Act and Being: Towards a Theology of the Divine Attributes

Rating:
Summary: A Superb and Timely Piece on the Theology of the Attributes
Review: First delivered as a series of lectures delivered at Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary, Portland Oregon, Act and Being is the last major work that Gunton published before his untimely death, and it is likely to become one of the most influential books of his theological career as well.

In this work Gunton deftly explicates the "tangled web" of relations between Greek Philosophy and the Christian tradition, showing how the latter has adversely effected the former. He then proceeds to unpack the theology the attributes by returning to the biblical narrative and trinitarian doctrine and the primary framework for constructing such a theology. He is highly critical of Aquinas and the medieval synthesis of Neoplatonism and Aritotelianism with Christian theology. This leads to a rejection of the Thomistic doctrine of analogy, instead arguing from a nuanced Barthian theology of revelation that owes much to Scotus for a pneumatological doctrine of univocal theological language. Gunton's case is lucid, persuasive, provocative and bears significant implications for future discussions of the nature of theological language and the divine attributes.

Gunton pays special attention to the doctrines of divine simplicity and impassibility as well as discussions of omnipotence, omnipresence, infinity and omniscience. Through a rejection of the negative way and an affirmation of a trinitarian theology of revelation Gunton masterfully cuts to the root of many of the problems of ancient and modern treatments of the doctrine of God. This is truly the strength of Gunton's work. While other contemporary treatments of the attributes tend to "prune" off certain undesirable attributes, such as impassibility and simplicity, Gunton instead retains the classical attributes of the tradition, by redefining them in positive trinitarian terms.

Act and Being is saturated throughout with a focus on the christological and pneumatological dimensions of the Triune God's economic action in the world. Following in Barth's path and expanding on his innovations (as well as criticizing him at key points) Gunton masterfully brings the person and work of Christ and the Holy Spirit to bear on the doctrine of the attributes. This book is an amazing discussion of the attributes discussing them in a properly nuanced narrative and trinitarian context. This is definitely a landmark study on the attributes.

Whatever else one may think of this work, one thing is certain, this is an insightful and groundbreaking work clearing the way for many future discussions of the attributes. A must read for any serious student of theology. We can only be sorry that the distinguished theological career of Professor Gunton was cut short and that he will be unable to follow through on his projected systematic theology. We can only hope that those he taught and mentored will continue in his wake, following up on the magnificent project that he began.