Theological Reflection Journal

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Table of Contents

Contemporary Theology
Non-moral Attributes
Moral Attributes
Trinity
Creator
Providence
Bibliography

The doctrine of God is complex and central to the tenets of the Christian Church. One of the crucial aspects to reflect on within the study of this subject is the existence of the Lord, which is questioned by atheists and agnostics. However, as per the Bible, God’s presence and his divine attributes are evident from the act of the creation itself, despite the fact that humans distort their knowledge of the Lord due to their sinful nature. According to Feinberg, “belief in God … comes not merely from a perceived need to explain the existence of the cosmos, nor merely from a need to have a grounding of morality … [but] stems as well from a desire to understand who we are and why we are here.” Both the Old Testament and the New Testament proclaim God’s “eternal power and divine nature” suggesting that unbelief is irrational since there is no basis for doubting the existence of the superior creator (Rom. 1:20). The Scripture does not seek a rationale and proof of the Lord’s presence but questions who he is and explores his divine attributes.

In this regard, the postulates of Christian theism are challenged by non-Christian theism and atheism. In the contemporary world, it is required to have sufficient arguments to make a statement that will hold true. I have myself reflected on this subject and attempted to find evidence of the divine presence in this world. However, the Scripture assumes God’s existence and claims that “whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). The theistic perspective that supports the existence of the Lord includes cosmological, teleological, moral, and transcendental arguments. At the same time, the primary reasons used to deny the presence of God are based on certain conceptions of his divine nature. The existence of the evil and the divine is perceived as logically incompatible. Nevertheless, many Christians believe that the Lord has its reasons, and finding Christian faith can dramatically change one’s life.

Contemporary Theology

Contemporary theology refers to the study of theological tendencies and ideas within the recent time. Academic research often involves both Christians and non-Christians, which allows for obtaining various perspectives on relevant issues and definitions. In my view, people who seek to live a godlier life would turn to and interpret the Scripture itself, while contemporary theology comprises a broad range of questions and considers different viewpoints on the Lord and his attributes. As per Feinberg, God in contemporary thought is explored through modern and postmodern theologies. Kant, Hegel, Schleiermacher, Ritschl, Kierkegaard, and Barth are significant figures for theology and philosophy with regard to the modern mindset. In turn, Feinberg explores the role of the theology of hope, liberation theology, feminist theologies, the New age theology, and process theology as perspectives that aim to “”resurrect” the notion of God” through the application of the postmodern mindset. Some theologians rethink metaphysics and truth, bringing new concepts to the forefront and emphasizing various themes, such as social and political issues. With this regard, the practical theology shift has altered the implications on church life and human ethics.

A historical perspective on Christian doctrines suggests a difference in the field of practical theology. Christianity and Greek dualism, which suggest splitting the body and the soul, the physical and the mental, prioritize theory over practice. Early Churches that began through Jesus Christ emphasize practice over theory. The Triune God and the threefold love of Trinity, involving the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, have become fundamental in the postmodern era. Such a paradigm shift illustrates the changes in contemporary theology and emphasizes the role of modernism and postmodernism in the Christian faith. In my viewpoint, a modern outlook on the subject allows for gaining a better understanding of the doctrine of God and its evolution throughout the history of Christianity.

Non-moral Attributes

Attributes of God should be viewed as his essential characteristics rather than elements that comprise a complex whole. As I can conclude, based on the research done on the Christian doctrines, Lord is not merely a set of godly components. Some people have a misconception of the divine attributes due to the difference in interpretation; however, both moral and non-moral concepts of the Almighty’s nature are critical to consider for a better understanding of this doctrine. The creative purpose of God provides a foundation for drawing connections among his love, wrath, and holiness. Moreover, mercy and rage can be viewed as the divine qualities deriving from the Almighty’s striving for justice.

Non-moral attributes raise conceptual problems which need to be addressed since they affect personal, practical, and ministry applications of the doctrine of God. From Feinberg’s perspective, aseity, infinity, immensity and omnipresence, eternity, and immutability are the primary non-moral characteristics of God. Omnipotence is integral with the Lord’s nature, as the apostle Paul states, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made” (Rom. 1:20). Moreover, God is unchangeable due to his holy nature, which prevents him from being more truthful and perfect than he already is. Sovereignty is another attribute proclaimed in the Scripture in the following way: “being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). Furthermore, judgment and discernment are aligned with God’s righteousness and commitment to justice and can lead to punitive wrath. Overall, the essence of God lies beneath the outward manifestation and is reflected in his non-moral attributes as inherent features.

