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The God Who Trusts: A Relational Theology of Divine Faith, Hope, and Love
The Bible resounds with affirmations of the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God. But might God also exhibit faith and trust? Standing in the tradition of theologians such as John Sanders, who argued that God is one who risks, Wm. Curtis Holtzen contends that God is not merely trustworthy or faithful, but that God is also one who trusts and has faith. According to Holtzen, because God is a being of relational love and exists in relationship with humans, who can freely choose to follow God, then God is a God who trusts. Such an argument might challenge our notion of who God is, yet Holtzen argues that understanding the relationship between divine trust and human faith can give us a fuller, truer picture of who God is and who we are.
- GenresTheology
280 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 26, 2020
Excellent contribution to the open/relational Theism conversation. God, even as God, is a God who trusts, because he is a God of relationship! If indeed God relates to time as open Theism posits, and if the future is partially open, then God trusts, hopes. Besides examining these concepts philosophically, Holtzen also looks at scripture to see how God does these things.
November 20, 2019
I first met Curtis Holtzen over 20 years ago as a professor in my undergrad program. I remember him well as someone who was thoughtfully curious. He didn’t accept something just because it was the “party line”, nor did he question something just to be the guy who refuses to accept the status quo. Instead, he’s someone who is on a genuine and honest search to find what is good and right and true. He left that mark on me as a young undergrad sitting in his classroom being challenged in the way that I thought about faith, and he continued doing that in me as I read “The God Who Trusts”
Holtzen makes a strong argument that to say “God is love” is to also say that God has faith. And not just faith as faithfulness, but the kind of faith that “trusts, hopes and believes.”
Using biblical and philosophical arguments, analogies and interaction with other theologians, he builds a case for an understanding of God that moves him away from being distant and unrelatable to the God who is revealed in Jesus as relatable and who acts with personal relational qualities.
While in many Christian circles, people will talk about God in relational ways, but if you poke beneath the surface, the characteristics that they say they believe are true of God are ones that actually reveal him as more cold and distant. Holtzen gives you a theological grounding for what many of us have already known to be true of God, but may not have had all of the language to make sense of it.
Personally, I loved the way that Holtzen uses the contruct of God as love and builds on the way that love is talked about in the New Testament in order to build a case for understanding God in more relational ways. It makes sense, is logical and ends up with a more beautiful picture of God in the end. While he will move into more rigorous discussions of the implications of reading the text in that way throughout the book, the basis that he starts with sent me thinking in a thousand different directions. In fact, his section on how this then leads to recognizing that God doubts was so interesting and had me thinking not only about God’s characteristics but the interaction of faith and doubt in my own experience.
This book lies between books that are written for a more mainstream audience and ones written for an academic audience. It seems well suited for the ordinary thoughtful Christian who thinks deeply about their faith and likes to engage in theology. You may not end up agreeing with Holtzen. My guess is that he’s actually ok with that - as long as you have taken it seriously, and engaged in it thoughtfully with an open mind.
Holtzen makes a strong argument that to say “God is love” is to also say that God has faith. And not just faith as faithfulness, but the kind of faith that “trusts, hopes and believes.”
Using biblical and philosophical arguments, analogies and interaction with other theologians, he builds a case for an understanding of God that moves him away from being distant and unrelatable to the God who is revealed in Jesus as relatable and who acts with personal relational qualities.
While in many Christian circles, people will talk about God in relational ways, but if you poke beneath the surface, the characteristics that they say they believe are true of God are ones that actually reveal him as more cold and distant. Holtzen gives you a theological grounding for what many of us have already known to be true of God, but may not have had all of the language to make sense of it.
Personally, I loved the way that Holtzen uses the contruct of God as love and builds on the way that love is talked about in the New Testament in order to build a case for understanding God in more relational ways. It makes sense, is logical and ends up with a more beautiful picture of God in the end. While he will move into more rigorous discussions of the implications of reading the text in that way throughout the book, the basis that he starts with sent me thinking in a thousand different directions. In fact, his section on how this then leads to recognizing that God doubts was so interesting and had me thinking not only about God’s characteristics but the interaction of faith and doubt in my own experience.
