Review: Eternal in Love: A Little Book About a Big God
By J. Steve Lee
Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon delivered on January 7, 1855, at New Park Street Chapel in London, stated that “the highest science, the loftiest speculation, and the mightiest philosophy that can ever engage the attention of a child of God is the name, nature, person, work, actions, and existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.” He went on to explain that contemplating God is such a vast endeavor that it leaves us overwhelmed by its immensity. Our understanding of God, His nature, and His work will never be fully exhausted. Elihu aptly reminded Job, “How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out” (Job 36:26, NIV). It is important to recognize that while God is beyond our full comprehension, He is not unknowable. Despite our limitations, it is evident that God desires to be known, as He has revealed Himself through Scripture. As Paul encourages us, we must strive to “grow in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10, NIV). Numerous works have been written to aid in our journey toward a deeper understanding of God. Enter R. T. Mullins, the Reluctant Theologian, with his modest book on the loftiest speculation of the divine: Eternal in Love: A Little Book About a Big God.
When was the last time you laughed out loud as you read a book on the philosophy of religion? Alvin Plantinga? Well, that’s too long. After a series of scholarly works and numerous academic articles, Mullins—lecturer of philosophy at the University of Lucerne and visiting professor of philosophy at Palm Beach Atlantic University—has presented in this concise book (as indicated by the subtitle, comprising only 145 pages, excluding the preface and bibliography) an intellectual exploration of the nature of God, along with a personal journey toward understanding the purposes of God. What’s unique about Mullins’ book is its humor, a rare find in the often-serious world of theology and philosophy of religion, making it an entertaining and engaging read.
Mullins organizes the book around a series of questions exploring God’s nature and purposes, with each chapter addressing a different topic. The opening chapter lays the groundwork for understanding God, discussing theological methodology, and providing a prolegomena for identifying sources of knowledge about God, such as perfect being theology and the categories of natural, creator, and revealed theology. As the reader progresses through each chapter, they delve deeper into exploring who God is and what God desires. Following this foundational approach, Mullins outlines the essential attributes of God through the perspective of a maximally great being. These attributes include personhood, necessity, aseity, self-sufficiency, and omnipotence. At this point, the journey becomes particularly intriguing.
Before delving further into this journey, it is important to note that Eternal in Love is part of the “Studies in the Doctrine of God: Exploring Classical and Relational Theism” series published by Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers. This series aims to advance the discourse surrounding the doctrine of God, maintaining the Creator-creature distinction while asserting that God is genuinely engaged with the world and that this relationship has a genuine impact on God. Although this notion may seem uncontroversial or even mundane, a divide exists between classical theists and relational theists in contemplating God.
Classical theism upholds key tenets such as perfection, necessity, aseity, self-sufficiency, unity, eternity, immutability, omnipotence, omniscience with foreknowledge, and omnipresence. In contrast, relational theism—sometimes referred to as personalism, modified or moderate classical theism, or neoclassical theism—departs from or modifies one or more of the strict classical attributes, including divine timelessness, strict simplicity, strict immutability, and strict impassibility. Each book in the series (currently, four volumes have been published) seeks to explore specific aspects of the nature and attributes of God to further these discussions.
In guiding us through the course of this book’s journey, let me outline three prominent models of God: classical theism, neoclassical theism, and open theism (while pantheism and panentheism are notable models, this series focuses exclusively on models that maintain the Creator-creature distinction, which both pantheism and panentheism reject). Classical theism upholds the traditional attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, immateriality, and necessity, along with the unique attributes of timelessness, immutability, impassibility, and simplicity. Neoclassical theism, on the other hand, also acknowledges the traditional attributes but denies one or more of the unique ones. Open theists typically reject the unique attributes and assert that God does not possess exhaustive knowledge of the future. Below is a chart to further clarify the distinctions among these various models of God.
As we wander through Eternal in Love, we are not lost because Mullins lands squarely in the neoclassical camp. With that context in mind, the author suggests playing “Tekkno Train” by Electric Callboy as you read the volume because it is more hopeful than his “destroy everything” style of argumentation (and musical style) because it offers a sense of excitement and optimism that resonates throughout the song and the book.
