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Confessing the Impassible God: The Biblical, Classical, & Confessional Doctrine of Divine Impassibility
The book is structured as follows. The Introduction presses home the importance of the doctrine of divine impassibility. Readers will be challenged to recognize that tinkering with divine impassibility as classically understood has implications that always end up compromising other fundamental articles of the Christian faith. The main argument is contained in seven parts. Part I addresses vital issues of prolegomena. Prior to providing a positive explication of the doctrine, we outline our theological method. Chapter 1 discusses the theological grammar of the doctrine of divine impassibility. Important concepts such as biblical metaphysics, act and potency, and the analogy of being are discussed. These are basic and crucial concepts to understand at the outset. Chapter 2 offers an introduction to the hermeneutical method employed throughout. These two chapters together reflect our commitment to the traditional language of classical theism and the hermeneutics of the Reformed tradition as articulated in the English Reformed Confessions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. As readers will become aware in reading the subsequent sections, the issue of method is crucial and foundational in this discussion. Part II (chapters 3-7) covers the Old and New Testaments. Though all potential passages of Scripture are not discussed, the most important texts on the subject of divine impassibility are addressed. The order of these chapters reflects our hermeneutical we consider texts on the nature of God first, texts which speak of immutability and impassibility next, concluding with those texts that appear to indicate some sort of passibility in God. Each testamental section ends with a brief conclusion. Part III (chapters 8-9) surveys the history of the doctrine of divine impassibility. We seek to demonstrate that what was once a catholic doctrine has become muddied as scholars of various theological traditions have reformulated, modified, and in some instances rejected classical theism’s commitment to divine impassibility. Part IV (chapters 10-12) offers a systematic-theological approach to the subject. It assumes Parts I-III and builds upon them. Careful discussion is provided on such issues as the relationship of divine impassibility to the essence and attributes of God, the divine affections, and the incarnation of the Son of God. Our goal is for readers to realize the significance of divine impassibility in relation to many other essential doctrines of the Christian faith. It is part of the system of doctrine contained in our Confession; tinkering with impassibility has far-reaching ramifications. Part V (chapter 13) offers an overview of the doctrine of divine impassibility as contained in the Second London Confession of Faith (1677/89). This confessional document asserts the same doctrine as the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) and the Savoy Declaration (1658) on the issue of divine impassibility. The place of the doctrine in the Confession as well as its relationship to other confessed truths is presented. Part VI (chapter 14) seeks to explicate the practical theology of divine impassibility. It draws out implications of the doctrine under the topics the saving knowledge of God, the Christian life, worship, and pastoral ministry. Part VII (chapter 15) offers closing comments and a list of affirmations and denials in light of the entire study. Additionally, we have included two appendices, containing book reviews of contemporary attempts to modify the classical doctrine of divine impassibility. Foreword by Paul Helm. Endorsements by James Dolezal, J. V. Fesko, Ryan McGraw, and Fred Sanders.
462 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 7, 2016
When I first heard about the impassibility controversy, I thought this was about splitting hairs by entering the highly speculative enterprise of talking about God’s emotions. Not so much so now that I have delved into this book and familiarized myself more with the doctrine of God in general and his impassibility more specifically.
It is no secret that this book is controversial because of the ecclesiastical matter from which it emerged. I am personally an outsider looking at this crisis among Reformed Baptist brothers that I love and respect. I understand the heartache that brothers went through (are going through) and I feel compassionate about it. However, I didn’t come at this book in order to judge hearts and intentions in this matter, but in order to understand what it means to confess the impassible God. I now put down this volume, extremely thankful for the authors who wrote it. I not only learned what it means to confess the impassible God, but also what it doesn’t mean.
One can be in disagreement with the classical doctrine of divine impassibility (and its corollaries), but one cannot disagree that there is a historic meaning tied to the affirmation that God is “without body, parts, or passions.” An honest reader will have to admit that this work attains its aim of presenting the classical Christian doctrine of God and distinguishes it from old and modern deviations.
