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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Outline and Introduction
Submitted to Dr. Todd Buck
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
THEO 626
Doctrine of God
by
June 25, 2022
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Research Project: Outline and Introduction Assignment
Statement of Topic:
Understanding God’s Doctrine through his wrath and love
Outline:
I. Introduction (1 page)
II. Historical Development of the God’s Doctrine (2 pages)
A. The Biblical Doctrine of God’s Wrath
B. The Biblical Doctrine of God’s Love
III. Theological Paradigms with Regard to the Connection between God's Love and
Wrath (3-4 pages)
A. The Divergent Account
B. The Unitary Account
IV. Implications of God’s Portrayal on the Doctrines of Wrath and Love (4-5 pages)
A. God’s Wrath
1. The Inconsistencies of God’s Wrath Portrayed in the Old Testament and the
New Testament
2. Wrath as a Divine Attribute
3. Wrath as a Prerequisite for Justice
B. God’s Love
1. God’s Holiness
2. Love as a Prerequisite for Justice
V. Application for Church (2 pages)
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VI. Conclusion (1 page)
A. Strengths and Weaknesses of Varied Positions
B. Implications for the Interpretation of the Tenets of Christianity
Project Introduction:
The doctrine of God is fundamental to understanding the canons of the Christian
Church. The concepts of the Almighty's love and wrath are integral divine attributes that can
be interpreted differently but are equally critical to discuss to unravel this Biblical conundrum.
In this regard, the historical development of God's doctrine suggests that his rage and mercy
are fundamentally interconnected components of his holiness
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. As per the divergent account,
anger is opposed to love, while the unitary account views God’s punishment as an expression
of love
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. The inconsistency in the interpretation is reflected in the depiction of the divine
wrath in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the burning rage against sinners in
the Old Covenant frequently prevents people from perceiving such a response as a loving
gesture
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. At the same time, both rage and mercy are viewed as the divine attributes deriving
from God’s holiness and striving for justice
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. As a foundation of Christian theology, God’s
doctrine should be examined through his wrath and love as intertwined components, equally
critical to be understood for a relevant interpretation of the tenets of Christian faith.
Bibliography
1. Jordan Wessling, Love Divine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020), 15.
2. Jordan Wessling, "How does a Loving God Punish? On the Unification of God's
Love and Punitive Wrath," International Journal of Systematic Theology 19, no. 4 (2017):
421, doi:10.1111/ijst.12246.
3. Donald Arthur Carson, “God’s Love and God’s Wrath,” Bibliotheca Sacra 156
(1999): 387.
4. Michael McCarthy, "Divine Wrath and Human Anger: Embarrassment Ancient and
New," Theological Studies 70, no. 4 (2009): 845. doi:10.1177/004056390907000405.
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Carson, Donald Arthur. “God’s Love and God’s Wrath.” Bibliotheca Sacra 156 (1999): 387-
398.
Holmes, Stephen. The Quest for the Trinity: The Doctrine of God in Scripture, History, and
Modernity. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2012.
McCarthy, Michael. "Divine Wrath and Human Anger: Embarrassment Ancient and New."
Theological Studies 70, no. 4 (2009): 845-874. doi:10.1177/004056390907000405.
Wessling, Jordan. "How does a Loving God Punish? On the Unification of God's Love and
Punitive Wrath." International Journal of Systematic Theology 19, no. 4 (2017): 421-
443. doi:10.1111/ijst.12246.
Wessling, Jordan. Love Divine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020.
Zahnd, Brian. Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God: The Scandalous Truth of the Very Good
News. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2017.
