Wrath Among the Perfections of God’s Life

Written by Jeremy J. Wynne Reviewed By Jordan P. Barrett

The topic of divine wrath has been neglected in modern theology despite its prevalence in Scripture and relation to other key doctrines. Wynne's revised dissertation not only calls readers back to this significant topic but guides them down both theological and exegetical roads. He argues, “a biblical-dogmatic interpretation of God's wrath in the Old and New Testaments is more adequate to the extent that it treats wrath not as a perfection of God per se but rather as a mode of divine perfection and, more specifically, as a mode of God's singular righteousness” (p. 112). The book is decidedly modern, Reformed, and focuses on Schleiermacher, Barth, and Bavinck though others such as Lactantius, Calvin, Turretin make an appearance as well.

The book is divided into two parts. The first could be said to be primarily theological whereas the second is exegetical. Wynne, however, assures the reader that “the research of part two was present in complete—if rough—draft prior to part one”(p. 13) and is convinced that “exegetical decisions are inextricably intertwined with both theological presuppositions and implications” (p. 149). Therefore, this may be said to be an exercise in dogmatics and theological exegesis, or exegetical theology, if one must provide a label.

Part One (chs. 1-3) offers an extended discussion on the divine perfections (i.e., attributes) in relation to God's wrath. The perfections are properly seen in relation to the living God and must be rooted in the “prevenient abundance of God's life” (p. 23). Instead of an anticipatory approach, his “responsive theology” works from revelation and in response to God's gracious gifting of his name, allowing the subject matter to determine its content and criteria. Chapter 3 develops an account of providential and redemptive modes of divine perfection in relation to Turretin, Schleiermacher, and Barth's approach to the divine perfections. All three give minimal attention to divine wrath though Barth has particular problems since he argues that wrath “originates in [God] Himself” (see p. 108). In the end, the divine perfections must not only “attend to the fullness God has from himself, but correspondingly to describe God, first, in his relation to that which is not God and, second, to give an account of God as he is for and among those creatures who in their willing and acting are set against him” (p. 111).

Part Two (chs. 4-6) further develops the thesis by focusing on three sets of biblical passages: Matt 20:1-16 and Is 5:1-7 (ch. 4); Rom 3:21-26 and Ex 34:6-7 (ch. 5); Rev 14:14-20 and Amos 3:2 (ch. 6). In disagreement with various scholars, Wynne demonstrates that wrath and righteousness do not conflict since God is the righteous judge. “God infallibly and with surety judges and destroys sin, while staying true to the flourishing of his righteous order” (p. 137). For example, in Isa 5, both “are legible as one concrete moment within the larger plan of creation and redemption . . . . God is One for whom wrath will not in and of itself have the last word because it is a mode of his righteousness” (p. 140). Furthermore, the decisive moment of God's self-revelation in wrath is to be found on the cross. Divine wrath, justice, and righteousness are present in God's aim to restore creation through self-sacrifice. Any form of reductionism that requires one to choose between a merciful or judging God must be rejected, especially since the patience of God demonstrates that his wrath is not a mere reaction that occurs apart from the enactment of other perfections: “the righteous God is Lord too of his wrath” (p. 183). As such, his patience “signals most fully and forcefully the [patient] character of his wrath” (p. 182). Finally, Wynne convincingly displays the unity of the cross and final judgment, which “even at its most severe, obviates neither hope for God's mercy nor the gospel call to repentance” (p. 188). This leads to the conclusion that judgment may remain on some for the purpose of training in righteousness (e.g., Heb 12:11; Rev 3:18).

In the end, what is divine wrath? Wynne is clear that it is “not an illegitimate swerving of God from his natural or proper action” (p. 49). As a mode of divine righteousness, wrath is not the way in which God “knows himself from eternity but [is] an identity description of the God who is fully himself in the work of judging and doing away with sin and rebellion and so in the work of redeeming creatures” (p. 113). In short, wrath is not what some might call an essential or eternal attribute. Nevertheless, it is true of God's character because it exists as a mode or form of his righteousness.

While the book has many strengths, Wynne could have helped the reader better understand why wrath belongs with righteousness and not holiness or love (cf. pp. 113-14). Also, it is not clear why Wynne did not make more use of Gunton's Act and Being (Eerdmans, 2003) or Holmes's Revisiting the Doctrine of the Divine Attributes (Peter Lang, 2007) in Part One. These criticisms aside, Wynne is a mature theologian who has clearly wrestled at length with the primary and secondary sources. While most theologians remain uncertain about God's wrath (see p. 112) or neglect the issue altogether, Wynne clearly argues for wrath as God's mode of righteousness that will help propel the discussion forward. Scholars and graduate students will greatly benefit from this work and its implications have significant potential for the church.


Jordan P. Barrett

Jordan P. Barrett
Wheaton College
Wheaton, Illinois USA

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