Re-Imaging Election: Divine Election as Representing God to Others and Others to GodIn Re-Imaging Election Suzanne McDonald offers a fresh approach to the doctrine of election from a Reformed perspective, first by seeking greater acknowledgment that election is not only in Christ but also by the Spirit, and second by building on the scriptural and theological links between the doctrines of election and the image of God. McDonald here combines an analysis of John Owen and Karl Barth with those links to develop a constructive proposal that posits representation (representing God to others and others to God) as a fruitful category for understanding the nature and purpose of election. In doing so, she seeks to restore the robust pneumatology characteristic of the earlier Reformed tradition without losing some of the central insights from Barth s christological re-orientation of the doctrine. While Re-Imaging Election is firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition, the re-expression of the doctrine presented here opens up new possibilities for dialogue across the theological spectrum and offers suggestive directions for reclaiming an often-divisive doctrine in the life of the church. |
Contents
John Owen | 3 |
Karl Barth | 31 |
Sketching Some Scriptural Contours | 87 |
Election the Spirit and the Ecclesial Imago Dei | 115 |
Christ Perichoretic Personhood and the Ecclesial Imago Dei | 124 |
Conclusion | 139 |
Some Problems a Parable and the Parousia | 145 |
Beyond the Impasse | 175 |
Glancing Backward Looking Forward | 195 |
bibliography | 202 |
| 210 | |
Common terms and phrases
approach aspect Barth basis becomes believing blessing bring called CD II/2 central chapter Christian christological church clear concept concerning considered constituted context continuing covenant created creation decision described determination developed discussion divine doctrine of election dynamic ecclesial elect community election in Christ election to representation eschatological eternal existence expression faith Father further gift given God’s God’s purposes hold Holy humanity image of God imago individual Israel issues Jesus Christ Karl live means nature noted notion offers Old Testament ontological Owen Owen’s participation particular perichoretic person personhood pneumatological points position possibility predestination presentation Press promise question reality reflection Reformed regard rejected relation relationship remains remarks representing rest salvation scriptural shape share significance simply speak Spirit Spirit’s role suggests theme Theology tion Trinitarian triune true turn understanding unfolding union unique universal Volf whole wider witness Wright