In the following chapters, we are guided by our trail guide, Mullins, on an exploration of profound questions such as the nature of God in the absence of creation, the implications of creation, the rationale behind creation itself, what are God’s creative options, why create any particular universe at all, and the problem of foreknowledge and passibility. Along this intellectual journey, we encounter captivating topics, including a definition of time. Mullins’ academic work, The End of the Timeless God, suggests a direction in which he leads us toward a deeper understanding of the divine. As one might anticipate, he offers a sharp critique of divine timelessness, though this is not his sole focus in this concise work. He also takes aim at concepts such as simplicity, immutability, and impassibility. However, perceiving this journey as a negative critique that merely misunderstands Aquinas would be a mistake. Instead, as the book title suggests, God has created a particular universe to satisfy the desire to enter into a friendship with human persons. Mullins articulates his own model of God while simultaneously examining other models for how God best and most coherently fulfills this desire. Drawing on the fields of philosophy of emotion and studies in friendship, along with theology and analytic philosophy, Mullins begins to zero in on God’s creative options. At this juncture, Mullins’ journey faces a road that does not diverge into two paths but three. But instead of taking the one less traveled, he travels down all of them. After addressing the general problem of creation—which argues that God has no compelling reason to create anything—his investigation then tackles the specific problem of creation, questioning why God would select one particular universe over another.
At this point of the journey, Mullins grapples with his uncertainty regarding which path to follow in understanding the universe that God would create. He presents arguments for and against three distinct paths—Calvinism, openness, and Molinism—while highlighting their respective strengths and weaknesses. Many of the paths explored point out topics rarely traveled such as unfulfilled desires, emotions, and shrinking possibilities. Through discussions on omnisubjectivity, divine universal causation, and God’s Most Central Purpose, Mullins aspires to reveal a vision of God who is caring and compassionate toward us. This work is not only an intensely academic study but also carries significant spiritual and devotional implications. According to our Reluctant Theologian, the only route deemed impassable is the classical conception of God, which he believes fails to offer a deity that genuinely cares for humanity. The reader will have to judge if this assessment is correct.
What is the good, the bad, and the funny of Eternal in Love? The most notable strength of the book is its accessibility, largely due to its concise length. This brief work engages the reader with a wide array of topics in short compass. The impressive scope of issues tackled within such a limited space is commendable; the journey is expansive despite the brevity. One of the best features of the book is Mullins’ humor. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions, so much so that I began annotating every sarcastic, witty, and humorous comment with smiley faces in the margins—at least 28 in total, including some in the footnotes.
However, this brevity presents a double-edged sword: while the book’s length makes it a quick read, it also means there is a lack of depth in exploring some of the issues. Readers seeking a more extensive analysis will need to turn to Mullins’ other works, which is likely by design. Although this is a spiritual journey, it is not an introduction to the subjects at hand. Many concepts and themes are defined, explained, and analyzed so swiftly that one’s head can be left spinning as he launches into the next issue, making you feel that you have lost sight of the trail guide, wondering where the path will lead, wishing for a more thorough exploration of the previous ideas. Throughout my reading, I was both challenged and entertained. I laughed, was deeply moved at times, and found myself contemplating the intellectual journey alongside Mullins, only to feel a sense of sadness when the journey concluded. An index would have been beneficial for locating specific topics more easily, but my greatest regret regarding the book is that I wish it had been published earlier; it would have been an invaluable resource for my dissertation.
There is much for theologians and philosophers of religion to agree and disagree with in this concise book, which is to be expected. Nevertheless, it offers thought-provoking insights and may even leave a smile on your face. Scholars focused on the doctrine of God, philosophers of religion, and practical theologians alike will find valuable material in this little volume to engage with—critic’s score: four smiley faces out of five.
— J. Steve Lee, M.A., is a doctoral student at South African Theological Seminary and an Instructor of Apologetics at Prestonwood Christian Academy
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Excellent post, Steve. Makes me want to read the book! As a Molinist, I'm curious what he said its strengths and weakness are?