‘The Nature of God: An Inquiry Into Divine Attributes’ 1989 Book by Edward Wierenga
“The Nature of God: An Inquiry Into Divine Attributes” is a 1989 book by Edward Wierenga. The book offers some of the finest research on divine attributes. It was the textbook used by philosophy students at the University of Rochester who took Wierenga’s class on the nature of God. Yep, he assigned his own book.
His book has been favorably reviewed for years. Taken as a whole, the book and the class assume that God exists. The focus, instead, is on the attributes of the divine being. The book itself uses the most famous research to list the traits of God. Would you be interested in this type of book for your Easter-season reading?
Summary of “The Nature of God: An Inquiry Into Divine Attributes” by Edward Wierenga
This is a serious book that examines some of the finest research the world has ever known to list the divine attributes. In examining the nature of God, Weiringa implicitly assumes God’s existence. That is a good message for the Easter season. So, what are the attributes of God according to Weiringa?
Chapters One – Three
“The Nature of God: An Inquiry Into Divine Attributes” is organized into chapters on those attributes. According to the reviewed scholarship, God is first and foremost all-powerful. This attribute is known as omnipotence. The book uses logical arguments. It says a being is omnipotent if, for every state of affairs, the being can bring about satisfactory conditions.
The second attribute of God listed is omniscience. That means God knows everything. Weiringa says, straightforwardly, that a being is omniscient if it knows everything. The author says there are some complications with this concept.
The third chapter is about foreknowledge. That concept is related to omniscience, but specifically means God knows what people will do. There are piles of scholarship that say God knows what people will do. Free will complicates this discussion somewhat, though the author states that even under the condition of free will, God knows what they are going to do.
Chapters Four – Eight
We take a little detour in the fourth chapter, as the author investigates what he calls the accidental necessity. In the fifth chapter, the discussion of divine attributes continues as the concept of middle knowledge is introduced. The concept states that God knows everything that has happened and is going to happen.
In the sixth chapter, Weiringa builds on the argument to state that God has existed eternally, and that his existence is timeless and immutable. God has always existed and will always exist. In the seventh chapter, the author argues that God is all good and impeccable. Christians believe that God is forgiving and merciful.
In the eighth chapter, Weiringa examines the source of the moral obligation that people who believe feel. This is the final chapter. The argument is that if God has all these great attributes, then we ought to worship him. That is, after all, what God wants.
Why You Should Read this Book
This is a good book to read in the Easter season. This book will particularly appeal to those who believe and want to enhance their faith. The book presumes the existence of God and instead makes arguments about divine traits. If you want a serious treatment of the attributes of God, you should read “The Nature of God: An Inquiry Into Divine Attributes.” The book offers arguments from some of the greatest Christian thinkers in history, so the reader will soak up this knowledge just by reading this book.
