I’ve been re-reading Oliver O’Donovan’s trilogy on moral theology over the past few weeks (see here, here, and here). These volumes are an example of Christian theology at its best: deeply informed by scriptural exegesis, conversant with a wide-range of classical and contemporary theological and philosophical resources, profound in theological judgment, elegant in architectonic structure. […]
“Perfectly sufficient for himself and for us”: Petrus van Mastricht on the doctrine of God
Petrus van Mastricht begins his treatment of the doctrine of God by means of brief exegetical comments on Hebrews 11:6: “for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” According to Mastricht, this verse reveals three truths about God that are essential to saving […]
The humility of God
“Humility” might sound like a strange attribute to predicate of God. Two recent studies suggest otherwise. Grant Macaskill’s The New Testament and Intellectual Humility is not a study of divine humility per se. Its broad concern is the nature and cultivation of humility as an intellectual virtue. Because of his commitment to theological interpretation of […]
Reframing the relationship between theology proper and theological method
Systematic theology at its best devotes its attention not only to individual topics such as God, salvation, church, and sacraments. It also devotes its attention to relationships between such topics. One of the most important relationships that systematic theology considers is the relationship between the doctrine of God (i.e., theology proper) and theological method. Either […]
“He has our good at heart”: Augustine on God praising God in the Psalms
The famous ABCOBARMA principle is “always be closing other books and reading more Augustine.” Okay, it’s not a famous principle. But it is good advice. And it’s the advice I’ve been following over the past several years. This year I’m spending time in Augustine’s Expositions of the Psalms. From time to time, I hope to […]
“Let us follow them with the voice and the heart”: Witsius’ doxology on the incarnation
In a previous post, I mentioned the value of Herman Witsius’ Sacred Dissertations on the Apostles’ Creed as a work of catechetical theology. Witsius’ chapter on the incarnation of the Son of God discusses four topics central to a proper understanding and appreciation of the doctrine: (1) the subject of the incarnation, (2) the mode […]
