Papers by Timothy Robert Baylor
T&T Clark Handbook to Divine Providence, 2024
Theodicy is a regular concern of Christian dogmatics, and one regular criticism of Reformed theol... more Theodicy is a regular concern of Christian dogmatics, and one regular criticism of Reformed theology is that it advances an abstract conception of divine power that is undisciplined by any intelligible conception of justice. If all things exist for the sake of God's glory in redemption, the story goes, then in maintaining the doctrine of predestination and reprobation, the Reformed inevitably void any meaningful distinction between God’s active and permissive wills. In so doing, they not only deny the integrity of creaturely agency, but also imply that evil is a means of God's greater glory.
In recent years, however, a large body of work has shown that the Reformed advanced an No competitive account of providence, which accorded a much more prominent place to the contingency of creaturely action than was previously recognised. This essay considers how Turretin’s conception of the divine decree is designed from the outset to make room for the contingency of creaturely action. It examines Turretin's teaching on the nature and order of the decrees, including God's permission of sin and its relevance for Turretin's critique of Supralapsarianism. It makes the case that, for Turretin, one cannot make any biblical sense of God’s power, justice, and the order(s) of divine providence within history, unless one reckons with the contingency of creaturely action.
New Visions in Theological Anthropology, 2022
Link: https://www.theo-puzzles.ac.uk/2022/06/28/baylor/
Christian Theology has often noted the... more Link: https://www.theo-puzzles.ac.uk/2022/06/28/baylor/
Christian Theology has often noted the complex role that emotional states play in the life of faith, and particularly in beliefs about the order of God’s providence within the world. Despair offers an interesting case study in this relation because it bears immediately on the question of truth, and faith’s apprehension of the truth. However, Christian theologians have different intuitions about the ethical and moral significance of despair and its relation to faith. Indeed, this tends to be a topic on which modern theologians tend to vary fairly substantially from older ones.
The relationship between beliefs and emotional states has also been the object of some interest in recent cognitive science, particularly with a view to developing behavioural therapies for those suffering with long-term anxiety or despair. This raises questions about whether despair is strictly a pathology of human psychology, and whether practices might be appropriated to serve as a kind of spiritual therapy of despair. In what follows, I will outline two theological approaches to this question: those of Paul Tillich and Thomas Aquinas. I will then survey some recent cognitive science on the relation of belief to despair and assess which of the two outlined views might offer the more expansive application of this research.
T&T Clark Handbook of John Owen, 2022
Of John Owen’s many works, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (1648) is without question h... more Of John Owen’s many works, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (1648) is without question his most famous; or infamous, depending on your perspective. Now, nearly 400 years since its publication, it is still widely regarded as the best defence of a doctrine so controversial it has to go by aliases: “definite atonement” or “particular redemption” among the Reformed, “limited atonement” everywhere else. This chapter explores the background, theological argument, and immediate reception of the Death of Death. It argues that, while Owen's atonement theology develops materially after the Death of Death, the work remains one of enduring significance because of its profound treatment of the Christian's union with Christ.
Recent defenders of the eternal, functional subordination of the Son have appealed to the trinita... more Recent defenders of the eternal, functional subordination of the Son have appealed to the trinitarian theology of John Owen in support of their claim that subordination to the Father is a personal property of the Son of God qua Son. In this essay, I examine Owen's account of the Son's obedience within the economy of grace and its implications for Owen's theology of the Trinity. Owen is an interesting figure in these debates, for while sharing many commitments with classical trinitarianism, he rejects traditional arguments that explain the obedience and subordination of the Son simply by reference to his human nature alone. For Owen, the Son's obedience to the Father has its basis and ground in the inner life of God.
However, in order to keep faith with Nicene commitments about the co-equality of the Father and the Son, Owen argues that the subordination of the Son has its basis in a free and contingent divine decision -- namely, in that eternal covenant between the Father and the Son for the salvation of the elect, the Covenant of Redemption (or "pactum salutis"). Through a close reading of Owen's Hebrews Commentary, I show that Owen grounds the subordination of the Son to the Father, and the authority of the Father over the Son, within a free and contingent act of the divine will. Accordingly, the Son's subordination to the Father is depicted as a free act of divine condescension, which is itself both the substance and mystery of God's grace.
