How does God’s unchanging nature impact the salvation of his people?
While divine immutability enjoyed a broad affirmation through much of Christian theological antiquity, it has fallen on harder times in modernity. Seen as a holdover from overly philosophical theology, divine immutability has often been characterized as rendering God static and incapable of having meaningful relationships with his creation.
This book aims to swim upstream from this claim and demonstrate that divine immutability does not handicap soteriology but is a necessary and vital component of God’s economy of redemption as triune changelessness protects and promotes the redemption of God’s creatures. By anchoring the economy of redemption in divine immutability, we see the benefit of rooting all of God’s economic work in the immanent life of God.
This book aims to be a work of dogmatic theology and therefore will arrive at this thesis by way of exegetical, historical, and philosophical theology. In harmony, these fields will interact with varying deviations and denials of divine immutability and ultimately conclude that a classical articulation of God’s changelessness does most justice to the economy of redemption.
Endorsements
This is a terrific articulation of what Christians mean when they affirm the words of Malachi 3:6: ‘For I the LORD do not change…’ And, as Ronni Kurtz points out well, this unchangeable nature and purpose is good news for us:
‘…Therefore, O Israel, you are not consumed.’
Michael Horton J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California, Escondido, California
If you’re looking for a primer not just on immutability but also on the Christian doctrine of God, biblical hermeneutics, the Great Tradition, and the systematic nature of theology, this is it.
Matthew Emerson Dean of Theology, Arts and Humanities, Floyd K Clark Chair of Christian Leadership, Professor of Religion, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma
… creatively and insightfully argues that the biblical, historical and theological traditions rightly profess God’s immutability. Far from be a hindrance, divine immutability is the sine qua non for humankind’s salvation. Thus, Kurtz makes a profound contribution to the Christian theological and philosophical tradition.
Thomas G. Weinandy OFM, Capuchin, and Author, Does God Change? And Does God Suffer?
Ronni Kurtz (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Cedarville University. He is also the author of ‘Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul’.
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