This book lies between books that are written for a more mainstream audience and ones written for an academic audience. It seems well suited for the ordinary thoughtful Christian who thinks deeply about their faith and likes to engage in theology. You may not end up agreeing with Holtzen. My guess is that he’s actually ok with that - as long as you have taken it seriously, and engaged in it thoughtfully with an open mind.
December 10, 2019
“The God Who Trusts” is both a work of theological richness as it explores often challenging Biblical accounts; as well as, it is a book that will deepen one’s connection with the Father by understanding the nature of His love as shown in the risks He takes to be in relationship with His children.
Though I may not be able to identify as holding an “Open” or “Relational” position YET, Dr. Wm. Curtis Holtzen has me thinking--hard! “The God Who Trusts” strikes the perfect balance between academia and approachability. Dr. Holtzen draws upon Biblical truth, logic and our real life everyday relational experiences to define and illustrate that our relationship with our Father is one of not only mutual love but foundationally built on mutual trust. The risk God takes in trusting both humanity in general and His church in specific is necessitated by His love for His creation; in fact, it may be His greatest expression of that Love. This book is accessible for anyone wanting an introduction to the Open/Relational theological position, yet it is also well suited to take its place in the library of insightful theological works. It has the perfect balance between hermeneutics and humor to instruct and engage the reader for the entire journey.
Finally, do yourself a favor, read the footnotes! To not read them would be like watching a Marvel Movie and skipping the post credit scene. #thegodwhotrusts; #theology; #bible; #opentheology; #relationaltheology; #loveofgod; #newbooks; #bestsellers
Though I may not be able to identify as holding an “Open” or “Relational” position YET, Dr. Wm. Curtis Holtzen has me thinking--hard! “The God Who Trusts” strikes the perfect balance between academia and approachability. Dr. Holtzen draws upon Biblical truth, logic and our real life everyday relational experiences to define and illustrate that our relationship with our Father is one of not only mutual love but foundationally built on mutual trust. The risk God takes in trusting both humanity in general and His church in specific is necessitated by His love for His creation; in fact, it may be His greatest expression of that Love. This book is accessible for anyone wanting an introduction to the Open/Relational theological position, yet it is also well suited to take its place in the library of insightful theological works. It has the perfect balance between hermeneutics and humor to instruct and engage the reader for the entire journey.
Finally, do yourself a favor, read the footnotes! To not read them would be like watching a Marvel Movie and skipping the post credit scene. #thegodwhotrusts; #theology; #bible; #opentheology; #relationaltheology; #loveofgod; #newbooks; #bestsellers
May 4, 2020
Holtzen explores the idea of a God who trusts thoroughly, and I appreciated his meticulous attention to the many ideas related to it. As relational theologians shift their attention to humanity's role in an open-relational theology, Holtzen's book will become required reading.
November 11, 2020
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmDRV...
Very good contribution to the ongoing work of open and relational theology. Full review at the Englewood Review of Books: https://englewoodreview.org/curtis-ho...
Very good contribution to the ongoing work of open and relational theology. Full review at the Englewood Review of Books: https://englewoodreview.org/curtis-ho...
January 3, 2020
If you find yourself part of the open and relational theology community, as am I, you need to ask the question of how God relates to creation? If you embrace a more determinative position, where God's sovereignty ultimately overrules anything we might do, then God has no worries about what the future holds. To take an open and relational position, then you have to ask, might God be taking a few risks with us? Or, as Curtis Holtzen would have us consider, might God be one who trusts and even lives by faith? What is faith? According to Hebrews, faith is "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Might God exhibit such a faith in us?
Open Theism is largely expression of a portion of the evangelical world, that appears to be Arminian in its orientation, but that might be too narrow a description. Holtzen is part of the Stone-Campbell Movement (as am I, though we're not of the same branch). As such, I'm not sure he would adopt the Arminian tag-line. However, he shares a theology similar to persons like Tom Oord and Greg Boyd, as well as John Sanders, who writes the foreword to this book.