Not only have I discovered the depth of classical theism, I have been convinced of the necessity to maintain it strongly as the robust foundation of all our theology and practice. Don’t we confess that the doctrine of God and the “doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him” (2.3)? More than once, while I was reading this work, did I burst into praises to the Most High. I feel that I have added a stronger foundation to my Calvinism and also that I have widened and refined my catholicity.
Confessing the Impassible God might be too technical for some readers and the Reformed Scholastic can be intimidating at time. But for the reader who is looking for a nuanced and very well-articulated presentation of the God Who Is, as the Christian church confessed him, this book will feed your mind and soul. No angle has been neglected to assess the doctrine at stake: metaphysical and philosophical theology, biblical and exegetical theology, historical and pastoral theology.
I am not a specialist of theology proper, just an ordinary pastor and worshipper; but this book has proven to be highly useful to my ministry and me personally. I would go so far as to place it among the top ten books that most shaped my mind and theology. I pray that it won’t be a tool that divides but unites brothers; at the very least by clarifying distinct doctrinal understandings and, hopefully, by bringing more believers to the conviction that it attempts to defend.
It is no secret that this book is controversial because of the ecclesiastical matter from which it emerged. I am personally an outsider looking at this crisis among Reformed Baptist brothers that I love and respect. I understand the heartache that brothers went through (are going through) and I feel compassionate about it. However, I didn’t come at this book in order to judge hearts and intentions in this matter, but in order to understand what it means to confess the impassible God. I now put down this volume, extremely thankful for the authors who wrote it. I not only learned what it means to confess the impassible God, but also what it doesn’t mean.
One can be in disagreement with the classical doctrine of divine impassibility (and its corollaries), but one cannot disagree that there is a historic meaning tied to the affirmation that God is “without body, parts, or passions.” An honest reader will have to admit that this work attains its aim of presenting the classical Christian doctrine of God and distinguishes it from old and modern deviations.
Not only have I discovered the depth of classical theism, I have been convinced of the necessity to maintain it strongly as the robust foundation of all our theology and practice. Don’t we confess that the doctrine of God and the “doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him” (2.3)? More than once, while I was reading this work, did I burst into praises to the Most High. I feel that I have added a stronger foundation to my Calvinism and also that I have widened and refined my catholicity.
Confessing the Impassible God might be too technical for some readers and the Reformed Scholastic can be intimidating at time. But for the reader who is looking for a nuanced and very well-articulated presentation of the God Who Is, as the Christian church confessed him, this book will feed your mind and soul. No angle has been neglected to assess the doctrine at stake: metaphysical and philosophical theology, biblical and exegetical theology, historical and pastoral theology.
I am not a specialist of theology proper, just an ordinary pastor and worshipper; but this book has proven to be highly useful to my ministry and me personally. I would go so far as to place it among the top ten books that most shaped my mind and theology. I pray that it won’t be a tool that divides but unites brothers; at the very least by clarifying distinct doctrinal understandings and, hopefully, by bringing more believers to the conviction that it attempts to defend.
October 28, 2016
Excellent pastoral and accessable account of divine impassibility. Would recommend to anyone interested in the subject. I do think it very important that we confess "The Impassibile God."
June 19, 2021
A superb book overall, but I must note:
- It's more polemical than positive. IMO, its energy derives from responding to and exposing error more than formulating an independent explication of divine impassibility. Of course, the significant doctrinal problems and deviations found in numerous contemporary works (and this book names names!) demanded such a response. (Relatedly: It should be noted Dr. Oliphint has since retracted and repented of the views he published in *God with Us*.)
- In terms of positive theology, the book leans heavily on the 2LCF, Thomas Weinandy, John Calvin, Herman Bavinck, and James Dolezal.
- There is an excessive amount of repeated material (understandable given the number of contributors and editors). They could trim off 50-100 pages without too much loss.
- It's more polemical than positive. IMO, its energy derives from responding to and exposing error more than formulating an independent explication of divine impassibility. Of course, the significant doctrinal problems and deviations found in numerous contemporary works (and this book names names!) demanded such a response. (Relatedly: It should be noted Dr. Oliphint has since retracted and repented of the views he published in *God with Us*.)
