God in Himself: Scripture, Metaphysics, and the Task of Christian Theology (Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture | SCDS)
Overview
This longstanding question has been addressed by Christian theologians throughout the church’s history. Some, such as Thomas Aquinas, argued for the role of natural revelation. Others, including Karl Barth, emphasized the importance of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ and Scripture. Recent theological reflection has also explored the relationship between metaphysical and biblical approaches to the doctrine of God.
In this volume in IVP Academic’s Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture series, Steven J. Duby refuses to forgo either natural revelation or the particularities of Scripture in casting his own vision for answering the age-old question of how we might know God.
- Demonstrates how contemplation on God is a spiritual exercise
- Explores the classical Reformed doctrine of God
- Presents a case for integrating natural theology, the incarnation, and metaphysics in a Christian description of God in himself
- Theologia within the Divine Economy
- “Preparation for the School of Grace”: The Role of Natural Theology
- Incarnation in Context: Christology’s Place in Theology Proper
- Theology and Metaphysics Revisited
- “To whom will you compare me?” Retrieving the (Right) Doctrine of Analogy
Top Highlights
“First, the origin of the natural knowledge of God is God the Creator in his self-revelation” (Page 70)
“It follows from this line of scriptural teaching that God is complete in himself without reference to the economy. What God is and what he does ad intra in the eternal processions is distinct from what God does ad extra or economically, even if the nature of that distinction must be handled carefully to avoid giving the impression that there are two different versions of God.” (Pages 15–16)
“With Webster, I intend to indicate at different points in this study how a strong understanding of God’s aseity can shape our understanding of God’s economic works (not least the incarnation) and our own sense of identity as creatures of God.” (Page 7)
“Ectypal theology is derived from archetypal theology and only analogically one with it.69” (Page 34)
“The augmenting of the natural intellect with a ‘supernatural’ or ‘superadded’ disposition is designated ‘illumination,’ and the disposition itself is called ‘light.’ By this new light the intellect can apprehend and receive God’s essence. In apprehending and receiving God’s essence, the intellect is actuated by and assimilated to God’s essence. In this way, for Thomas, the human person becomes ‘deiform.’81 Nevertheless, even in patria we do not comprehend all that God is.82 The light of glory is a supernatural gift in that it exceeds the capacities of our original constitution, but it does not remove human finitude or lead to a conflation of our knowledge with God’s infinite knowledge.” (Pages 38–39)
To know the only true God through Jesus Christ by the Spirit is eternal life (John 17:3). With the combination of deep and reverent scholarship that we have come to expect from him, Steve Duby seeks to retrieve the supreme object of Christian theology—God in himself—by rehabilitating topics like natural theology, metaphysics, and analogy for the practice of Christian theology. In doing so, Duby demonstrates how the proper coordination of these topics contributes to the supreme end of Christian theology, communion with the Holy Trinity. This is a masterful work of biblical, historical, philosophical, and dogmatic theology by a master theologian that deserves a wide readership.
—Scott R. Swain, president and James Woodrow Hassell Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando
Showing his characteristic depth, Duby articulates an insightful and profound recovery of classical Christian theism for constructive theology today. Keeping an eye on contemporary instincts, Duby mines the tradition to clarify misunderstanding, critique overreactions, and suggest ways to appropriate the wisdom of our tradition. I highly recommend it!
—Kyle Strobel, associate professor at Biola University, author of Formed for the Glory of God
This is a magisterial book; every Christian theologian should read it. With clarity and charity, Steven Duby cuts through the misunderstandings that have grown up around the doctrine of God. By the end of his book, the treasure of the God who reveals himself in Jesus Christ is shining forth with renewed brilliance, and our speech about him has been purified so as to be fully capable of praise. Duby accomplishes all this by drawing on the patristic and medieval traditions as received and engaged by Reformed thinkers, in conjunction with a broad mastery of modern philosophy, biblical exegesis, and theology. An amazing accomplishment!
—Matthew Levering, James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
- Title: God in Himself: Scripture, Metaphysics, and the Task of Christian Theology
- Author: Steven J. Duby
- Series: Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2019
- Logos Release Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: God (Christianity) › Knowableness; Revelation
- ISBNs: 9780830843749, 9780830848843, 9780830843740, 0830843744, 0830848843
- Resource ID: LLS:GDHMSLFCHRSTNTH
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-12-27T21:41:43Z