The Nature of Love: A Theology

by Thomas Jay Oord

God is love. Consequently, shouldn t love exist at the center of Christian theology? When love is at the center, theology is understood differently than it has typically been understood.

Some theologians have placed faith at the center, others God s sovereignty, still others-the Church, but Dr. Oord places the emphasis on love. God s love for us, revealed in Christ, in the Church, and in creation, and our love for God and others as ourselves must be afforded its rightful place.

Beginning with the foundation of love is what differentiates the Christian faith from others...a loving God. Dr. Oord defines love

To love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic/empathetic response to God and others, to promote overall well-being.

Is this not what has defined Christians throughout history?

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Love, Philosophy, Religion, Church

196 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2010

Reviews

[Luke Mohnasky · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m unsure if I have ever read a book about love that’s so cold and arrogant.

[Leann Van cleef-trimmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging ideas, prepare to think outside the box.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There should be awards for packing ability. Like when a man can pack enough for a two week trip in half the space that a woman would use for the same trip. Or when close friends can exchange as much information in a knowing glance as teens can in a week of texting back and forth. Or when Thomas Jay Oord fills 157 pages with reams of insight in his book The Nature of Love: A Theology.


Thomas uses surgeon-like precision when he tells us exactly what he wants to do and then does so in this book. After an introduction of ideas and direction he provides us his definition of love.


To love is to act intentionally, in sympathetic/empathetic response to God
and others, to promote overall well-being.
His goal is to dissect and take the best parts of love theologians from the past, of whom he says there have not been nearly enough. He wants to see Love returned to its rightful place of honor as THE core attribute of God.


He begins by tackling love theologian Anders Nygren, (not literally...it's a book on love, after all). He esteems his place in theology and then proceeds to break down the myriad of reasons why Nygren is wrong. If there's anything to be learned here, it's that we should read the Bible first, then come up with our theories, not the other way around.


Next he discusses Augustine. You might assume that there's no criticizing this philosopher who loved love, but you'd be wrong. Again, Oord does a great job of talking about the issues at hand, not the man. This is something we could use more of in these days. But in this chapter we get to see some real-life application over some of the ideas we have on God's nature and love.


The next 30 pages deal with the pros and cons of Openness Theology on the concept of Love. Again, Oord does a fantastic job of defining terms, realizing that many will automatically accept or reject theories upon hearing the phrase Open Theology. If you've never heard of Open Theology, this may make another good reason to pick up this book. Thomas does a good job of taking the good while not accepting the whole of this belief system.

Just before Oord unveils his answer to love theology he quotes Anders Nygren in what may be the best repeated quote of the entire book, outside of his own defintion of love.

Rather than worry about our discomfort, perhaps we should be worried
about God's reputation.


Essential Kenosis is the proper term for Oord's theology. Kenosis is the Greek noun in Philippians 2:7 which is translated as 'emptied himself'. This is a key passage of scripture as it details how Jesus loves us and views Himself. It begins to open up the idea that God loves creation, something that He must do, not because someone greater than God told Him to, but because it is His nature.

This theology of love is complete and returns the focus to where it never should have left, Jesus. It is God's nature of love that defines everything else about God; His power, His freedom, His purpose. I guess you could say that, in the end, love wins.


All that being said, this book is not to be approached lightly. After all, it is a theology book. But I believe Oord does a great job of simplifying mountains of heady knowledge and then showing us practical application. This should not simply be read, but preached and shared, and then lived out.

You can check out more from Thomas Jay Oord at: http://thomasjayoord.com/


The good people at SpeakEasy supplied me with this free preview copy, but much like God's love does not coerce, they did not force me to say anything good.
#SpeakEasyLove

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Influenced by Greek philosophy theology has traditionally begun its treatment of the doctrine of God from a statement of God's power --- omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence, and love is demoted to just another quality. If theology began with the simple identification of God as love, what would it look like? How would our conception of God change?

Oord begins to explore this question in an engaging and well written book that left me scouring Amazon for more of his work.

Well worth the read!

[Dan Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and thought provoking. I recommend this book to every believer! Excellent intro to "essential kenosis" theology which is developed by the author. Mr. Oord brings numerous ideas regarding God as love together, showing convincingly why some are to be rejected and others combined in various ways. God IS love, what exactly does that mean? Read the book and find out! I only found a few things troublesome, for me. Only one really stands out as something I wish to reply to, which I will do soon at my blog site. I am co vinced

[oenggun · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very good read regarding the subject..the author's return to Christianity is indeed a special personal journey.

"to love is to act intentionally .." p.17 ..The author's definition of love is, of course, inadequate. . . a close resonance to Buddhist's conception of love, but yet different.

I'll continue the reading. . . :)

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rating this a four out of five, not because I wholeheartedly agree with this book, but because it attempts to be faithful to the biblical record on the issue of the love of God. It draws on some points from process and open theologies, but also departs from them in some important areas.

Be prepared to be stretched a bit.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A critique of traditional theism and the view of love in theology as expressed in Nygren, Augustine, and Openness theologian extraordinaire Clark Pinnock. Oord describes the Love of God as essential to his nature in the Trinity and toward Creatures and describes a view of God that is loving and no coersive. He describes his view as Essential Kenosis.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Oord has provided a much needed theological statement concerning the nature of love. We talk a lot about God being love and the love of God, but what does that mean? Oord provides very helpful definitions that should revolutionize the conversation!

[Rob McFarren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and interesting. Well thought out and would love to work through this in discussion with others. Good challenges to ideas of love and God, while some are not as convincing as others. I liked it and will refer to it in the future I'm sure.