- In terms of positive theology, the book leans heavily on the 2LCF, Thomas Weinandy, John Calvin, Herman Bavinck, and James Dolezal.
- There is an excessive amount of repeated material (understandable given the number of contributors and editors). They could trim off 50-100 pages without too much loss.
December 30, 2016
Well argued, thoughtful and comprehensive treatment of this great old confessional doctrine. It is also a brave challenge to modern revisionist views held by some well known and highly regarded Bible teachers and authors. To be honest it could have been reduced in size by about a third, in part due to the essay-style chapters that overlapped a fair degree. I confess an impassible God presented faithfully by these authors.
December 31, 2018
Everything I have read that has been put out by RBAP (Reformed Baptist Academic Press) has been a delight to read and finds a place at the top of my Theology shelf. This book is no exception. The Impassability of God is not something that we think about often, but this work makes it clear that we should. It is because of the unchanging nature of our Creator that we have an abiding faith and hope, a fact this books makes sure to present. There were a couple of chapters that I found very technical and will have to read then again in the future, but for the most part the book was very clear and the practical applications and clear theological implications expounded within make this a great read and a must own reference book.
June 21, 2022
A very useful collection of essays from Confessional Baptists in defence of the doctrine of divine impassibility. It really is quite shocking how many supposedly conservative evangelicals and even Reformed theologians have abandoned a doctrine that is part of the ABCs of Christianity.
December 14, 2021
This is a good “next step” after reading Sam Renihan’s more entry-level work “God Without Passions.” Though this is more academic/technical, the authors take ample opportunity to make the often-challenging doctrine of divine impossibility accessible, practical, and encouraging.
October 23, 2024
Fantastic. Every pastor needs to read this.
January 6, 2018
Very dry in parts and overall inconcise. But it deals with a very important topic. The chapters on hermeneutics and the distinction between analogical, equivocal, and univocal were the most valuable chapters.
April 22, 2021
***one of the top 10 books on theology that I have ever read***
This was an excellent book that touches on so many important theological points - Theology proper, Christology, Soteriology, and even Ecclesiology to some extent. God is without body, parts, or passions. Process theologians and open theists obviously oppose this classic statement of Christian Faith. Surprisingly, many in the reformed camp have tried to “tinker” with the doctrine of impassibility, opening up a box of questions and affecting every aspect of theology. This is not a new doctrine and the attempted modifications are disappointing (Carson, Frame, Lister, Oliphint...etc).
Personally, I’ll stick with the classic doctrine of impassibility. Good to know I have Owen, Calvin, Bavinck, Muller, Charnock, Gill, Musculus, Manton, Watson...etc on the right side of this debate. The “revisers” are going to have to explain how all of these men (and the authors of this work) “got it wrong” and they must really stretch the language of the confession if they are going to be convincing. Additionally, they will have to address the 100’s of questions that denying traditional impassibility will inevitably lead to.
I thought the authors did a great job dealing with a difficult doctrine. The book was logically formatted. The references were excellent. The opponents arguments were dealt with fairly and from multiple angles (true interaction rather than “straw men”). Finally the doctrine of impassibility was approached from multiple angles - biblically (OT, NT), historically, systematically, confessionally, and practically/pastorally. Nice job RBAP!
This was an excellent book that touches on so many important theological points - Theology proper, Christology, Soteriology, and even Ecclesiology to some extent. God is without body, parts, or passions. Process theologians and open theists obviously oppose this classic statement of Christian Faith. Surprisingly, many in the reformed camp have tried to “tinker” with the doctrine of impassibility, opening up a box of questions and affecting every aspect of theology. This is not a new doctrine and the attempted modifications are disappointing (Carson, Frame, Lister, Oliphint...etc).
