Review of ‘Divine Love Theory’ by Adam Lloyd Johnson

Review of Adam Lloyd Johnson, Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality, Grand Rapids, Kregel, 2023, 256 pages, pbk.

This book is something of a hybrid; a mix between a philosophy of religion text, an ethics text, a written debate, and a theology book. It’s author is a professor of Rhineland School of Theology in Germany, and also teaches at Midwestern Baptist Seminary.

Divine Love Theory makes an important contribution to Christian ethics in that it roots realistic morality in the nature of the Trinity, and in the loving interactions of the Trinity in particular. Hence, the basis for human ethics is the loving communion of the Godhead. This approach is surprisingly new in the realm of philosophy. It requires that the relationship of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be comprehended to an adequate degree and be understood as a communicated property to human beings from the Triune God. Says Johnson,

“I’ll argue that the ultimate ground of objective morality is God’s trinitarian nature as found in, and expressed among, the loving relationships between the divine persons of the Trinity.” (33).

The author’s position is that the Trinity is not simply another article of faith, but is “the central article in which every other Christian doctrine is grounded and from which every other Christian doctrine is shaped. (43). Johnson believes that unless the Triune God exists not only would ethical norms not exist but neither would anything else (36 cf. 54). Nevertheless, as a philosopher he has to reason with opposing viewpoints. Throughout the book Johnson engages with the work of atheist philosopher Erik Weilenberg and seeks to show that whereas Weilenberg’s evolutionary realist ethics suffers from several problems that make it bloated and complex, his notion of Divine Love Theory is both well grounded and simple (in the sense that it does not need to pile up arguments for its own maintenance).

As created beings we have been brought into being my a good God, who is by nature loving and so relational. God has therefore created us to share in His love:

“the love we were created for is the same love that’s found within the life of the Triune God.” (45).

This is an exhilarating thought, and is important beyond the reaches of philosophy of religion. It magnifies God and also magnifies the creature.

Johnson does not step out alone in this work but relies on previous ideas from the likes of Robert M. Adams (especially Finite and Infinite Goods). But whereas Adams highlights seeking that which is good in itself and worthy of adoration; a position anchored in the necessary goodness of the Christian God. Johnson commends a moral theory derived from contemplating intra-trinitarian love.

The best parts of the book are the author’s description of trinitarian theology, his patient response to possible objections from various schools of thought like over-heavy classical Trinitarianism, Christian Platonism, Natural Law theory, etc. (Ch. 5). Later in the book he has a good section entitled “Human Obedience as Imaging the True God” which is well argued (203-207). He also deals well with Weilenberg’s approach (Chs. 6, 9 – 11), showing it has difficulties with rootedness. As he puts it concisely,

“We’re obligated not to impersonal things but to persons.” (118).

Quite a lot of the book is taken up with answering objections, but these are to be expected in this kind of a text. I like, for example, that he takes pains to address some of the dangers of social-trinitarianism while not discarding its insights. If I could pick out one particular issue with the book it is that it lacks a good discussion and definition of exactly what divine love is.

This book reads very well and is for the most part fairly easy to follow. While reading it I have to say that I was edified by its content and its irenic spirit. This is a very useful text not only for students of philosophy and ethics, but also for theologians.