace Publishers. HICK, JOHN (1970) Evil and The God of Love, London, The Fontana Library.
HICK, JOHN (1978) ‘Present and Future Life’, Harvard Theological Review, Volume 71, Number 1-2, January-April, Harvard University.
HICK, JOHN (1981) Encountering Evil, Stephen T. Davis (ed.), Atlanta, John Knox Press.
HICK, JOHN (1993) ‘Afterword’ in GEIVETT, R. DOUGLAS (1993) Evil and the Evidence for God, Philadelphia, Temple University Press.
HICK, JOHN (1993) The Metaphor of God Incarnate, Louisville, Kentucky, John Know Press.
HICK, JOHN (1994) Death and Eternal Life, Louisville, Kentucky, John Knox Press.
HICK, JOHN (1999) ‘Life after Death’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press.
LEWIS, G.R. (1996) ‘God, Attributes Of’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.
MAWSON, TIM (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil and Moral Indifference’, in Religious Studies, Volume 35, pp. 323-345. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1993) The Crucified God, Minneapolis, Fortress Press.
MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1999) ‘Perseverance’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1995) The New American Commentary: Romans, Nashville, Broadman
& Holman Publishers.
SCHOENIG, RICHARD (1997) ‘The Free Will Theodicy’, in Religious Studies, Volume 34, pp. 457-470. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
WICKHAM, EDWARD R. ‘Forward’, in O.Fielding.Clarke (1964) God and Suffering: An Essay in Theodicy, Derby, Peter Smith (Publishers) Limited.
