Enjoying Culver More

I'm glad that Culver has engaged his heart more in the subject and is quoting more Scripture, esp. in Chapter 15. These truths should engage our hearts and one wants a writer to manifest the same attitude in his writing.

Schedule (15th October - 18th November)

The next assignments for discussion are as follows:

Chapter	Title	Commencement
15	Predestination I	15th October
16	Predestination II
17	Creation I	22nd October
18	Creation II
19	The World of Unseen Spirits	29th October
20	Satan and Demons
21	Preservation and Providence	5th November
22	Appendices to Chapter 21	12th November
23	God's Blessedness or Impassibility

Please note the following:

• Members are free to post on any of the relevant chapters that commence on that date, or those that have gone before.
• Remember that all members can post, not just the moderators!
• Also non-members can comment.
  

Click here for schedule.

I've reached chapter 15...

I'm still having fun with Culver, although I haven't been consistent in reading over the last week or two. Today I read chapter 15 - I was impressed that Culver tried to engage with Arminian theologians in a fair way - this theme is something that I've noticed recently through my blog reading, especially Scot McKnight at JesusCreed.org.

And, I'm still interested in Culver's use of Shedd and Strong. It is obvious why Strong is so prominent. More intriguing why Shedd get so many references - perhaps I'm just attuned to him, so I take more notice?

Here's the point - I think point 3, on Culver page 123, is useful. Distinguishing between the essential nature of God and the divine decrees, which relate to 'things external'. In a Dogmatic Theology, vol 3 footnote, Shedd refers to Owen on this, from Owen's Saints' Perseverance, chap 3: 'God's purposes are not concerning anything that is in itself absolutely necessary. He does not purpose that he will be wise, holy, good, just.'

But, we are getting into deep theological water here - going back to our old friend Barth, there must be a tension between Reformed orthodoxy and neo-orthodoxy at this point - Barth's christology is based on the idea of Christ's election for us - as if the Son or Logos decreed to become God incarnate - it is part of the very nature of God that he is God for us in the incarnate Son.

If I understand Shedd, Culver, et al, properly (not to mention Barth!), this is a major difference. Barth's understanding of the decree of God does not agree with Owen's, because Barth wraps all things into the person of Jesus Christ - there is no pure doctrine of God that can be distinguished from 'external' christological 'things'.

I do want to keep our posts practical - given that Culver cautions against exposure to the doctrine of predestination, or the decrees of God: (Shedd writes that these doctrines are 'not to be preached to babes in Christ but to those who are of full age.')

How on earth do we follow this advice practically? Should we make a strict division in our preaching and teaching between evangelism and basic Christianity, and 'strong meat' for 'mature believers'? Is this at all possible? I tend to think this is a problem with our understanding of theology vis a vis the Christian life - and, it is difficult to imagine systematic expository preaching through the Bible that could avoid these issues.

Does God Have an Over-Arching Attribute?

In chapter 8 (p. 63) Culver discusses briefly how the divine attributes work together. He asks the question "Is one attribute more important to sound theology, that is, to a correct undertanding of God and His ways, then another?"

He then left that until later which he picks up in chapter 12 (p. 94) where he discusses the attributes of goodness. He seems to (although not dogmatically answering his question from chapter 8) argue that holiness is God's over-arching attribute. All other attributes seem to be filtered through His holiness (correct me if I am reading Culver wrong here).

I agree with this statement, but I wonder what everyone else thinks. First, does God have an over-arching attribute? If so, what is it and does it even matter?