The Doctrine of God

by John Frame

Publisher:

P&R

, 2002

Overview

This second volume in the Theology of Lordship series provides Frame’s fullest exegetical defense of the centrality of God’s lordship in Scripture. It shows in detail the three aspects of that lordship—God’s control, authority, and presence—and then shows that all the Bible’s teaching about God’s nature and actions can be understood as applications of his lordship. God acts and speaks to us so that we may know that he is Lord. In this way, we can better understand the importance of Jesus’ lordship as creator and savior and the lordship of the Holy Spirit as he brings Christ to us and us into Jesus’ presence.

Frame also discusses the traditional controversies: divine sovereignty and human responsibility, the goodness of God and the evil in the world, whether we should ever speak of God as “mother,” the possibility that God “changes” in some way, the nature of miracles, divine election, and whether God is “in time.” On many of these issues, Frame explores new ground, remaining all the while within the bounds of Reformed orthodoxy.

Key Features

• Discusses God’s lordship through Trinity doctrine
• Examines many of the traditional doctrinal controversies
• Presents a Reformed perspective on a variety of theological questions

Contents

• Part One: Yahweh the Lord
• Part Two: Some Problem Areas
• Part Three: A Philosophy of Lordship
• Part Four: The Acts of the Lord
• Part Five: Biblical Descriptions of God
• Part Six: The Triune God

Top Highlights

“I will conclude that divine lordship can be more fully described by the three concepts of control, authority, and presence. I shall call these the lordship attributes.” (Pages 40–41)

“So the simple, obvious point I wish to make in this section is this: the name Lord names the head of a covenant. His essential relationship to us is that of a great king who has delivered us from death and calls us to serve him by obeying his written word.” (Page 35)

“Holiness, then, is a very rich concept. It speaks of God’s transcendence and separation from finite and sinful creatures. But it also speaks of how God draws them to himself, making them holy. Holiness marks God’s transcendence, but also his immanence, his presence to redeem us. He is not only ‘the Holy One,’ but ‘the Holy One among us,’ ‘the Holy One of Israel.’ And both as transcendence and immanence, judgment and salvation, law and gospel, God’s holiness drives us to worship him. Yahweh is the Lord who moves us to worship him with reverence and awe (Heb. 12:28).” (Page 29)

“Unless God’s standards govern our concept of goodness, there can be no talk of good or evil at all.” (Page 171)

“Our message to the world must emphasize that God is real, and that he will not be trifled with. He is the almighty, majestic Lord of heaven and earth, and he demands our most passionate love and obedience.” (Pages 2–3)

Praise for the Print Edition

May prove to be one of the most useful all-purpose, “nuts and bolts” theology books written in this generation. . . . Its analytical clarity and style is complimented by a remarkably warm, non-technical, down-to-earth, “shirt-sleeve” approach.

—Philip Blosser, professor, Lenoir-Rhyne College

Extremely relevant . . . simply the best thing I have seen in this area.

—Reginald McLelland, professor of philosophy, Covenant College

No Christian who is serious about thinking God’s thoughts after him can afford to miss this book.

—Peter J. Leithart, pastor, Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho

Product Details

• Title: The Doctrine of God
• Author: John Frame
• Publisher: P&R
• Print Publication Date: 2002
• Logos Release Date: 2008
• Pages: 992
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: God
• ISBNs: 9780875522630, 0875522637
• Resource ID: LLS:DOCTROFGOD
• Resource Type: Systematic Theology
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:21:42Z

About John Frame

John M. Frame (b. 1939) is an American philosopher and a Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology, presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. He is one of the foremost interpreters and critics of the thought of Cornelius Van Til. Dr. Frame formerly taught at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, and Westminster Theological Seminary.