Published Papers by Chris Woznicki
Calvin Theological Journal, 2018
This paper explores this minority position by turning to four Reformers’ theologies of petitionar... more This paper explores this minority position by turning to four Reformers’ theologies of petitionary prayer. Here I argue that in contradistinction to the contemporary view, several significant Reformers believed that petitionary prayer’s primary effect is not upon God but upon the person praying. In light of my argument I suggest that this minority position ought to be reconsidered as a viable, historically significant option that should not be overlooked in contemporary scholarship.
The plan of this essay is as follows. I begin by providing a working definition for what is today’s most common account of what petitionary prayer accomplishes. This view holds that such prayers attempt to persuade God to act by giving God reasons to do that which he would not have otherwise done had the prayer not been offered. After examining this view, I then turn to the works of several magisterial Reformers including Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Wolfgang Musculus, and Peter Martyr Vermigli in order to show that they deny the notion that our petitions persuade God to act by giving him reasons and yet they still consider petitionary prayer a meaningful activity. These Reformers ground petitionary prayer’s meaningfulness on three foundations: 1) prayer’s therapeutic function, 2) prayer’s “kindling” function, and 3) prayer’s role as a secondary cause for actualizing God’s decrees. By showing that these Reformers developed meaningful accounts of petitionary prayer while denying that prayer persuades God to do something he would not otherwise have done, I hope to make room for accounts of prayer that have been ignored in academic literature. I also hope to show that the account of prayer formulated by these Reformers does not result in an anemic account of prayer but can offer a theology of prayer which is robust and spiritually satisfying.
McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry, 2018
This essay proceeds as follows. In part one we turn primarily
to the Registers of the Consistory ... more This essay proceeds as follows. In part one we turn primarily
to the Registers of the Consistory of Geneva in order to provide a
snapshot of the kinds of violence Calvin would have come across
as a pastor in Geneva. This sets us up to discuss how Calvin applied
the doctrine of the imago Dei to issues of violence in his
sermons and lectures. In part two we provide an account of the
influx of refugees into Geneva as well as reactions to these refugees.
Providing a snapshot of Geneva during this period helps to
make sense of how Calvin’s preaching and teaching on the imago
Dei would have fallen upon the ears of his fellow Genevans.
We conclude by making the case that an examination of Calvin’s
pastoral theology of the imago Dei is no mere antiquarian interest;
rather, it is of the utmost practical significance for key issues
the church is facing today.
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2017
Filling a glaring gap in reformation studies addressing the problems of petitionary prayer this e... more Filling a glaring gap in reformation studies addressing the problems of petitionary prayer this essay turns to the work of John Calvin and his fellow reformers in order to fill that gap. I argue that despite rejecting a two-way contingency account of prayer, Calvin and most of his contemporaries make a case for prayer being a worthwhile and effective spiritual practice by appealing to something other than prayer’s role in giving God reasons to act. These reformers argued against the redundancy of prayer by appealing to the change that happens in the praying agent. The argument of this essay is carried out with special reference to contemporary analytic theology accounts of petitionary prayer.
Philosophia Christi, 2018
Most contemporary philosophical discussions of petitionary prayer assume that when one prays a pe... more Most contemporary philosophical discussions of petitionary prayer assume that when one prays a petitionary prayer one is giving God reasons which will hopefully persuade God to act in ways he would not have acted had the prayer not been offered. Alternatively this essay suggests that there is an account of what petitionary prayer accomplishes that has, by and large, been left significantly underexplored in contemporary philosophical literature: The Secondary-Causal Account. This account finds an advocate in the Italian Reformer, Peter Martyr Vermigli. I suggest Vermigli is a resource for developing an alternative to common contemporary accounts of petitionary prayer.
Journal of Reformed Theology, 2018
What metaphysical account of human nature must be given in order to make sense of T.F. Torrance’s... more What metaphysical account of human nature must be given in order to make sense of T.F. Torrance’s doctrine of atonement? Here I argue the account which best makes sense of Torrance’s doctrine of atonement is one in which Christ instantiates an abstract universal human nature and the rest of humanity participates in an abstract universal human nature. In defending this thesis, I examine Torrance’s doctrine of atonement and his use of the anhypostasia–enhypostasia distinction. I conclude by defending the significance of the an-enhypostasia distinction for abstract universal theories of Christ’s human nature
Neue Zeitschrift fur Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie, 2018
Among recent assessments of penal substitutionary accounts of atonement one significant critique ... more Among recent assessments of penal substitutionary accounts of atonement one significant critique is Mark Murphy’s “incoherence objection.” In this essay I express general agreement with Murphy’s critique of penal substitution, yet I suggest that there is a way to reconceive the doctrine of atonement such that it is conceptually coherent, is commensurate with scripture, and is a version of penal substitution. I call this view: The Penal-Consequence View of Atonement. This is a view of atonement that makes use of a distinction between what I call “penal consequences” and “mere consequences.” The view is defended with special reference to the topics of corporate moral responsibility and union with Christ.
