The Nature of Love: A Theology

by Thomas Oord

Overview

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 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 must be afforded its rightful place.

Beginning with the foundation of "love" is what differentiates the Christian faith from others' loving God. Oord defines love as:

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

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780827208285
Publisher:	Chalice Press
Publication date:	04/14/2010
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.44(d)
Age Range:	1 - 17 Years

About the Author

Thomas Jay Oord is a professor at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. He is a theologian, philosopher, scholar of multidisciplinary studies, and the author or editor of a dozen books.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Preface xi

1 The Primacy of Love

Love Matters 1

Love Has Not Been the Center of Theology 4

Love Defined 14

2 Agape Theology and the Bible

Agape as Authentically Christian Love 33

Agape's Meaning in the Old Testament 38

The Meaning of Love in the New Testament 41

Agape, Eros, and Philia in the New Testament 49

Elements in a Theology of Love 51

3 Augustinian Love Theology

Love and Philosophy 57

Love Is Desire, Not Doing Good 58

Loving Others Is Not for Their Own Sakes 63

God Doesn't Love Us 67

We Can't Really Talk about God's Love 69

Love Takes Time, but Augustine's God Doesn't Have Any 76

Elements in a Theology of Love 80

4 Open Theology as a Theology of Love

The History of Open Theology 85

An Overview of Open Theology 86

God Is Not Perfectly Loving If God Could, but Fails to, Prevent Genuine Evil 96

Divine Creative Powers Should Be Used to Prevent Evil 101

God Does Not Necessarily Love the World 107

Elements in a Theology of Love 113

5 Essential Kenosis

Jesus Christ: The Center of a Theology That Makes Love Central 117

Essential Kenosis vs. Voluntary Divine Self-limitation 122

Chesed and God's Necessary Love for Creation 129

God Creates out of Creation through Love 133

Obstacles to Affirming This Creation Doctrine 137

God's Freedom to Love Necessarily and Create Everlastingly 139

Loving Means That Justify the End 145

Notes 159

Index of Topics and People 179

Index of Scriptures 189