Holtzen's premise is this: "f God is authentically relational and humans significantly free, then God is a being of faith. More precisely, if God is genuinely loving, relational, and morally good, while humans are free to accept or reject God's invitation to be partners in the creation of a beautiful world and divine kingdom, then faith, both human and divine is necessary" (p. 1-2). In other words, he understands the divine-human relationship to be mutual and even reciprocal.
The first two chapters lay the groundwork for grasping the premise that God is one who has faith and who trusts. Holtzen moves from raising the question of what it might mean for God to be one who trusts, to laying out what faith means in this context. He suggests that one can look at faith through several lenses, including belief, trust, hope, and love. He shows us how these lenses might work. Then in chapters 3-6, he moves through each, starting with the premise that God loves, and moving on to God believes, God, trusts, and God hopes. The idea that God loves should be non-controversial, but the remaining three lenses likely are controversial. To say that God believes presents a problem. It raises questions about true and false beliefs. It raises the question of what God knows about the future. In other words, what is the nature of God's omniscience? Could God have doubts? Holtzen believes this is possible. What that means is that if God doesn't know the complete future, might God have "reason to vacillate" with regard to our actions? To believe, is to take a risk. That is Holtzen's point.
Faith can also be described in terms of trust. While we ought to put our trust in God, should God put trust in us? If God has the power to control all things, then this is irrelevant. God neither trusts or mistrusts, because God determines what takes place. This, however, in Holtzen's mind (and mine) is not relational, and he suggests it's not biblical either. Here, while I agree with Holtzen, I wonder how trustworthy we really are! If God Trusts, might God hope as well? If the future is open, then can hope we will respond positively, but God has no assurance. However, God can and does act in hope that we will respond appropriately. As Holtzen writes, "hope is not divine hand-wringing, expecting disaster but action, nonetheless,as if there is a chance" (p. 189).
After exploring the concepts of God loving, believing, trusting, and hoping, he addresses the question of how Jesus fits into this conversation. He looks at Jesus' faith in God and God's faith in Jesus. He affirms a Trinitarian perspective, but looks at the the relationship between Father and Son through the lens of kenosis. In other words, in the incarnation, the Word sets aside the trappings of divinity, to live as a human being. This will entail faith and trust between Father and Son. Part of the discussion in the final chapter is the role of the cross. He doesn't take a specific position on the atonement, other than affirming that in Christ's death the divine-human relationship broken by sin is healed, at least potentially. He holds out the possibility of universal salvation, but not fully. The future, after all, remains open. We don't know how everyone will respond. I wonder if that might even include God.
Holtzen makes a strong contribution to the ongoing conversation about open and relational Christianity. I believe this is more an issue within evangelicalism, and so the book largely addresses that audience (IVP Academic is focused on that same audience). There are those who would call what Holtzen and others like him are trying to do heresy. As for me, this simply makes sense. If God truly loves, then the relationship needs to be reciprocal. While God's love might perfect, can we say the same about our response. Thus, this theology offers us a risk-taking God. I'm comfortable with that. What that looks like, well, Holtzen offers us some suggestions for our conversation. I might, however, be a bit less sanguine about the human trustworthiness, but ultimately this about God.
Open Theism is largely expression of a portion of the evangelical world, that appears to be Arminian in its orientation, but that might be too narrow a description. Holtzen is part of the Stone-Campbell Movement (as am I, though we're not of the same branch). As such, I'm not sure he would adopt the Arminian tag-line. However, he shares a theology similar to persons like Tom Oord and Greg Boyd, as well as John Sanders, who writes the foreword to this book.
Holtzen's premise is this: "f God is authentically relational and humans significantly free, then God is a being of faith. More precisely, if God is genuinely loving, relational, and morally good, while humans are free to accept or reject God's invitation to be partners in the creation of a beautiful world and divine kingdom, then faith, both human and divine is necessary" (p. 1-2). In other words, he understands the divine-human relationship to be mutual and even reciprocal.