Peter Lombard argued that Christ merited his own exaltation. Since all humans attain their end by... more Peter Lombard argued that Christ merited his own exaltation. Since all humans attain their end by merit, and since Christ was true man, it follows that Christ merited exaltation for himself. Calvin repeatedly rejects this idea, arguing that Lombard obscures the fully benevolent character of Christ's mission because he abstracts Christ's humanity from his divinity. Calvin's polemic against Lombard leverages his anti-Pelagian critique against medieval theologies of merit that reduce Christ's capacity as a representative and restrict the church's full participation in Christ's atonement. Instead, Calvin attempts to establish the substitutionary character of Christ's work by founding the merits of Christ's work on more strictly christological grounds.
In recent debate on the doctrine of union with Christ, the theology of John Owen has received mix... more In recent debate on the doctrine of union with Christ, the theology of John Owen has received mixed treatment, with some arguing that his is among the fullest on offer in Reformed theology, while others argue that it is overly forensic and pietistic, departing significantly from fuller treatments like that of Calvin. These arguments fail, however, because they insufficiently situate Owen's theology of union with Christ in relation to the "three-fold grace" of Owen's christology. This article argues that this three-fold grace structures Owen's conception of union with Christ, and provides important insights regarding the role of both the covenant and the incarnation for framing the creature's participation in Christ by the Spirit.
Book Reviews by Timothy Robert Baylor
International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2023
Studies in Christian Ethics, 2022
Talks by Timothy Robert Baylor
Within the context of the 17th century, the doctrine of regeneration was a highly contested doctr... more Within the context of the 17th century, the doctrine of regeneration was a highly contested doctrine with significant political and ecclesiological ramifications. In this talk, I sketch the shape of Owen's theology of regeneration against the background of early Modern Catholic and anti-Trinitarian accounts of the nature of "spiritual life". Owen's account of the Christian life as a supernatural form of existence offers a powerful critique of natural religion. I argue that this account of "spiritual life" provides the moral and spiritual framework for both his Independent ecclesiology, and his political advocacy for Religious Toleration.
Recent studies place the number of adults wrestling with a form of depressive illness as high as ... more Recent studies place the number of adults wrestling with a form of depressive illness as high as 18% of the population. But what is the significance of depressive illness for Christian faith? In this talk, I look at Aquinas and Calvin on the nature of faith and despair. I argue that Calvin's agonistic theology of the Christian life provides us with rich resources for developing a theology of faith that can make sense of anxiety and depression as a truly Christian experiences.
Substitutionary theologies of the atonement have often argued that Christ's death was necessitate... more Substitutionary theologies of the atonement have often argued that Christ's death was necessitated by divine justice. In this lecture, I examine the accounts of divine justice offered by John Owen and Karl Barth. I show how divine perfection and justice are related in the act of atonement, and how the ends of that act differ in their theologies. I conclude with some dogmatic observations on the nature of theological method, particularly as it concerns discernment of the ends of divine government.
In the light of the modern church scandals and critiques against religion, much of Reformed theol... more In the light of the modern church scandals and critiques against religion, much of Reformed theology has followed Karl Barth in treating the doctrine of sanctification as a sub-set of Christology, setting aside the older doctrine of infused habits under the suspicion that it is in some way self-serving or supportive of the abuse of established power. This paper will test John Owen’s appropriation of infused habits within his theology of sanctification in light of Karl Barth’s critique that the doctrine of infused habits reverses the proper relationship between God and the sinner. It is argued that the dispute is better framed as a question about the doctrine of union with Christ, and the way in which the Spirit leads creatures to share in the peace of Christ.
For most of the history of the Christian church the forgiveness of sin has been regarded as conti... more For most of the history of the Christian church the forgiveness of sin has been regarded as contingent upon the sinner's confession - "If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us" (1 Jn 1:9). Yet, some modern Protestant theology, like that of Karl Barth, has tended to see a subtle form of Pelagianism in such a condition. This paper will compare Reformed accounts of forgiveness and penitential practice, highlighting the theological differences which cause some to insist that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon confession, even while others deny it.
