Category: Doctrine of God

  The doctrine of God is the part of theology that, confusingly, is referred to as theology (theo=God) in a specialized sense. The doctrine of God is the natural starting point in the study of theology since an understanding of God is necessary to understand the relationship of God to other things. This introductory post… Read more

Although not core to theology, a knowledge of the names of God used in the Bible can provide insight on how God was viewed in ancient times. The following are the names of God used in the OT and the NT. Elohim (אֱלֹהִים). This title for God is most likely a combination of el, which means… Read more

One of the ways that God’s creation is very good in in its beauty. The concept of beauty is central to the philosophy of aesthetics and the appreciation of art. But what about theology? This section addresses this question by first discussing the religious context of beauty as found in Scripture. It then examines the theological… Read more

God is the creator of both the physical and spiritual realms. “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their lights, The earth and everything that is on it, The seas and everything that is in them” (Neh 9:6). Both the physical and spiritual realms were created… Read more

Predestination refers to God having determined everything that happens in the world at (or before) the time of creation. Everything that happens is due to God-determined destiny. People who hold this belief understand God’s sovereignty to be absolute. Predestination is particularly associated with the concept of the elect. Before creation, God predestined certain people to be saved… Read more

A communicable attribute is perfect characteristic of God that is endowed by God to man in an imperfect way. It is common to interpret man being made in the image of God as man sharing God’s communicable attributes. God loves and therefore we can love, but in an imperfect way. God reasons and therefore we… Read more

Characteristics that provide a sense of some aspect of God are commonly called divine attributes. This is an imperfect term, as is inevitable in any attempt to describe God. Some have suggested that better terms might be properties or perfections, as these might result in less risk of viewing God as a divine essence combined… Read more