The first two chapters lay the groundwork for grasping the premise that God is one who has faith and who trusts. Holtzen moves from raising the question of what it might mean for God to be one who trusts, to laying out what faith means in this context. He suggests that one can look at faith through several lenses, including belief, trust, hope, and love. He shows us how these lenses might work. Then in chapters 3-6, he moves through each, starting with the premise that God loves, and moving on to God believes, God, trusts, and God hopes. The idea that God loves should be non-controversial, but the remaining three lenses likely are controversial. To say that God believes presents a problem. It raises questions about true and false beliefs. It raises the question of what God knows about the future. In other words, what is the nature of God's omniscience? Could God have doubts? Holtzen believes this is possible. What that means is that if God doesn't know the complete future, might God have "reason to vacillate" with regard to our actions? To believe, is to take a risk. That is Holtzen's point.
Faith can also be described in terms of trust. While we ought to put our trust in God, should God put trust in us? If God has the power to control all things, then this is irrelevant. God neither trusts or mistrusts, because God determines what takes place. This, however, in Holtzen's mind (and mine) is not relational, and he suggests it's not biblical either. Here, while I agree with Holtzen, I wonder how trustworthy we really are! If God Trusts, might God hope as well? If the future is open, then can hope we will respond positively, but God has no assurance. However, God can and does act in hope that we will respond appropriately. As Holtzen writes, "hope is not divine hand-wringing, expecting disaster but action, nonetheless,as if there is a chance" (p. 189).
After exploring the concepts of God loving, believing, trusting, and hoping, he addresses the question of how Jesus fits into this conversation. He looks at Jesus' faith in God and God's faith in Jesus. He affirms a Trinitarian perspective, but looks at the the relationship between Father and Son through the lens of kenosis. In other words, in the incarnation, the Word sets aside the trappings of divinity, to live as a human being. This will entail faith and trust between Father and Son. Part of the discussion in the final chapter is the role of the cross. He doesn't take a specific position on the atonement, other than affirming that in Christ's death the divine-human relationship broken by sin is healed, at least potentially. He holds out the possibility of universal salvation, but not fully. The future, after all, remains open. We don't know how everyone will respond. I wonder if that might even include God.
Holtzen makes a strong contribution to the ongoing conversation about open and relational Christianity. I believe this is more an issue within evangelicalism, and so the book largely addresses that audience (IVP Academic is focused on that same audience). There are those who would call what Holtzen and others like him are trying to do heresy. As for me, this simply makes sense. If God truly loves, then the relationship needs to be reciprocal. While God's love might perfect, can we say the same about our response. Thus, this theology offers us a risk-taking God. I'm comfortable with that. What that looks like, well, Holtzen offers us some suggestions for our conversation. I might, however, be a bit less sanguine about the human trustworthiness, but ultimately this about God.
February 10, 2020
Holtzen sets forth a proactive argument for an understanding of the Divine character as being one who essentially trusts, as a necessary component of humanity’s free will and God’s loving orientation. While it does include philosophical logic, it is written in a way that is compelling and inviting to non-academics. This book will raise more questions about unexamined assumptions we have about the divine but also named things and describe ideas that many of us may think but haven't been expressed.
February 10, 2020
This is a great read, and I highly recommend it. Immediately, I was struck with the idea that God could take a risk in loving us and hoping for us. At first blush, that idea felt pretty radical to me; however, as I read on, I found that Curtis tackled the theological and philosophical questions surrounding relational theology with grace, humility, and a bit of good humor. Curtis takes heavy, difficulty ideas and makes them relatable through clear and unencumbered writing.
I was both encouraged and challenged by this book, and I think that most readers will be, too.
This would be a great book to ruminate on for the upcoming Lenten season!
I was both encouraged and challenged by this book, and I think that most readers will be, too.
This would be a great book to ruminate on for the upcoming Lenten season!
January 22, 2020
A very well written and very thought provoking book.
God loves me? Ok. I hear that a lot.
God has hope for me? Sure, I get that.
God has doubts about me? Yeah, me too.
God trusts in me? God believes in me?? God has faith in me???
Whoa!
That’s the argument presented in the book - God has faith in us, and God’s faith is a model for us to imitate.
