In the second of his two-volume collection of essays entitled God without Measure, John Webster considers aspects of moral theology and the human intellect. There are chapters on the relation between Christology and ethics; on matters such as dignity, mercy, sorrow, and courage; on the importance of mortification and vivification; on speech; on the intellectual life and intellectual patience; and on the place of theology as a university discipline. Each chapter is paradigmatic of Webster’s careful approach to crafting theology, redolent of earlier systematicians, and especially of Thomas Aquinas, whose influence is particularly noticeable. The effect of Webster’s writing is to lead the attentive reader closer to the triune God of Christian confession.
And judging by the topics addressed, such proximity to God is surely what Webster intends to foster. God without Measure ii is not a treatment of contemporary ethical issues from a Christian perspective, but an invitation to contemplate a properly theological account of creaturely life and activity—that is, an account founded on and resourced by God, the source of all being. Thus creaturely dignity (Chapter 3) is secured by God’s love for the creature, and courage (Chapter 6) arises from an assurance of God’s promises of good for the creature. Webster’s point is that an awareness of how to live and act aright can only be derived from a gospel-shaped consideration of God, and of God’s dealings with the world.
As with the first volume, God without Measure ii consists mostly of papers that are published elsewhere; this, along with its price, may have an impact on the desirability of the book. Also, as engaging as Webster’s style is, these essays require particularly focused attention, as his approach is more concerned to elucidate the theological principles underlying creaturely being and action than to provide examples of good ethical practice, and today’s activists and pragmatists are sure to be frustrated at times. Regardless, established scholars, postgraduate students, and advanced undergraduates and ministers are unlikely to deny the worth of Webster’s deliberations here.
This review was originally published in Theological Book Review 27:1 (2016), pp. 51–52
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