Boundless Love

A Companion to Clark H. Pinnock’s Theology

Andrew Ray Williams

Foreword by Daniel Castelo

Boundless Love

A Companion to Clark H. Pinnock’s Theology

Copyright © 2021 Andrew Ray Williams. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

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paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-8652-8

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-8653-5

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-8654-2

06/27/21

Table of Contents

• Title Page

• Foreword

• Acknowledgments

• Introduction

• Chapter 1: God: Communion of Love

• Chapter 2: Revelation: Following the Spirit

• Chapter 3: Creation: Open & Free

• Chapter 4: Salvation: Union & Universality

• Chapter 5: Church: Power & Presence

• Chapter 6: Hope: Finality Revisited

• Bibliography

To Chris E.W. Green, for your investment and friendship

Foreword

I have always been impressed with those who out of their love for God blaze a path that does not fit regnant paradigms. It is not that these figures do so in order to be nonconformists; they simply follow God, come what may. These figures are often activists; at times they are pastors. And every now and then, they are theologians. Those in the latter camp are a rare breed indeed, especially given how the academy often incentivizes the perpetuation of the status quo. But they do exist, and Clark Pinnock is one such case. 

Pinnock seemed to wander where he felt led and was willing to question and upend the conventional thinking of his surroundings. That he did so implies a certain boldness, a kind of confidence many of us only wish we could muster. That boldness and confidence, however, were grounded in a deep form of devotion—one that comes through on occasion in his writings. For me personally, I have not always agreed where Pinnock landed, especially as it relates to some of his metaphysical proposals and his evaluation of certain voices from the Christian tradition. And yet, I knew his views flowed from a serious and sincere love for God. Given the goodness of that posture, I cannot help but think that an engagement with this kind of theologian merits a bit of delicacy and grace. If only his critics—especially his evangelical critics—would concede the point. 

Given how difficult he is to categorize and yet how impactful his work has been, Pinnock should be extensively studied today. Williams laments that for many students today, their introduction to Pinnock is mediated through various critical voices. That is unfortunate because it bespeaks an impoverished form of theological reasoning—that a critical mediation would allow a figure to be well-represented. Return to the sources! Ad fontes! And as one does, guides such as Williams’ Boundless Love can prove ...