“...faith, this dynamic relational concept of love, belief, trust and hope is not simply a human virtue but the Divine one as well”
“Certainly there are many blinded by their own self-worth who fail to recognize the depths and damage of their sin. But there are others who are blinded by their own self-deprecation who fail to recognize what God sees - our value and potential as co-creators and faithful followers of Christ”
From the conclusion:
“In ways we may never fully comprehend, God believes in us, trusts us, and has hope for us - all because God deeply loves us. In faith, God reaches out to humanity in the hope that humanity will respond in kind. “
“We love because God first love us - we have faith because God first had faith in us.”
I want to thank the author for this book. It has rekindled something (faith?) in me that has been dormant for a very long time.
God loves me? Ok. I hear that a lot.
God has hope for me? Sure, I get that.
God has doubts about me? Yeah, me too.
God trusts in me? God believes in me?? God has faith in me???
Whoa!
That’s the argument presented in the book - God has faith in us, and God’s faith is a model for us to imitate.
“...faith, this dynamic relational concept of love, belief, trust and hope is not simply a human virtue but the Divine one as well”
“Certainly there are many blinded by their own self-worth who fail to recognize the depths and damage of their sin. But there are others who are blinded by their own self-deprecation who fail to recognize what God sees - our value and potential as co-creators and faithful followers of Christ”
From the conclusion:
“In ways we may never fully comprehend, God believes in us, trusts us, and has hope for us - all because God deeply loves us. In faith, God reaches out to humanity in the hope that humanity will respond in kind. “
“We love because God first love us - we have faith because God first had faith in us.”
I want to thank the author for this book. It has rekindled something (faith?) in me that has been dormant for a very long time.
April 13, 2021
Open theologian Curtis Holtzen starts with foundations of the field - that God is essentially loving and relational and that time is real to God - and then suggests that God not only loves and risks, but God also has faith and believes. God trusts.
The book is structured around a four-fold expansion of God's relationships. God loves. God believes. God trusts. God hopes.
A few notes: I've read open and relational theologians critiquing so-called classical theology enough to get ready to skim this stuff, but as Holtzen discusses theological compatibilism (the idea that human free will is somehow compatible with divine control) I'm struck by the odd Orwellian language one must resort to, that "human actions are ... causally determined but free." (11) No thanks.
"It may be better that we speak not of anthropopathism but of theopathism." (26) When we are reading about or describing God's emotions, we are not reading human experiences projected onto God. We are learning that human emotions are an aspect of how we are created in God's image.
I like Vincent Brummer's five characteristics of mutual relational love: (67)
1) Love is established and maintained in mutual freedom.
2) Love entails vulnerability.
3) Love strives to serve the interests of the other.
4) Love sees each partner as unique and irreplaceable.
5) Love is a relationship between persons.
"God desires our fellowship (eros) and so God acts to forgive and win our love as well as bring us into maturity (agape) so that we can be in communion with the divine (philia)." (84) The loving relational God using three Greek words for love.
God believes in us.
"God as a being of maximal love and we, co-creators in whom God has chosen to share power with, leads me to conclude that God actually believes in us. It's not just that God believes we will or might be faithful partners, but that God believes in us as partners." (107-8)
"If one is to love, then one must trust for love entails the other has power over you.... love as shared power.... god's most powerful act is to give power away." (135) Love is power with, never power over.
In writing about the atonement, Holtzen privileges subjective atonement over objective atonement, without denying the reality or importance of the former. "In a relational model, the primary, though hardly only, problem dealtt with on the cross is not a legal problem but a relational one. The cross and resurrection are the means and hope of healing a broken relationship." (209)
In the final couple of pages:
"This is what open and relational theism seeks to bring to the forefront of theology - a God who loves, desires, and values fellowship - a God who loves mutual faith." (232)
"Jurgen Moltmann: "'This is the heart of the biblical stories and message: God trusts in us, God believes in us, God hopes in us and awaits us. People who understand this become God's trusted and familiar friends.'" (233)
"We love because God first loved us - we have faith because God first had faith in us." (234)
The book is structured around a four-fold expansion of God's relationships. God loves. God believes. God trusts. God hopes.
A few notes: I've read open and relational theologians critiquing so-called classical theology enough to get ready to skim this stuff, but as Holtzen discusses theological compatibilism (the idea that human free will is somehow compatible with divine control) I'm struck by the odd Orwellian language one must resort to, that "human actions are ... causally determined but free." (11) No thanks.
