Barrett, Matthew. “None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God,” Baker, Grand Rapids, MI: 2019. 283 pages. $16.99
I recently had the privilege of reviewing Matthew Barrett‘s book “None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God” thanks to the good folks at Baker Publishing.
Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of commotion in the evangelical world regarding the Doctrine of God or Theology Proper. Some of the issues dealt with the doctrine of the Trinity and yet others had to do with the attributes of God. In my own studies, I began to see the importance of what is known as Classical Theism, which this book seeks to promote and defend.
Theology can be intimidating. Weighty concepts and challenging terminology can make it difficult for people to take an interest. Thankfully, Barrett weaves personal anecdotes into the teachings and provides helpful tables to make Theology Proper more attainable. Some parts of the book may still pose a challenge for those new to the study of theology, but he presents the subject matter in a thoughtful and accessible way.
The first three chapters captivated me. Barrett writes on the incomprehensibility of God, the analogical nature of our knowledge of God, and God’s infinite and unlimited perfections. He continues with chapters on aseity, simplicity, immutability, impassibility, and eternity (chapters 6 and 7 on immutability and impassibility are of special importance due to the aforementioned controversy surrounding “modified” Classical Theism). The following two chapters deal with God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnisapience; and the book closes by covering the righteousness, goodness, love, jealousy, and glory of God.
This is an important book that I heartily recommend. Barrett seeks to reclaim Classical Theism from contemporary obscurity and bring it to bear on the hearts and minds of 21st century Christians. His efforts to help laypeople understand immensely significant doctrine is commendable. The way in which he relates with the reader through story is winsome and pastoral, and I hope to imitate this kind of affable instruction in my own interaction with others in the future.
Recommended reading:
Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product… that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK.
ACTIVE/didactic 