Love is More than Desire or Devotion
In various publications and recently in Pluriform Love, I define love. My definition says love acts intentionally, in relational response to God and others, to promote overall well-being. Perhaps the most common alternative to my definition says love is desire. We find theologians and philosophers from the past and present defining love as desire. In […]
What is Love? Baby, Don’t Confuse Me… No More!
I think about love nearly every day. As a love scholar and professor, I talk about love so much some students call me “Dr. Love.” But when Valentine’s Day arrives each year, I can get annoyed. The language of love I hear can be confusing! Sex and Romance I hear the word “love” used in […]
The Triune God Everlastingly Creates, Relates, and Loves
This the fourth and final installment in my blog review of Keith Ward’s book, Christ and Cosmos. In the first installment, I noted that Ward thinks the social Trinity is a “bad idea.” I agreed, and I noted the helpfulness of Ward’s general doctrine of God, which comes from an open and relational perspective. In […]
A Triune God Who Essentially Loves Creation
Most open and relational theologians believe God is essentially loving. But if Keith Ward is right that God is not a social Trinity, how can God love be an essential attribute of God’s nature? Must God love, create, and be related to creatures? In my previous blogs, I noted that in his new book, Christ […]
Theo-Photo-Urban-Nature
A theologian. With a camera. Exploring nature. In Chicago. Those four elements introduce intriguing possibilities. I know, because I am that theologian-photographer who made photographs in Chicago. Making Photographs I say I “make” photographs. Good photography often results when a photographer works from a vision and uses a camera to portray an intriguing subject. Good […]
Theological and Scientific Research on Love
The well-being of the world depends, in part, upon our decisions to promote overall well-being. That’s just a fancy way of saying: we need to love! Many people know that love, altruism, and compassion plays central roles for making sense of life and living life well. For centuries, various religious traditions and philosophers have recognized this. […]
Squirrels as Spiritual Icons
As far as I know, no scripture or great piece of spiritual literature praises the squirrel. We find references to foxes, eagles, snakes, and locusts. Judah is a lion. Doves are harmless. Sparrows have value, even though not much. But nothing on the squirrel. It’s not that squirrels are rare. They live on every inhabitable […]
My Response to Christianity Today Review
I thank Derek Rishmawy for his Christianity Today review of my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. I offer this response as a way to clarify and note differences between Derek’s views and my own.
My Response to Howard Snyder
My friend, Howard Snyder, has written a review of my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God. I thought it might be helpful if I responded. I have great respect for Howard and his work. Although we disagree on several theological issues, I count him as an important voice in Wesleyan Theology. Howard’s review is […]
Making Sense of God and Evil
We all want to make sense of life. But tragedies and evils – whether caused by free creatures, microorganisms, or random events – make it difficult to do so.