Overview

What if the loving relationships of the Trinity are the ultimate, objective source for living morally? Adam Lloyd Johnson injects a fresh yet eternal reality into the thriving debate over the basis of moral absolutes. While postmodernism's moral relativism once temporarily disrupted the footing of classic moral theories like natural law and divine command, many nontheistic philosophers assert that morality must rest on something real and objective. Divine Love Theory proposes a grounding for morality not only in the creator God but as revealed in the Christian Scriptures--Father, Son, and Spirit eternally loving one another. Johnson contends that the Trinity provides a remarkably convincing foundation for making moral judgments. One leading atheistic proposal, godless normative realism, finds many deficiencies in theistic and Christian theories, yet Johnson shows how godless normative realism is susceptible to similar errors. He then demonstrates how the loving relationships of the Trinity as outlined in historic Christian theology resolve many of the weakest points in both theistic and atheistic moral theories. ""Johnson leaves no stone unturned, his research is exceptional, and his topic and treatment of it are first-rate. I very strongly recommend this book."" --J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University ""Divine Love Theory is an important and original contribution to the on-going contemporary debate between theists and non-theists over the foundations of morality. It is a work that will be of interest to theologians and philosophers alike."" --Erik Wielenberg, professor of philosophy, DePauw University ""Johnson's own proposal is a refreshing and insightful address that is often missed in the moral debate of mere theism: Trinitarianism. Divine Love Theory is at once more consistent with the largest theistic population, Christians, but also provides greater explanatory power over competitors, theistic and atheistic alike."" --Corey Miller, President of Ratio Christi

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Reviews

Adam's first section is very well-done and very helpful to the reader; I love the historical overview. Also, his Evolutionary Debunking Argument against Wielenberg's position is really good. Lastly, I found the part on imaging the obedience in the Trinity as a basis for the obligation to obey God creative and interesting. --William Lane Craig Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Houston Baptist University (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM) Dr. Johnson's work will be of interest to anyone engaged in philosophy of religion and ethics. He provides a good historical overview and then takes on one of the most formidable contemporary atheistic proposals for grounding objective morality within atheism, the so-called Godless Normative Realism of Erik Wielenberg. Johnson's own proposal is a refreshing and insightful address that is often missed in the moral debate of mere theism: Trinitarianism. His Divine Love Theory is at once more consistent with the largest theistic population, Christians, but also provides greater explanatory power over competitors, theistic and atheistic alike. Breadth of consideration includes interaction with various positions like Natural Law, Divine Will, and Divine Command Theory. Of other importance is the consideration of other objections to Wielenberg's bloated ontology and also Johnson's nice up-to-date discussion of evolutionary debunking arguments relative to moral epistemology. I commend this important and insightful piece in the historical and contemporary debate concerning God and morality. --Corey Miller President of Ratio Christi (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM) There can be little doubt that Western culture is mired in moral chaos. The central problems are metaethical and concern the ontological and epistemological foundations for the existence and knowability of objective morality. Adam Lloyd Johnson's stunning book strikes at the very heart of the matter by presenting a rigorous, well-structured defense of his uniquely trinitarian solution to these problems, along with a deep analysis and evisceration of the leading rival--Erik Wielenberg's Godless Normative Realism. Johnson leaves no stone unturned, his research is exceptional, and his topic and treatment of it are first-rate. I very strongly recommend this book. --J.P. Moreland Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM)

"""Adam's first section is very well-done and very helpful to the reader; I love the historical overview. Also, his Evolutionary Debunking Argument against Wielenberg's position is really good. Lastly, I found the part on imaging the obedience in the Trinity as a basis for the obligation to obey God creative and interesting.""--William Lane Craig ""Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and Houston Baptist University"" (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM) ""Dr. Johnson's work will be of interest to anyone engaged in philosophy of religion and ethics. He provides a good historical overview and then takes on one of the most formidable contemporary atheistic proposals for grounding objective morality within atheism, the so-called Godless Normative Realism of Erik Wielenberg. Johnson's own proposal is a refreshing and insightful address that is often missed in the moral debate of mere theism: Trinitarianism. His Divine Love Theory is at once more consistent with the largest theistic population, Christians, but also provides greater explanatory power over competitors, theistic and atheistic alike. Breadth of consideration includes interaction with various positions like Natural Law, Divine Will, and Divine Command Theory. Of other importance is the consideration of other objections to Wielenberg's bloated ontology and also Johnson's nice up-to-date discussion of evolutionary debunking arguments relative to moral epistemology. I commend this important and insightful piece in the historical and contemporary debate concerning God and morality.""--Corey Miller ""President of Ratio Christi"" (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM) ""There can be little doubt that Western culture is mired in moral chaos. The central problems are metaethical and concern the ontological and epistemological foundations for the existence and knowability of objective morality. Adam Lloyd Johnson's stunning book strikes at the very heart of the matter by presenting a rigorous, well-structured defense of his uniquely trinitarian solution to these problems, along with a deep analysis and evisceration of the leading rival--Erik Wielenberg's Godless Normative Realism. Johnson leaves no stone unturned, his research is exceptional, and his topic and treatment of it are first-rate. I very strongly recommend this book.""--J.P. Moreland ""Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University"" (4/5/2022 12:00:00 AM)"

Author Information

Dr. Adam Lloyd Johnson earned his Ph.D. with a concentration in Philosophy of Religion at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches for the Rhineland School of Theology in Wölmersen, Germany and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He also serves with Ratio Christi, a university campus ministry. He is the author or editor of several published works including A Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties?, co-authored with William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Erik Wielenberg, and others.

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