"It may be better that we speak not of anthropopathism but of theopathism." (26) When we are reading about or describing God's emotions, we are not reading human experiences projected onto God. We are learning that human emotions are an aspect of how we are created in God's image.
I like Vincent Brummer's five characteristics of mutual relational love: (67)
1) Love is established and maintained in mutual freedom.
2) Love entails vulnerability.
3) Love strives to serve the interests of the other.
4) Love sees each partner as unique and irreplaceable.
5) Love is a relationship between persons.
"God desires our fellowship (eros) and so God acts to forgive and win our love as well as bring us into maturity (agape) so that we can be in communion with the divine (philia)." (84) The loving relational God using three Greek words for love.
God believes in us.
"God as a being of maximal love and we, co-creators in whom God has chosen to share power with, leads me to conclude that God actually believes in us. It's not just that God believes we will or might be faithful partners, but that God believes in us as partners." (107-8)
"If one is to love, then one must trust for love entails the other has power over you.... love as shared power.... god's most powerful act is to give power away." (135) Love is power with, never power over.
In writing about the atonement, Holtzen privileges subjective atonement over objective atonement, without denying the reality or importance of the former. "In a relational model, the primary, though hardly only, problem dealtt with on the cross is not a legal problem but a relational one. The cross and resurrection are the means and hope of healing a broken relationship." (209)
In the final couple of pages:
"This is what open and relational theism seeks to bring to the forefront of theology - a God who loves, desires, and values fellowship - a God who loves mutual faith." (232)
"Jurgen Moltmann: "'This is the heart of the biblical stories and message: God trusts in us, God believes in us, God hopes in us and awaits us. People who understand this become God's trusted and familiar friends.'" (233)
"We love because God first loved us - we have faith because God first had faith in us." (234)
May 10, 2022
The God Who Trusts: A Relational Theology of Divine Faith, Hope, and Love sets about to demonstrate the necessity of trust in God’s character by delving into the aspects of faith, hope, and love as well as the faith and trust between Jesus and God during his time here on earth. Curtis Holzen presents the idea that trust is necessary for loving relationships between two beings.
Holtzen also says, ‘I have heard so many times that God loves me that I am almost numb to the real meaning and depth of this statement. Maybe it is time to say that part of God’s love for us is God’s belief in us, God’s longing to have faith in and with us.’ This statement resonated with me perhaps expanding those ideas of God laboring with me, that God trusts me to do what he calls me to do and does so with complete belief in me. Not that I will do it perfectly, but that I will do it as God does it with me, and even implying that that the part that may be incomplete or imperfect in my work, God makes complete or right or perfect. I think we all need this encouragement: God believes in you.
I enjoyed looking at several Bible characters and how this divine trust is demonstrated, even if not overtly mentioned in the Bible. It really undergirded that God does not set us in a rowboat with the oars and then push us off from the shore to fend for ourselves. The examples showed that God believes in us and gets in the boat with us, picks up the oar and labors with us.
I have not read anything by a relational theist before and yet I found myself relating to many of those theories. Though at times the reading was heavy and the logic thick, it all upheld the premise and addressed some of the objections to the theory that God trusts. The book was labelled ‘academic’ by the press (IVP) but given my voracious reading (even if mainly fiction) I didn’t think that would sway me. However, I did indeed find the book took much longer than anticipated to complete. The notes and bibliography start at 50% through the e-edition, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Given the note of lay people in the conclusion, the book isn’t as approachable as I would like, however it would seem the audience is not necessarily non-academic. I look forward to reading more on relational theology, so it didn’t turn me off the topic. In fact, it piqued my curiosity about relational and open theology as well as returning to look at the question of free will vs. determination.
The God Who Trusts puts forth ideas that God not only trusts but risks and hurts all for us humans. It has certainly stretched my thinking on God and who he is, what he has done and continues to do for me and all humanity. I am certain that my understanding of who God is and how he trusts us throughout the Bible will now change my reading of many stories from Moses and Job or Abraham all the way to Jesus. Worth the read, but only for those willing to read through the heavier ‘academic’ style of writing (little theological jargon, just dense text). 4.5 stars due to the tome-ness of it.
