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.

D. Biblical 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

Biblical Studies

Michael Avioz, ‘Divine Intervention and Human Error in the Absalom Narrative’, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 37:3 (2013), pp. 339–347

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

Terence E. Fretheim, God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005)

Christian Link, ‘Providence: An Unsolved Problem of the Doctrine of Creation’, in Henning Graf Reventlow and Yair Hoffman (eds.), Creation in Jewish and Christian Tradition (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 319; London: Sheffield Academic Press, 2002), pp. 266–276

John Piper, A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race and Sovereignty in the Book of Ruth (Nottingham: IVP, 2010)

John Rogerson, ‘Can a Doctrine of Providence be Based on the Old Testament?’, in Lyle Eslinger and Glen Taylor (eds.), Ascribe to the Lord: Biblical and Other Studies in Memory of Peter C. Craigie (Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series 67, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1988), pp. 529–543

Ryan S. Schellenberg, ‘Suspense, Simultaneity, and Divine Providence in the Book of Tobit’, Journal of Biblical Literature 130:2 (2011), pp. 313–327

Terry J. Wright, ‘The Seal of Approval: An Interpretation of the Son’s Sustaining Action in Hebrews 1:3’, in Nathan MacDonald, Richard J. Bauckham, Daniel R. Driver and Trevor A. Hart (eds.), The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), pp. 140–148