John C. Peckman The Love of God: A Canonical Model (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), 295 pages. US$24.95

John C. Peckham is associate professor of theology and Christian philosophy at the Theological Seminary of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. The book is based on Peckham’s Ph.D. dissertation, which explains the scholarly and technical language of the book. It has nine chapters and three appendices.

The first chapter introduces the reader to the two prominent but irreconcilable theological models of the nature of divine love: (1) the transcendent-voluntarist model is the traditional Christian understanding of God’s love. It teaches that divine love for the world is sovereignly willed, unconditional, unmotivated, unmerited, freely bestowed, and manifested ultimately in Christ’s self-sacrifice; (2) the modern immanent-experientialist model is based on process theology which teaches that God is not omniscient or omnipresent, but part of the historical process, i.e., God is bound up essentially with the world and dependent on it. This model teaches that divine love is universal sympathy, i.e., God feels all feelings of the world, he is affected by it and changes accordingly.

In chapter two the author describes his methodology, the final-form canonical approach to systematic theology. This approach has a high view of Scripture, it acknowledges the dual authorship (divine and human) of the Bible, and uses the grammatical-historical method of exegesis. Then, in contrast to the two models in chapter one, Peckham introduces the reader to the foreconditional-reciprocal model of divine love. By foreconditional he means God’s “love is prior to all other love and offered to creatures prior to any conditions but not exclusive of conditions” (p. 66). That is, as far as God’s will is concerned his love is unconditional, but in regard to the ongoing God-world relationship it is conditional.

After a study of the biblical words for love (chap. 3), the author in chapter four addressed the question, does God love freely and, if so, what does it mean? The foreconditional-reciprocal model posits that divine love for creatures is volitional. It is neither essential to God’s being nor essential to his existence. God freely loves humans and calls humans to freely love him in return. God’s love for the world takes place within the context of a bilateral, free volitional relationship.

The evaluative aspect of divine love is dealt with in chapter five. In contrast to the view that God’s love for his creatures is completely disinterested, the author believes that God delights and takes pleasure in his creatures and in response to negative circumstance may be displeased, vexed and grieved. Along the same lines is the question in chapter six, whether God’s love is emotionally responsive to human disposition and action? Yes, says Peckham, God’s love is emotional because he has opened himself up to reciprocal relationships with his creatures. The nature of this mutual love relationship is further explained in chapters seven and eight. God always initiates the love relationship with human beings and it is particularly enjoyed by those who freely reciprocate God’s love.

The last chapter summarizes and restated that God’s love is volitional, evaluative, emotional, foreconditional and ideally reciprocally within the context of the God-world relationship. This means God does not determine human actions, man and women determine their future. God is omnipotent but voluntarily limits the use of his power to allow his creatures freedom to make decisions that determine their future.

The Love of God may be the most scholarly and comprehensive book on the topic of God’s love. It addresses aspects of divine love Christians in general never consider. Does God chose to love, or must he love? Is God’s love emotional and does it include enjoyment? Is God’s love conditional, and if so, in what sense? These are some of the issues Peckham addresses in this volume. Frequently, God’s love is confused with human love, but not in this book. Looking at the topic from different angles, the author has produced an original and careful theological interpretation of God’s love in Scripture. As is to be expected from a scholarly volume, the author is conversant with all the relevant literature and provides the reader with copious footnotes for further investigation. While the book does not make easy reading, it is a valuable resource for anyone interested in a better understanding of God’s love for humanity.