Holtzen also says, ‘I have heard so many times that God loves me that I am almost numb to the real meaning and depth of this statement. Maybe it is time to say that part of God’s love for us is God’s belief in us, God’s longing to have faith in and with us.’ This statement resonated with me perhaps expanding those ideas of God laboring with me, that God trusts me to do what he calls me to do and does so with complete belief in me. Not that I will do it perfectly, but that I will do it as God does it with me, and even implying that that the part that may be incomplete or imperfect in my work, God makes complete or right or perfect. I think we all need this encouragement: God believes in you.
I enjoyed looking at several Bible characters and how this divine trust is demonstrated, even if not overtly mentioned in the Bible. It really undergirded that God does not set us in a rowboat with the oars and then push us off from the shore to fend for ourselves. The examples showed that God believes in us and gets in the boat with us, picks up the oar and labors with us.
I have not read anything by a relational theist before and yet I found myself relating to many of those theories. Though at times the reading was heavy and the logic thick, it all upheld the premise and addressed some of the objections to the theory that God trusts. The book was labelled ‘academic’ by the press (IVP) but given my voracious reading (even if mainly fiction) I didn’t think that would sway me. However, I did indeed find the book took much longer than anticipated to complete. The notes and bibliography start at 50% through the e-edition, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. Given the note of lay people in the conclusion, the book isn’t as approachable as I would like, however it would seem the audience is not necessarily non-academic. I look forward to reading more on relational theology, so it didn’t turn me off the topic. In fact, it piqued my curiosity about relational and open theology as well as returning to look at the question of free will vs. determination.
The God Who Trusts puts forth ideas that God not only trusts but risks and hurts all for us humans. It has certainly stretched my thinking on God and who he is, what he has done and continues to do for me and all humanity. I am certain that my understanding of who God is and how he trusts us throughout the Bible will now change my reading of many stories from Moses and Job or Abraham all the way to Jesus. Worth the read, but only for those willing to read through the heavier ‘academic’ style of writing (little theological jargon, just dense text). 4.5 stars due to the tome-ness of it.
July 3, 2021
I just finished "The God who Trusts: A Relational Theology of Divine Faith, Hope, and Love," by Curtis Holtzen.
The forward is by Dr. John Sanders because the title is a play on Sander's "The God who Risks" (phenomenal book). I heard of this book on the (Re)Thinking Faith podcast where Holtzen was interviewed about the release of this book. And I found out he is in the Restoration Movement (it is rare to find a Dr. in the RM).
Holtzen begins by stating what the ground for God having belief, hope, trust...faith in us is: the purpose of creation; human freedom; an open future; divine passibility. The rest of the book will reflect upon these themes for traction in showing "God trusts me."
Meaning with the three loves I have to say that Holtzen has really exceeded my expectations. He blended agape, Philia and eros in such a way that when speaking of the God/man relation each has their moment. Historically I have gotten the impression that all but agape is beneath God. This section was quite good.
He does a very good job of not overwhelming the nonacademic in philosophy. His coverage of (the three schools of) bivalence and non-bivalence was wonderfully covered I even got it. The big take away from here is that seeing our choices as non-bivalent God sees our choices as probabilities or percentages of being true, rather than true or false statements about non-actualized events.
When "belief in" is covered Holtzen makes an astute confession. He says that we have been told that God loves us so often that many of us have become immune to that message, what we need to be told is that God believes in us (my paraphrase).
Holtzen hits an interesting point: what is the point of a divine covenant for an omnipotent God, unless He is in a give and take relationship with His creatures whom He trusts?
Holtzen's coverage of a God who loves, believes, trusts and Hopes IN US is very good, profound, and thought provoking. He ends on a Christological note taken from a Kenotic perspective. When dealing with the atonement his words are a picture of beauty taking an often mis-told story and framing it in the foolish wonder that it is.
Read this book for some great relational theology from an open theistic perspective.
The forward is by Dr. John Sanders because the title is a play on Sander's "The God who Risks" (phenomenal book). I heard of this book on the (Re)Thinking Faith podcast where Holtzen was interviewed about the release of this book. And I found out he is in the Restoration Movement (it is rare to find a Dr. in the RM).
