The Severity of God: Religion and Philosophy Reconceived

Written by Paul K. Moser Reviewed By Matthew W. Manry

Dr. Paul K. Moser has written an extremely important book for both students of philosophy and theology, which seeks to explain how the problem of divine severity is compatible with the existence of a God who is worthy of worship. Moser is specifically confronting the issue of “why—a God worthy of worship would allow human life to be as severe or rigorously difficult as it actually is, at least at times” (p. 4).

In chapter 1, Moser discusses his Gethsemane epistemology model. Moser has defined Gethsemane epistemology as a model that “requires human responsiveness and volitional conformity to God.” A proper Gethsemane model seeks God’s perfect will first, even though the standards or requirements might seem rigorous (p. 30). Obviously, Moser’s epistemological method is founded on Matt 26:36–46. A volitional position is required for humanity to receive God’s redemptive power. Moser notes that humans will never be able to fully understand God’s specific purposes for allowing evil and suffering in the world, but they may be able to find sufficient comfort in the message of the cross, and recognize the severity of Christ’s death that took place on Golgotha (p. 35). Expecting a severe God is something that Christian theists should anticipate. As Moser rightly says, “Theologians and philosophers of religion speak often of divine ‘love,’ but they talk much less frequently, if at all, of divine severity toward unrighteousness” (p. 38).

In chapter 2, Moser describes severity and flux. What this essentially means is that because life is always changing and is momentary, it can seem extremely terrible at certain points. By interacting with philosophers such as Thomas Nagel, Moser argues that divine agape love “can serve as a potential constant or stabilizer in the flux, even if humans must struggle to receive it and to manifest it for others” (p. 83). Christians must live with tension in this life, but try and take comfort in divine agape that makes life worth living.

Chapter 3 discusses why human beings often have misguided expectations for God, if he exists, to provide enough evidence for his existence. According to Moser, human beings must be willing to participate in “divine corrective reciprocity” in order to come into a justifiable belief in God (p. 89). Moser does not believe that natural theology provides worthwhile evidence for the existence of a God worthy of worship. He suggests that, “natural theology is inadequate and dispensable relative to the evidential standard and resources for the God worthy of worship” (p. 123). This then obviously affirms Moser’s agape-oriented epistemology that is founded upon Jesus’s attitude in Gethsemane.

In chapter 4 Moser considers the role of severity in salvation. Moser specifically interacts with the apostle Paul’s discussion of salvation. As he notes: “Many interpreters have neglected the role in Paul’s soteriology of active human faith in God” (p. 149). This chapter focuses mainly on the role that human beings have in receiving freedom, by becoming obedient in the heart towards God, and on the role of submitting one’s will to God’s perfect moral character (p. 165).

In chapter 5, his strongest chapter, Moser discusses what his Christ-shaped philosophy entails. Moser suggests that: “A distinct Christian philosophy would be neither purely rational nor purely empirical nor purely argumentational in form. Instead, it would accommodate the subversive Christian message that the outcast Galilean ‘Jesus is Lord’” (p. 167). This is a very helpful definition. Moser goes on to elaborate that a Christian philosophy must not empty the power from the cross of Christ (p. 181). Christian philosophy must join “Gethsemane union with a religious epistemology oriented toward the Spirit of God and Christ” (p. 183). What Moser offers Christian philosophers and theologians in this section is invaluable. Christians should value philosophy and theology and should not try to divorce these two branches.

e will. Although Moser should be commended for offering a new Christian epistemology, his Gethsemane epistemology is too narrowly focused. For example, why should one view Gethsemane epistemology in a more superior light than, say, natural theology, presuppositional apologetics, or Reformed epistemology? Natural theology has explicit scriptural warrant (Rom 1:20; Ps 19:1), while presuppositional apologetics and Reformed epistemology base their schools of thought on concepts that can be defended biblically. So why should we favor the Gethsemane model? Moser never really says, and there lies the biggest weakness of The Severity of God. There is just too much ambiguity in what Moser proposes. Does he completely solve the problem of divine severity? It’s hard to say. Is his Gethsemane model a worthwhile Christian epistemology? It seems to be, but much depends on the biblical convictions of the reader. Moser’s writing is very technical and unclear at points and that may explain why his book struggles to answer many of the questions that he poses.

This work is probably best understood in light of Moser’s other books, The Elusive God: Reorienting Religious Epistemology (Cambridge: CUP, 2008) and The Evidence for God: Religious Knowledge Reexamined (Cambridge: CUP, 2010). However, The Severity of God still provides an excellent introduction into Moser’s Gethsemane epistemology and his Christ-shaped philosophy. There is no doubt that Moser operates outside a Reformed worldview. However, there are still treasures to be gleaned from his book, and I would recommend that students of theology and philosophy to engage with what he has to say.


Matthew W. Manry

Matthew W. Manry
Life Bible Church
Canton, Georgia, USA

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