About Providence, Divine Action and the Church


In this blog, Terry J. Wright posts thoughts and shares research on the Christian doctrine of providence. This doctrine testifies to God’s provision for all things through creation’s high priest, the man Christ Jesus. However, the precise meaning and manner of this provision is a perpetually open question, and this blog is a forum for discussion of the many issues relating to providence and the place of the Church within God’s action.

B. Studies

My intention here is to provide an extensive bibliography of resources for the doctrine of providence. This is an ongoing project, so do contact me if you know of any works that should be included, or if you wish for me to make an amendment or correct an error.

Last Updated: 31 December 2013

Studies

Scott Bader-Saye, Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2007), Chapter 6: ‘Narrative and Providence’

Paul Ballard, ‘Theological Reflection and Providence’, Practical Theology 1 (2009), pp. 285–289

Amy Carr, ‘A Hermeneutics of Providence Amid Affliction: Contributions by Luther and Weil to a Cruciform Doctrine of Providence’, Pro Ecclesia 16 (2007), pp. 278–298

Jill Carlson Colwell, ‘“One Who Trusts Will Not Panic”: Providence and the Prophet of Desecuritization’, Ex Auditu 24 (2008), pp. 101–121

Mark W. Elliott, The Heart of Biblical Theology: Providence Experienced (Farnham: Ashgate, 2012)

David Fergusson, ‘Divine Providence and Action’, in Miroslav Volf and Michael Welker (eds.), God’s Life in Trinity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006), pp. 153–165

David Fergusson, ‘The Theology of Providence’, Theology Today 67 (2010), pp. 261–278

Colin E. Gunton, ‘The End of Causality? The Reformers and their Predecessors’, in Colin E. Gunton (ed.), The Doctrine of Creation: Essays in Dogmatics, History and Philosophy (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1997), pp. 63–82

Colin E. Gunton, The Triune Creator: A Historical and Systematic Study. Edinburgh Studies in Constructive Theology (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998), pp. 175–192

Colin E. Gunton, ‘Christ the Wisdom of God. A Study in Divine and Human Action’, in Father, Son and Holy Spirit: Essays Toward a Fully Trinitarian Theology (London: T&T Clark, 2003), pp. 127–143

David Bentley Hart, The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005)

Jan Milič Lochman, ‘Reconsidering the Doctrine of Providence’, in Wallace M. Alston, Jr. and Michael Welker (eds.), Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), pp. 281–293

Haydn J. McLean, ‘Thinking Out Loud: Pondering the Providence of God’, Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling 62:3 (2008), pp. 303–307

Francesca Aran Murphy and Philip G. Ziegler (eds.), The Providence of God: Deus Habet Consilium (London: T&T Clark, 2009)

Mikael Oez, Cyriacus of Tagrit and his Book on Divine Providence , 2 vols. Gorgias Eastern Christian Studies 33 (Gorgias Press, 2012)

William C. Placher, The Domestication of Transcendence: How Modern Thinking About God Went Wrong (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1996)

N. H. G. Robinson, ‘Is Providence Credible Today?’, Scottish Journal of Theology 30 (1977), pp. 215–231

Leo Scheffczyk, Creation and Providence, translated by Richard Strachan (London: Burns & Oates, 1970)

Christoph Schwöbel, ‘Divine Agency and Providence’, Modern Theology 3 (1987), pp. 225–244

Kathryn Tanner, God and Creation in Christian Theology: Tyranny or Empowerment? (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1988)

Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Remythologizing Theology: Divine Action, Passion, and Authorship. Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010)

John Webster, ‘Providence’, in Kelly M. Kapic and Bruce L. McCormack, Mapping Modern Theology: A Thematic and Historical Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012), pp. 203–226

Rowan Williams, ‘Divine Presence and Divine Action: Reflections in the Wake of Nicholas Lash’. Available at http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/2131/divine-presence-and-divine-action-reflections-in-the-wake-of-nicholas-lash [accessed 9 January 2012]

Stephen N. Williams, ‘The Sovereignty of God’, in Bruce L. McCormack (ed.), Engaging the Doctrine of God: Contemporary Protestant Perspectives (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), pp. 168–184

Charles M. Wood, ‘The Events in which God Acts’, The Heythrop Journal 22 (1981), pp. 278–284

Charles M. Wood, ‘The Question of the Doctrine of Providence’, Theology Today 49 (1992), pp. 209–224

Charles M. Wood, ‘Providence and a New Creation’, (unpublished paper presented to the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, 2002, downloaded from http://divinity.duke.edu/oxford/docs/2002papers/2002-4CWood.pdf, accessed 23 August 2011)

Charles M. Wood, ‘Providence’, in John Webster, Kathryn Tanner and Iain Torrance (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), pp. 91–104

Charles M. Wood, The Question of Providence (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008)

Terry J. Wright, ‘Reconsidering Concursus’, International Journal of Systematic Theology 4 (2002), pp. 205–215

Terry J. Wright, ‘How is Christ Present to the World?’, International Journal of Systematic Theology 7 (2005), pp. 300–315

Terry J. Wright, ‘Divine Presence as a Framework for God’s Providence’, Epworth Review 36 (2009), online only

Terry J. Wright, Providence Made Flesh: Divine Presence as a Framework for a Theology of Providence (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2009)

Terry J. Wright, ‘Colin Gunton on Providence: Critical Commentaries’, in Lincoln Harvey (ed.), The Theology of Colin Gunton (London: T&T Clark, 2010), pp. 146–164