Providence Made Flesh: Divine Presence As A Framework For A Theology Of Providence (Paternoster Theological Monographs),Used

Product Description Traditional discussions of the Christian doctrine of providence often center on the relation between divine agency and human freedom, seeking to offer an account of the extent to which a person is free before God, the first cause of all things. Terry J. Wright argues that such riddles of causation cannot determine the content of providence, and suggests a unique and alternative framework that depicts God's activity in terms of divine faithfulness to that which God has made. Providence is not God as first cause acting through creaturely secondary causation; rather, providence is God's sovereign mediation of the divine presence across the whole world, achieved through creaturely faithfulness made possible and guaranteed by his own faithful action in Jesus Christ. Review 'By no means the first to note the difficulties of the language of causality, Dr. Wright offers an explicitly Trinitarian alternative framework through notions of divine faithfulness and, especially, divine presence. Questions remain (as is acknowledged), but this study constitutes an intriguing contribution to an understanding of providence.' John E. Colwell, Tutor in Christian Doctrine and Ethics, Spurgeon's College, London, UK'The doctrine of divine providence lies at the heart of Christian theology, yet in the modern period it has too often been neglected. In this refreshing new study Terry Wright submits traditional formulations of the doctrine to careful scrutiny, and proposes an alternative approach which integrates an account of God's action in the world with the distinctly Christian apprehension of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.' Trevor A. Hart, Professor of Divinity, St. Mary's College, University of St. Andrews, UK'Through wideranging engagements with biblical exegesis and historical theology, Terry Wright argues for a reconstructed doctrine of providence: a doctrine no longer based on causal or mechanistic notions, but centered on Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God's faithful presence in the world. This book thus opens the way to a revitalizedand properly theologicalunderstanding of providence, in which the man Jesus is the agent of God's sovereign faithfulness: 'providence made flesh'.' Benjamin Myers, Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Charles Stuart University, North Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia About the Author Terry J. Wright is an Associate Research Fellow at Spurgeon's College, London. He was the inaugural winner (2004) of the Society for the Study of Theology / International Journal of Systematic Theology Colin Gunton Memorial Essay Prize for his essay How is Christ Present in the World?