No Shadow of Turning: Divine Immutability and the Economy of Redemption

by Ronni Kurtz

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.

Genres: Theology

272 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

About the author

Ronni Kurtz (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Cedarville University. He is the author of Light Unapproachable: Divine Incomprehensibility and the Task of Theology (IVP Academic, 2024), Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul (B&H Publishers, 2022), No Shadow of Turning: Divine Immutability and the Economy of Redemption (Christian Focus Publishers, 2022) as well as a co-author of Proclaiming the Triune God: The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Life of the Church (B&H Academic, 2024).

Reviews

[Ched Spellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kurtz helpfully reminds us that some things never change.

[Jordan B Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written treatment of an important subject. Recommended.

[Richard Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent primer on theology proper including helpful material on the integrated nature of divine "attribute"s and brief helpful comments on how these things should inform our study of soteriology.

Could be a helpful first academic book in this area for someone looking to dig beyond popular level material; it's orthodox and it's more accessible than a lot of other works.

There's nothing earth shattering here; if you're acquainted with and committed to christian classical theism there's likely to be little new for you here; but if you want an intro, response to common objections and some compelling reasons for following the ancient paths when it comes to the doctrine of God this is a helpful option.

[Samuel G. Parkison · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding treatment on divine immutability and its impact on soteriology. Kurtz canvases the doctrine biblically, theologically, and historically, and elucidates the relevance of God’s changelessness on the Christian life briefly as well. His taxonomy of modern revisionists of divine immutability is very helpful and should (and will, I think) shape much of the conversation around this doctrine moving forward. Kurtz is also richly devotional throughout. Which is to say, this is dogmatic theology at its finest. I highly recommend.

[Jason Alligood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronni Kurtz’s book on the immutability of God and the economy of salvation, No Shadow of Turning, brings another volume to the foray of literature whose pursuit is the retrieval of classical theism. This theological work is heavy and is meant to be (it is the revision of Dr. Kurtz’s Ph.D. dissertation); therefore, the reader needs some technical theological knowledge. The book is laid out in three parts, a prolegomenon of sorts dealing with theological method and the particulars of this work, including a brief taxonomy of various views of immutability, a section on the historical, biblical, and theological witnesses of immutability, and then lastly a section that deals with the final trajectory of the work, immutability as it relates to salvation economy.

Dr. Kurtz’s mastery of retrieval, biblical exegesis and theological thought is extremely evident throughout the volume, even as he carefully responds to modern-day critics of the doctrine of immutability. He winsomely defends the doctrine while also portraying the gravitas necessary to properly honor the Triune God of whom he writes. The foundational work Kurtz lays in the first two sections gives way to a masterful weaving of the soteriological implications in the final. However, my one quibble is that I wish that the final section had been more robust. I am not complaining that it was not thorough, but rather it left me wanting more on which to feast concerning our great salvation. That said, if you are familiar with this ongoing debate in Theology Proper and want a fantastic representation of classical theism, especially as it relates to immutability and soteriology, you should make every effort to get this book and quickly!

Jason B. Alligood (Ph.D. Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)

[Scott Bielinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will write a full review soon. In short, Kurtz convincingly demonstrates how the priority of theology proper in theological method secures the biblical picture of how we're saved. In other words, soteriology is a derivative doctrine, only properly understood as it is sourced in our doctrine of God. It is out of God's unchanging fullness that we are saved, and it is His perfect, immutable love into which we are called.

[Michael Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good example of charitably engaging with those you disagree with, mining church history, and expounding the Scriptures to showcase our great God.