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Ausgabe: | Mai/2022 |
Spalte: | 498–499 |
Kategorie: | Systematische Theologie: Dogmatik |
Autor/Hrsg.: | Peckham, John C. |
Titel/Untertitel: | The Doctrine of God. Introducing the Big Questions. |
Verlag: | London u. a.: Bloomsbury T & T Clark 2019. 272 S. Kart. £ 26,99. ISBN 9780567677846. |
Rezensent: | Joshua Kira |
The Doctrine of God, by John Peckham, is a survey of various posi-tions in systematics concerning theology proper. The subtitle, Introducing the Big Questions, is apt, as the book is organized around various interrogatives that have been asked in church history. In his selection of content, P. gives some preference to contemporary de-bates, with a particular focus on classical theism, defined as the view that God »is necessarily the perfect existent, self-sufficient, simple, eternal, immutable, impassible, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent« (4–5). The work, by design, is selective and quote-heavy, as P. is clear that he is providing an introduction and wants to allow the scholars mentioned speak for themselves (23). Each chapter is organized around a continuum of positions with the classical posi-tion at one end and the process perspective on the other. After pro-viding an explanation of significant views, P. then provides exege-tical material that is most often debated in the formulation of the differing positions. The utility of the book as an introduction is augmented by the author’s inclusion of study questions, short lists for further reading, and the inclusion of a glossary at the end of the volume.
After an introduction (1–26), P. takes a chapter to answer the questions, »Does God Change?« and »Does God Have Emotions?« (27–68). In addressing immutability and impassibility, he introduc-es a few broad themes that will pervade the rest of the book. These would include scope of theological personalism and whether traditional notions of divine attributes are consistent with personal relationships. P. then proceeds to the question »Does God Have a Future?« (69–107), where he delves into the issue of God’s relation-ship to time. Peculiarly, the author provides not only theological positions, but also a few philosophical discussions concerning the nature of time itself. The next chapter is guided by the questions »Does God Know Everything?« and »Does God Know the Future?« (109–143). Aside from many of the positions that have long histor-ical predecessors, P. discusses Molinism (128–132), in its contem-porary revival, and open theism. The prior of these is curious in that it is typically understood as a philosophical position and not a theological one (contra claims by William Lane Craig quoted on 130). The latter is equally intriguing, since open theism appears to be an intramural discussion among American evangelicals, of which broader Christendom is relatively unaware or dismissive.
P.’s fifth chapter addresses the question »Can God Do Anything?« (147–174), attempting to show the issues revolving around God’s omnipotence and sovereignty. The corollary to the discus-sion is the issue of human freedom, as many of the positions see finite choice as the largest obstacle to strong views of divine power. The next chapter, »Is God Entirely Good?« (175–198), is, perhaps, the greatest outlier as to subject matter, in that one would have a difficult time finding a Christian who would answer the guiding interrogative in the negative. For this reason, chapter six is unlike the other chapters which are descriptions of different polemical dis-putes, and is, instead, a description of different apologetic respons-es. The final chapter confronts the topic of the Trinity in asking »How Can God Be One and Three?« (199–237). This chapter is the most consistently and explicitly theological as well as, perhaps, the most historical.
The Doctrine of God is a helpful book, but requires some caveats and qualifications for it to be so. P. appears to have American evangelicalism as his primary audience. He frequently mentions and draws upon movements (e. g. open theism) and authors (e. g. John Piper and John Frame) that do not have a wide readership in scholarly theological circles. This has a tendency to color his discussion, with one example being on the issue of divine temporal-ity. Of greater concern than the nature of time, it appears, in the last century within Protestant theology at large, is the issue of understanding the eschatological nature of the divine being. Thus, even when he broaches questions that have a long history, his focus on evangelical concerns causes him to refrain from examining some significant contemporary trains of thought.
The second caveat is that the book’s title is, perhaps, a misnomer. The book is a blend of theology and philosophy, and a clear and strong one at that. Yet, it is odd to say that it addresses the »doctrine of God«, when it spends a good deal of its space quoting philo-sophers, discussing philosophical positions, and addressing issues that many theologians would not be as keen to broach. This is not to say that philosophical argumentation has no place in systematic theology, but much of the interaction in the volume is not with theologians related to the exegetical evidence which he mentions, but with philosophers who have certain issues that do not arise f rom the biblical text, nor do they answer it in relationship to said text. In this way, large swaths of the book would be better categorized under the topic of philosophy of religion and not theology.
With those caveats in place, there are a few small negatives regarding P.’s work. The first is that it is somewhat uneven in its historical work. The author’s gift is that he does not make mistakes in representing the positions of others and is extremely helpful in clarifying difficult arguments. Yet, in some chapters he speaks of historical positions from early Church Fathers until present, while other he deals almost solely with 20th and 21st century issues. Second, P. does not address a few important theological issues in his discussion. It should be granted that one must excuse him for choosing not to broach certain issues under the constraints of his purpose. Yet, the issue of God’s will as related to his nature, as well as that of the purpose of passages that broach divine tem-porality, may have been helpful. Third, P.’s book being dense in quotes is hugely beneficial, but can be cumbersome in a few places, especially where multiple statements are given to make the same point.
As far as the many benefits of the book, four are worth men-tioning. P.’s clarity is both refreshing and necessary, considering his audience is likely being introduced to many of the issues he addresses. Second, the author does his readers a great service in constantly showing the interrelated nature of the topics that are in the various chapters. Even if one does not agree with classical theol-ogians or any specific detractors, one can still come away with an appreciation for how the scholars that are consulted attempt to set forth consistent and holistic perspectives. Third, P. may direct his writing toward evangelicalism, but this does not deter him from interacting with a wide range of contemporary material. He crosses both the bounds of traditions, denominations, and disciplines to provide a compelling primer to many significant issues in Chris-tian scholarship.
Finally, though the author looks to academics that may have a more limited standing in global biblical scholarship at times, it may be the case that his introduction can help to show how traditions that are not as influential in the theological community should have a seat in the discussion. Thus, with caveats understood, the benefits of the present volume far outweigh its detriments making it a helpful contribution to any individual who is beginning to take a lay of the theological and philosophical landscape in theology proper.