The Christian Danger of Privileging Certain Attributes (i.e. Love, Justice, Sovereignty etc.) of God Over Other Attributes of God; and Some Of Its Cultural Implications

To privilege one attribute of God, to marginalize and practice-out-of-balance - over and against, the other attributes of God is to (unwittingly?) engage in heresy.

The effect of the Fall in Genesis 3, among other things was to cause the “dis-integration” of the Image of God (imago Dei) in Mankind and of the Created Order. 


Like the enumerable, intricately woven threads of a beautiful tapestry pulled apart from all four sides, and with inexorably ferocity compromising the tapestry’s resplendent image and function, so are the effects of the Fall upon man and His creation. Mankind and the Creation do not appear as they once did, nor will mankind and the Created Order function in any way optimally as they should. With every passing day, week, month, year, decade, century and millennium this “disintegration” becomes increasingly more and more true. 

There should be a measured and healthy terror in all believers that there has been a “Fall” and there is a “Falling.”

Theologically, one of the nascent and pernicious ways that we have been influenced by The Fall is through our perception of God and the Theological emphasis and practices predicated on that perception. 

Metaphorically speaking, God is like a large perfect diamond, with equal facets on all sides, and with each and every facet representing a particular attribute of His. No one facet is any bigger, important or pristine than the others. Every facet lives in perfect tension and balances with all the others; and symbiotically informs the color, clarity, carat and cut of every other facet that make up the Divine Diamond. 

Christian Faith Traditions and Denominations have emerged largely because of their founder’s emphasis or privileging of one facet over another; or one attribute of God over other attributes of God; largely brought about because of some cultural crisis or phenomenon; as well as, the innate wiring of the founder(s) themselves. 

The conventional wisdom of these founders and their followers was to craft the following kind of question : “If you really want to know who God is and what He requires of us, then you must understand that God is primarily [this particular attribute]: e.g. Truth or Love, or Grace, or Sovereign, or Peace etc.

The reality is: God is no more “Love” than He is “Truth.” God is no more “Grace” than He is “Just.” God is no more “Peace” than He is “Judge.” God is no more “Sovereign” than He is “Servant.” God is all of those attributes, at once and at all times and in all ways… And they all hang in a beautiful tension and balance... The nature and attribute of God is to always be in Shalom. And so should the Christian as well…. 

To be sure, the Church’s proclivity (in epochal fashion) to emphasize certain attributes of God over other attributes have much to do with existing cultural dynamics. In other words, that particular attribute emphasized during that time (epoch), happened because the surrounding culture and needed to hear it (for a time), more than some of the other attributes, because of some great issue – but it should never be at the exclusion or marginalization of God’s other attributes. 

For example: discussing the Sovereignty of God during the Reformation did much to help establish Protestantism over and against the corrupt forces within Roman Catholicism at the time. The Anglican practice of the “Via Media” (Middle Way) was necessary in order to blend a number of great ecclesiastical traditions. 

In addition, and importantly, because of the “dis-integrating” dynamic of The Fall, Mankind finds in his nature, a predisposition to certain attributes of God as part of his imago Dei vs. other attributes of God. For example: some people are born more naturally inclined to be fascinated by what is LOVE and others are more congenitally fascinated by what is TRUTH. This is the very reason why Christians and the Church should exist with one another in balanced mutuality – so that all god-like attributes and the voices that speak for them are present. 

Broadly speaking, in today’s popular theological currency the language is more exclusively “Love” and “Grace.” (Biblical Cultural Capitulation) This may be why Christians are losing ourselves (assimilated) in to the Culture. A largely "PRIESTLY" function, but not "PROPHETIC." In the 1980’s and early 1990’s the popular theological language was exclusively: “Truth” and “Justice” i.e. Judge (Biblical Cultural Legalization). A largely "PROPHETIC" function, but not "PRIESTLY." This was the reason why we lost the “Cultural Wars.” We are tragically out of balance… 

Again, to privilege one attribute of God, to marginalize and practice out of balance, over and against, the other attributes of God is to (unwittingly?) engage in heresy.

Out-of-balance misrepresentation of who God is, to ourselves, and to the world in which we live; has caused great confusion in the world historically about who or what God really is… This has contributed mightily to the Christian and Church’s misapplication of the faith over the years, throughout the world.