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Papers by Timothy Robert Baylor
In recent years, however, a large body of work has shown that the Reformed advanced an No competitive account of providence, which accorded a much more prominent place to the contingency of creaturely action than was previously recognised. This essay considers how Turretin’s conception of the divine decree is designed from the outset to make room for the contingency of creaturely action. It examines Turretin's teaching on the nature and order of the decrees, including God's permission of sin and its relevance for Turretin's critique of Supralapsarianism. It makes the case that, for Turretin, one cannot make any biblical sense of God’s power, justice, and the order(s) of divine providence within history, unless one reckons with the contingency of creaturely action.
Christian Theology has often noted the complex role that emotional states play in the life of faith, and particularly in beliefs about the order of God’s providence within the world. Despair offers an interesting case study in this relation because it bears immediately on the question of truth, and faith’s apprehension of the truth. However, Christian theologians have different intuitions about the ethical and moral significance of despair and its relation to faith. Indeed, this tends to be a topic on which modern theologians tend to vary fairly substantially from older ones.
The relationship between beliefs and emotional states has also been the object of some interest in recent cognitive science, particularly with a view to developing behavioural therapies for those suffering with long-term anxiety or despair. This raises questions about whether despair is strictly a pathology of human psychology, and whether practices might be appropriated to serve as a kind of spiritual therapy of despair. In what follows, I will outline two theological approaches to this question: those of Paul Tillich and Thomas Aquinas. I will then survey some recent cognitive science on the relation of belief to despair and assess which of the two outlined views might offer the more expansive application of this research.
However, in order to keep faith with Nicene commitments about the co-equality of the Father and the Son, Owen argues that the subordination of the Son has its basis in a free and contingent divine decision -- namely, in that eternal covenant between the Father and the Son for the salvation of the elect, the Covenant of Redemption (or "pactum salutis"). Through a close reading of Owen's Hebrews Commentary, I show that Owen grounds the subordination of the Son to the Father, and the authority of the Father over the Son, within a free and contingent act of the divine will. Accordingly, the Son's subordination to the Father is depicted as a free act of divine condescension, which is itself both the substance and mystery of God's grace.
Book Reviews by Timothy Robert Baylor
Talks by Timothy Robert Baylor
In recent years, however, a large body of work has shown that the Reformed advanced an No competitive account of providence, which accorded a much more prominent place to the contingency of creaturely action than was previously recognised. This essay considers how Turretin’s conception of the divine decree is designed from the outset to make room for the contingency of creaturely action. It examines Turretin's teaching on the nature and order of the decrees, including God's permission of sin and its relevance for Turretin's critique of Supralapsarianism. It makes the case that, for Turretin, one cannot make any biblical sense of God’s power, justice, and the order(s) of divine providence within history, unless one reckons with the contingency of creaturely action.
Christian Theology has often noted the complex role that emotional states play in the life of faith, and particularly in beliefs about the order of God’s providence within the world. Despair offers an interesting case study in this relation because it bears immediately on the question of truth, and faith’s apprehension of the truth. However, Christian theologians have different intuitions about the ethical and moral significance of despair and its relation to faith. Indeed, this tends to be a topic on which modern theologians tend to vary fairly substantially from older ones.
The relationship between beliefs and emotional states has also been the object of some interest in recent cognitive science, particularly with a view to developing behavioural therapies for those suffering with long-term anxiety or despair. This raises questions about whether despair is strictly a pathology of human psychology, and whether practices might be appropriated to serve as a kind of spiritual therapy of despair. In what follows, I will outline two theological approaches to this question: those of Paul Tillich and Thomas Aquinas. I will then survey some recent cognitive science on the relation of belief to despair and assess which of the two outlined views might offer the more expansive application of this research.
However, in order to keep faith with Nicene commitments about the co-equality of the Father and the Son, Owen argues that the subordination of the Son has its basis in a free and contingent divine decision -- namely, in that eternal covenant between the Father and the Son for the salvation of the elect, the Covenant of Redemption (or "pactum salutis"). Through a close reading of Owen's Hebrews Commentary, I show that Owen grounds the subordination of the Son to the Father, and the authority of the Father over the Son, within a free and contingent act of the divine will. Accordingly, the Son's subordination to the Father is depicted as a free act of divine condescension, which is itself both the substance and mystery of God's grace.