Channels, Fall 2016

Page 18 Little • Emotions and the Divine Nature emotion. He is far too real and active to fluctuate in such a manner and far too trustworthy to be buffeted by shifting and unstable emotions. Fifth, impassibility does not negate the applicability of emotionally colored terms. Athenagoras does not tend to use clear emotionally colored terms for God, but our study has shown that he does not directly exclude such ascriptions. Irenaeus and Justin Martyr, on the other hand, clearly describe God in emotionally colored ways. They do this by affirming God’s kindness, wrath, providential care, and love. The God of these theologians is not static, apathetic, or uncaring. He is the good creator, which means there is a link between him and his world. This link gives these thinkers grounds to describe him as fundamentally interested and involved. The thinkers discussed in this article provide a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of divine impassibility. They are not merely parroting Hellenistic philosophy; they are striving to develop a faithful conception of the Christian God. They describe a God who is the transcendent, unchanging creator while simultaneously affirming God’s providential care and love for his creation. They describe a God who is consistently kind, good, and loving. This nuanced understanding of impassibility counters the contemporary rejections of the doctrine and must be taken seriously. We must engage with the insights of the early Greek fathers as we attempt to enrich our understanding of the divine nature.