Moral Attributes

The moral attributes of God derive from his divine holiness and absolute purity. According to Feinberg, “God is free from the pollution of sin, for he cannot sin … [and] is so pure and perfect that Scripture says he cannot even be tempted to sin (James 1:13).” As a result, the Almighty demands purity from his creation and presents himself as the standard. Furthermore, he offers his Son as a sacrifice on people’s behalf to regain their innocence and purity. As stated by Feinberg, the moral attributes of God are his holiness, righteousness, love, grace, mercy, longsuffering, goodness, lovingkindness, and truth. Love is inseparable from divine nature and is considered a prerequisite for justice. As per the unitary account, God’s punishment is an expression of his kind nature, in contrast to the divergent account, which views wrath and love as two opposites. However, divine rage pursues the purpose of guiding the wrongdoers, while the creative purpose prevents the Lord from executing punishment in ways incompatible with mercy. Moreover, the ethic of love depicted in the New Testament suggests that the Lord avoids severe retribution.

God’s moral attributes revolve around the idea of his righteousness. As the creator, he establishes the moral order of the universe maintains a fair approach to all his creatures. In my view, God can be described as a balanced essence that is merciful and full of love towards his children. At the same time, I find the unitary account logical in terms of manifestation of the Lord’s love since sin must be punished and corrected. God in Christianity is the guardian of the moral world order whose acts derive from his holiness, love, and commitment to justice.

Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the central concepts in the Christian faith, critical for the historical development of its tenets. By asserting the Almighty’s triune nature, Christianity proclaims the existence of only one God while recognizing the Father, the Son, incarnate as Jesus, and the Holy Spirit as three persons in one. I find Trinity one of the most significant theological doctrines due to its uniqueness within the Christian faith. It causes numerous misconceptions because of the complexity of this notion, which defines the need to study the triune nature of God for a better understanding of the Scripture and personal, practical, and ministry applications.

In particular, the doctrine of the Trinity proclaims that Jesus dying on the cross is equally God and human, which adds to the idea of salvation. The Son states that people who were able to meet him have seen the Father (John 14:9). Furthermore, the concept of the Trinity can be viewed as an example of interpersonal, namely, family relations. According to Feinberg, “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit deeply love one another, work together to accomplish their goals in our universe, and when needed, submit their individual will to the wishes and plans of the other members of the Godhead.”⁸ Such a framework presents a significant practical implication of this doctrine. Another aspect I would like to discuss is the consistency of the divine attributes of the Trinity. The triune nature of love can be found in the Bible since God is all-loving and merciful. At the same time, the Scripture does not teach the trinitarian doctrine explicitly. However, many philosophers and theologians suggest that it is implied by the portrayal of the Lord and his attributes.

Creator

God is depicted as the creator in the Bible, which defines his omnipotence and creative purposes. The Almighty brings everything into existence through his glory. I believe that the act of creation manifests three essential attributes of God: his authority in the universe, control over all the processes and phenomena, and omnipresence. It is worth noting that the Scripture introduces the divine power through the act: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). There is no list of attributes presented explicitly, but people can draw upon the Lord’s purposes and actions which are aligned with his characteristics such as love and holiness.

The act of creation establishes that God owns everything that is present on earth and in heaven. As a result, all creations are expected to worship the creator and his blessings. Bringing praise is the reasonable reaction which people should express in response to the formation of the world. In turn, God is resentful towards those who worship idols and other people rather than the creator. The Scripture provides an idea of the conception of the universe and manifests the Lord’s six-day creation culminating in a day of the divine respite as the model for people to build their workweek resulting in Sunday as the holy day of rest. As can be seen, creation is an essential concept that provides a foundation to understanding the doctrine of God.

Providence

The doctrine of creation is interconnected to the concept of divine providence, which refers to the Lord’s governance and intervention in the universe. In my view, this concept can leave people wondering about eternal questions regarding the meaning of life and the presence of evil in the world. It appears contradictory that an all-loving and all-powerful God coexists with human sin. However, the Christian faith suggests that a divine plan defines the Almighty’s interactions with the universe and people. The providence is God’s sovereignty and omnipotence that guides, loves, and cares for his creation. Christian theology suggests that there is no possibility of another power competing with the Almighty, who provides all creatures to act and exist in this world.

With this regard, it is critical to discuss the difference between the holy nature of God and the sinful nature of people. While the Lord created the universe and human beings in his image, it would be misleading to compare divine nature with that of people. God’s attributes such as love, truth, righteousness, justice, and wrath do not suggest that these qualities are comparable with human traits. As per Feinberg, the Lord “has them to an infinite degree, whereas we have them only to a limited degree, but they still rightly fall in the communicable group because both creator and creature possess them.”⁹ Therefore, the doctrine of providence should be viewed with regard to the eternal divine attributes that manifest God’s omnipotence.

Bibliography

Calloway, Colin. New Worlds for All: Indians, Europeans, and the Remaking of Early America. New York: JHU Press, 2012.

Cummings, John. “The Quality of Online Social Relationships.” Communications of the ACM 45, no. 7 (2014): 103–108.

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