Holtzen begins by stating what the ground for God having belief, hope, trust...faith in us is: the purpose of creation; human freedom; an open future; divine passibility. The rest of the book will reflect upon these themes for traction in showing "God trusts me."
Meaning with the three loves I have to say that Holtzen has really exceeded my expectations. He blended agape, Philia and eros in such a way that when speaking of the God/man relation each has their moment. Historically I have gotten the impression that all but agape is beneath God. This section was quite good.
He does a very good job of not overwhelming the nonacademic in philosophy. His coverage of (the three schools of) bivalence and non-bivalence was wonderfully covered I even got it. The big take away from here is that seeing our choices as non-bivalent God sees our choices as probabilities or percentages of being true, rather than true or false statements about non-actualized events.
When "belief in" is covered Holtzen makes an astute confession. He says that we have been told that God loves us so often that many of us have become immune to that message, what we need to be told is that God believes in us (my paraphrase).
Holtzen hits an interesting point: what is the point of a divine covenant for an omnipotent God, unless He is in a give and take relationship with His creatures whom He trusts?
Holtzen's coverage of a God who loves, believes, trusts and Hopes IN US is very good, profound, and thought provoking. He ends on a Christological note taken from a Kenotic perspective. When dealing with the atonement his words are a picture of beauty taking an often mis-told story and framing it in the foolish wonder that it is.
Read this book for some great relational theology from an open theistic perspective.
August 5, 2020
Powerful theological and scriptural journey through the concept of God as a being of faith and trust. Many of us have never wondered if God has faith. We have not thought to see creation redemption the cross and the great commission as acts if God demonstrating faith and trust. Instead we've been conditioned to only put our faith in God without wondering where the source of faith comes from. "The God who trusts" will challenge that perspective using Scripture and relational theology to build the case for us to consider that God is a being of faith and perhaps "we can have faith because God first had faith in us".
December 12, 2019
If you’re open to the idea or find hope in the concept that God loves us and therefore believes, trusts, and hopes in us and you want to know more about what that means for us in relationship with God then you’ll love this book.
If you resonate with the statement, “I have heard so many times that God loves me that I am almost numb to the real meaning and depth of this statement. Maybe it is time to say that part of God’s love for us is God’s belief in us, God’s longing to have faith in and with us,” you’ll probably love this book.
If any of this scares, concerns or angers you, then you might still love this book given time, but it will be a read that truly challenges you to patiently consider what Dr. Holtzen has to share.
This is a sit back with a cup of tea in hand and re-examine your complex relationship with a complex God whose love for you is not a one note wonder, because “God wants jazz”.
If you resonate with the statement, “I have heard so many times that God loves me that I am almost numb to the real meaning and depth of this statement. Maybe it is time to say that part of God’s love for us is God’s belief in us, God’s longing to have faith in and with us,” you’ll probably love this book.
If any of this scares, concerns or angers you, then you might still love this book given time, but it will be a read that truly challenges you to patiently consider what Dr. Holtzen has to share.
This is a sit back with a cup of tea in hand and re-examine your complex relationship with a complex God whose love for you is not a one note wonder, because “God wants jazz”.
March 7, 2021
First if you need a book with a nice smooth cover, this is the book. I know that Curtis and I have some different thoughts on theology, but after reading this we agree on a God who trusts. Curtis did a wonderful job explaining many thing I had be wrestling with trying to explain about how relational God is. This book lead me to have deep thoughts and think about how I viewed God. I have no back ground in philosophy, however he explains many of the philosophies in this book in a way that is easy to understand. I’m grateful that we not only have a God who loves, but wants an intimate relationship that involves trust. Great job, good read
May 12, 2020
I don’t think this book is only for the open and or relational community, but for anyone that claims to have a personal relationship with Christ. Every Christian should be asking what that relationship looks like and this book provides a solid answer based on scripture and research. The footnotes made me add to my amazon cart. God loves his creation and invites us into a very real relationship based on mutual trust.
I think a missing piece in this book for me is the work of the Holy Spirit.
I think a missing piece in this book for me is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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