God in Himself: Scripture, Metaphysics and the Task of Christian Theology. By Steven J. Duby

Abstract

Stephen Duby offers an ambitious, dense, extraordinarily well-researched, and carefully argued case for a reconsideration of the way in which God’s own self ought to be studied and understood. Duby is Associate Professor of Theology at Phoenix Seminary. In each of five substantial chapters, he considers the biblical witness, patristic authors, medieval and Reformed theologians, and the contributions of modern and late modern scholars. Those he calls the ‘Reformed orthodox’ of the seventeenth century receive particular attention. This latter set of authors is perhaps less well known to many readers, and for this reason alone Duby’s study is especially worthwhile. Of special note is his retrieval of Francis Turretin (1623–87), whose important contributions to Reformed theology are often overlooked or forgotten. At the same time, Duby exemplifies a thoughtful Protestant harvesting of pre-Reformation sources, from Augustine to Aquinas and many more, in a way that demonstrates how a vitally ecumenical approach is deeply enriching to any student of doctrine.