Book Review: Choice, Desire, and the Will of God

Choice, Desire, and the Will of God: What more do you want? by David Runcorn

David Runcorn is an Anglican minister, currently serving in the Diocese of Lichfield.

This was a book from the bargain/closeout list at ChristianBook.com that I added to my cart just because the title sounded interesting. I was not disappointed with my expectations about the book.

If you want some of the traditional assumptions about God, His omnipotence and omniscience, and His reasons for Creation and the Incarnation challenged, this book will definitely do that. The major premise (at least what I got from reading it) is that the traditional views of God's omnipotence and omniscience (which are strongly influenced by Calvin's theology), are strongly at odds with God's love and and freedom of choice.

From the very start of the book, Runcorn challenges traditional thought. He suggests that God's incarnation as a human was not just to resolve the sin issue, but it was something that He had planned to do, even without sin. In chapter 1 Runcorn writes:

The incarnation is the fulfilling of God's original plan of and for creation. It is not a solution to a problem dreamed up in God's merciful imagination ('I know, I'll try this'). It is much more than God taking our humanity. In the end it is about the taking of our humanity in God. (2)

In chapter 2, Runcorn argues against the commonly held view that God being omnipotent has pre-planned everything, everywhere, across all time; and also against view that God's being omniscient means that He knows everything that will ever happen. In a number of ways, Runcorn seems to express views of God posited by the Open and Process schools of theology. Runcorn argues that nowhere in the Bible does it say that 'God is omni-" anything. Rather, he writes, "Significantly the nearest the Bible gets to a definition of God is 'God is Love' (1 John 4:8)." (13) From this point he argues that love, be definition, must limit itself, both in doing and knowing. Runcorn argues that interfering with choice (what the common held view of omnipotence would require) is not love at all.

Chapter 3 starts with another rather challenging and thought-provoking statement:

GOD IS USELESS.

I mean, he serves no purpose. He does not need a reason to exist. Being God is not a job. No one appointed him. He is complete in himself. He just is.

And that means creation is useless too. God did not need to create the world. He was not lonely or lacking in any way. He does not need our love or worship. So we are not here to make a point... (19)

From these foundational propositions in the few opening chapters, Runcorn goes on to provide more details of how he sees the God's love and desire manifesting in creation and incarnation. The latter half of the book moves into how, being created in God's image, humans have been given the gift of love, desire, and choice. Runcorn discusses how humans might engage in a relationship with God, experiencing and employing these gifts from him.

I recommend this book as another perspective on the tension between God's omnipotence and omnipresence; and love and free-will. Maybe the universe and history aren't as fixed and predetermined as we may have been led to believe. Maybe God isn't out there just handling billions of marionettes. Maybe God really can be surprised and delighted by what we do. Maybe God really does value freedom -- freedom to destroy, or the freedom to create and restore -- so that he chooses not to interfere with our choices and their consequences, evil or good.