Joe Burnham’s Reviews > Theology for the Community of God > Status Update

“The declaration ‘Jesus is the Word,’ therefore, constitutes a theological statement concerning the significance of this historical life. In him, God’s revelation is disclosed and God’s power is operative.

“In destroying the old identity, Jesus replaces it with a new paradigm, a new center around which we can draw the fragmented strands of our lives into a single narrative. Now our lives make sense as we see that our sinful, alienated past has given way to the present enjoyment of fellowship and the anticipation of the fullness of life-in-community awaiting us in the future.”

“Had the Savior of humankind come as a woman, she would have been immediately dismissed solely on the basis of sex. Nor could her actions have been interpreted as counter cultural, for her self-sacrificing ministry would have been interpreted as merely the living out of her socialized ideal role.”

Ties back into a progressive God who is the power of the future.

Major problem with the book here. Christology needs to begin with the nature and work of the Universal Christ and then move on to how the Christ became incarnate in the man Jesus. Like so many, Grenz fails to keep the two distinct.

If the imago dei is both teleological and communal, then we see the Trinity in relationships that generate self-giving love (the fruit of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God) and the anti-Trinity in relationships that generate self-serving love (the fruit of this age).

“...at death God, who as Creator is the source of all life, reclaims the principle of life that he loaned to his creature. At death, the Creator withdraws the life principle from the creature.”

Profound section on how the adaptability of humanity also gives us no niche in the world. Therefore we find ourselves looking beyond the moment to find our meaning and purpose ... seems to me this is part of being made in the divine image.

This just rocked my world, “God is the power of the future... best conceived not as standing behind us or above us, but in front of us.” Like a parent inviting a child to crawl, then walk, then run, then ride a bike ... always inviting us forward. We are always called to move towards “God’s ultimate goal for creation.” I guess that makes God a Progressive.

With rare exception, chapter 2 on, The Triune God, is masterful and, perhaps, for the first time, I’m seeing the importance of the Trinity not as an ivory tower exercise, but as something that sets the definition for life in the Community of God.

I know from my attachment issues that this quote is true, not just in relationship with God, but also with other people: “The presence of sin (detachment) transforms the experience of divine love from the bliss intended by God into wrath.” Detachment makes love feel like wrath because those who are detached are wrathful.