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The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence, written by Thomas Jay Oord

The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence, written by Thomas... Thomas Jay Oord, The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 228 pages, $ 22.00, ISBN 9780830840847.We live in a world shattered by suffering. Terrorists bomb crowds, people die of disease, and children are born with acute debilitations. When Christians address such issues, it is a common assumption that God has the power to prevent human suffering in its manifold forms, but that God has morally sufficient reason not to—even if humans are not able to discern what that reason might be. It is this assumption that Thomas Jay Oord seeks to undermine in his creative book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. Here Oord proffers a novel model of God’s providence—essential kenosis—whereby it is essential to the character of this God ‘never to control others’ (94). Instead, ‘God necessarily gives freedom, agency, self-organization or spontaneity to creatures’ (219), including the regularities of nature. An implication of this model of providence, Oord contends, is that it provides an answer to the problem of evil: ‘God cannot prevent genuine evil’ (167, Oord’s emphasis).Oord’s reflections on the nature of love are central to his essential kenosis model of providence. For him, the picture of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Reformed Theology Brill

The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence, written by Thomas Jay Oord

Wessling, Jordan
Journal of Reformed Theology , Volume 11 (1-2): 2 – Jan 1, 2017
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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
Copyright © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
1872-5163
eISSN
1569-7312
DOI
10.1163/15697312-01101022
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Thomas Jay Oord, The Uncontrolling Love of God: An Open and Relational Account of Providence (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 228 pages, $ 22.00, ISBN 9780830840847.We live in a world shattered by suffering. Terrorists bomb crowds, people die of disease, and children are born with acute debilitations. When Christians address such issues, it is a common assumption that God has the power to prevent human suffering in its manifold forms, but that God has morally sufficient reason not to—even if humans are not able to discern what that reason might be. It is this assumption that Thomas Jay Oord seeks to undermine in his creative book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. Here Oord proffers a novel model of God’s providence—essential kenosis—whereby it is essential to the character of this God ‘never to control others’ (94). Instead, ‘God necessarily gives freedom, agency, self-organization or spontaneity to creatures’ (219), including the regularities of nature. An implication of this model of providence, Oord contends, is that it provides an answer to the problem of evil: ‘God cannot prevent genuine evil’ (167, Oord’s emphasis).Oord’s reflections on the nature of love are central to his essential kenosis model of providence. For him, the picture of

Journal

Journal of Reformed Theology – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 2017

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