Personally, I’ll stick with the classic doctrine of impassibility. Good to know I have Owen, Calvin, Bavinck, Muller, Charnock, Gill, Musculus, Manton, Watson...etc on the right side of this debate. The “revisers” are going to have to explain how all of these men (and the authors of this work) “got it wrong” and they must really stretch the language of the confession if they are going to be convincing. Additionally, they will have to address the 100’s of questions that denying traditional impassibility will inevitably lead to.
I thought the authors did a great job dealing with a difficult doctrine. The book was logically formatted. The references were excellent. The opponents arguments were dealt with fairly and from multiple angles (true interaction rather than “straw men”). Finally the doctrine of impassibility was approached from multiple angles - biblically (OT, NT), historically, systematically, confessionally, and practically/pastorally. Nice job RBAP!
February 19, 2018
This was an excellent collection of articles relating to, and delving deeper into the Doctrine of Divine Impassibility. This book made me stretch. I had to focus and even look up a few words, but stretching your theological mind is a good thing. The thing I love about reading theological books is the praise it raises up in my heart. The more I learn about God, the more in awe I am at my salvation. The more I learn about God, the more rightly I can worship and praise him. Divine Impassibility isn't a doctrine to run from. It doesn't make God cold and distant. Rightly understood, it retains God in the position of God. It retains the Creature/Creator distinction. And, it makes Christ all that more wonderful and delightful. I highly recommend enlarging your understanding of this beautiufl and wonderful doctrine. I'm thankful the Lord has blessed His church with under-shepherds like these men.
October 27, 2020
This excellent book seeks to help recover the somewhat neglected and misunderstood doctrine of Divine Impassibility. In so doing it inspires the reader to marvel at the majesty of God.
I would reccomend it to any serious student of theology - though with a proviso that this is not a light read.
This book:
1. Demonstrates Impassibility from numerous passages of the Bible in both OT and NT
2. Analyses the role Impassibility has in systematic theology as a whole including what it means for the gospel and the work of Christ specifically.
3. Shows the historical pedigree of Impassibility - it dates to the early church and was upheld through the middle ages and the reformation
4. Considers the implications Impassibility has for the daily christian life.
5. Interacts with and critiques the writings of various opponents of Impassibility.
All of this is done rigorously and thoroughly, yet at the same time pastorally. The authors are all pastor-theologians, and that really shows. This book is an academic work intended in part to refute arguments made by other theologians and yet as they are doing that the authors don't lose sight of the purpose of studying God, that is, to inspire our worship of him.
I would reccomend it to any serious student of theology - though with a proviso that this is not a light read.
This book:
1. Demonstrates Impassibility from numerous passages of the Bible in both OT and NT
2. Analyses the role Impassibility has in systematic theology as a whole including what it means for the gospel and the work of Christ specifically.
3. Shows the historical pedigree of Impassibility - it dates to the early church and was upheld through the middle ages and the reformation
4. Considers the implications Impassibility has for the daily christian life.
5. Interacts with and critiques the writings of various opponents of Impassibility.
All of this is done rigorously and thoroughly, yet at the same time pastorally. The authors are all pastor-theologians, and that really shows. This book is an academic work intended in part to refute arguments made by other theologians and yet as they are doing that the authors don't lose sight of the purpose of studying God, that is, to inspire our worship of him.
May 12, 2022
I regret not reading this book earlier. Such a well-written, edited and articulated book on such an important topic: our triune God. The various chapters built upon each other and complement each other although written by different authors. This is a book written for laymen as well as scholars. Excellent resource for anyone wanting to know what it means to confess that God is without passions.
January 6, 2016
An excellent defense of Divine Impassibility thoroughly addressing the hermeneutical aspects, all the pertinent exegetical passages, historical background and theology both of those who affirm Divine Impassibility and some factors towards the modern shift away from Divine Impassibility, and Pastoral Implications of the Doctrine of Divine Impassibility for the Proclamation of the Gospel, The Christian Life, Worship of God, and the Pastoral Ministry. The Contributors have put a lot of effort into this work and it serves as a necessary reference wok on the topic of Divine Impassibility that not only is educational, but also promotes gratitude and true worship to our Immutable and Impassible God.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews