Issue 88 of Foundations: An International Journal of Evangelical Theology, published by Affinity, is now available from here (requiring an email address for a link to a downloadable pdf, though check here) which includes the below essays (abstracts posted where available).
Donald John MacLean
Editorial
Mostyn Roberts
The Power and Personhood of God
This paper explores the biblical and theological understanding of God's power, asserting that divine power is inseparable from God's personhood and character. It traces the expression of God's power through creation, providence, and redemption – culminating in the cross of Christ where power is paradoxically displayed in weakness. The paper contrasts God's righteous and purposeful exercise of power with human abuses of power, engaging critically with Michel Foucault's analysis of power-knowledge dynamics. It argues that true power in the church must reflect God’s character, aim at restoring believers into the image of Christ, and be exercised through godly leadership, spiritual means, and humble dependence on divine strength.
Robert Letham
Faith and Reason: Reflections on Theistic Proofs
When considering the nature and purpose of arguments for the existence of God, much depends on those for whom the particular argument is intended and what it is designed to achieve. Moreover, we must address the question of the legitimacy and validity of such an argument. This paper explores the classic theistic proofs – particularly those of Aquinas and Anselm – and evaluates their strengths and limitations in establishing the existence and identity of God. It argues that while a posteriori arguments (like Aquinas's Five Ways and modern design arguments) may suggest the existence of a supreme being, they cannot reveal the triune God of Christian revelation. Likewise, a priori arguments (such as Anselm's ontological proof) offer rich theological reflection for believers but are not designed to persuade sceptics. Ultimately, the paper contends that God is not the conclusion of human reasoning but its starting point, and that the knowledge of God is rooted not in abstract proofs but in divine self-revelation through Scripture and the person of Christ.
Thomas Brand
The God of Unchanging Glory: From Nicaea to Hegel and Back
This paper explores the enduring theological significance of divine impassibility – the doctrine that God does not suffer or undergo emotional change – in light of both its historic affirmation within classical theism and the modern movement toward divine passibility. Beginning with the rise of this modern trend, shaped by existential crises and philosophical developments from Hegel to Moltmann, the paper traces the consistent witness of the early church, scholastic theology, and Reformed orthodoxy in upholding God’s simplicity, immutability, and impassibility. Through theological, philosophical, and scriptural analysis, it contends that only the impassible God of classical theism can offer the steadfast hope and saving grace proclaimed in the gospel. In doing so, it also highlights what is lost – both doctrinally and pastorally – when divine impassibility is denied or diminished.
Steven Duby
The Weaknesses of Christ: Their Theological and Pastoral Significance
In studying God’s providence and difficult questions about God’s permission of evil and the Christian’s experience of trial and suffering, many things are worth considering. These include the wisdom and will of God, the goodness and justice of God, the nature of evil as privation (not some substance created by God), and our blessed hope – the face-to-face sight of God that will secure our everlasting joy. Yet at the centre of our life with God is the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose own suffering indicates, among other things, that God did not choose simply to stay above the fray. Accordingly, this paper will focus on the faith and the human weaknesses and sufferings of Christ, with a view to how his way of navigating these things can be an example for us. For it seems to me that study of Christ’s faith, weaknesses, and sufferings provides us with a model that can help us both to clarify certain aspects of suffering and emotion and to move forward through suffering in a humane and spiritually healthy manner.
Michael McClenehan
The Trinitarian Resurgence?
Book Reviews
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