Abstract: The doctrine of bodily resurrection is a core tenet of Christian faith, yet it is a doc... more Abstract: The doctrine of bodily resurrection is a core tenet of Christian faith, yet it is a doctrine fraught with several philosophical problems, the most significant of which concerns the persistence of personal identity. This is especially true for physicalist accounts of human nature. Here I put forth a possible solution to the problem of resurrection identity. Turning to the theology of the 18th century American colonial theologian, Jonathan Edwards, as a resource, I argue for what I am calling “Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism.” This is a form of anti-criterialism in which pre- and post-resurrection bodies are identical because God treats these bodies a metaphysically one. After providing a sketch of this view I defend Edwardsean Anti-Criterialism from two objections and provide three reasons why Christians might be inclined to accept this proposal.
Keywords: Anti-Criterialism; Identity; Jonathan Edwards; Metaphysics; Resurrection
The Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology, 2017
Most contemporary discussions about theological epistemology have centered upon discussions about... more Most contemporary discussions about theological epistemology have centered upon discussions about foundationalism, coherentism, realism, anti-realism, and basic beliefs, among other topics. However, with a few exceptions, one topic that has received noticeably little attention is the role that love plays in our knowledge of God. This essay turns to the work of T.F. Torrance to show how love may play a crucial role in our theological epistemology.
Here I show that Torrance’s understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in atonement provides us with the tools to form a theological epistemology grounded in the concept of love. I begin by providing a brief overview of Torrance’s epistemology which features two important principles: 1) all genuine knowledge involves a cognitive union of the mind with its object and 2) knowledge of an object is only in accordance with that object’s nature. Having examined Torrance’s epistemology, I then provide a brief outline of Torrance’s theory of atonement. I proceed to address the first principle and explore the Holy Spirit’s role in enabling believers to enter the union of love necessary to know God. Following this I turn to the second principle and argue that given God’s loving nature we must approach God in love and in a loving manner in order to know him. Furthermore, I show how the Holy Spirit enables us to approach God in love. I conclude by noting some of the important implications these principles have for the task of theology.
Themelios, 2017
Jonathan Edwards provides subsequent generations of theologians and ministers with one of the mos... more Jonathan Edwards provides subsequent generations of theologians and ministers with one of the most influential versions of the traditional account of hell. However, his account of hell has its detractors. Those who oppose Edwards's account argue that it is morally appalling and philosophically problematic. As such, I attempt to defend Edwards's account by addressing one of its most philosophically pressing objections: the issuant account objection. In order to do this, I turn to Edwards's doctrine of the blessed state of the redeemed in heaven. This is a doctrine the resources of which can help provide a redeemed " Edwardsean " account of hell, one that is both traditional and issuant.
Since Thomas McCall first published Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? Philosophical and Systematic... more Since Thomas McCall first published Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? Philosophical and Systematic Theologians on the Metaphysics of the Trinity in 2010 numerous papers have been written responding to his philosophical arguments against eternal functional subordination. Among recent philosophical responses to McCall's position a paper co-written by Philip Gons and Andrew Naselli and another by Bruce Ware stand out as the most significant. Gons and Naselli argue that McCall's argument conflates the term "essentially" with "belonging to the essence." Ware puts forth a reductio ad absurdum argument against McCall and shows McCall's logic entails a denial of homoousios. This paper enters into this debate by examining Gons and Naselli's argument. It engages with recent philosophical literature dealing with the meaning of the term "essence" in order to show that their argument against McCall is unfounded. The paper then turns to Ware's argument to show that he has made a category mistake in comparing the property of being eternally begotten and the property of being functionally subordinate in all time segments in all possible worlds. Having critically examined these recent philosophical responses to McCall we see that McCall's argument still holds up against its objectors.
Book Reviews by Chris Woznicki
Themelios, Apr 2015
a group of scholars gathered at Princeton Theological Seminary for a conference titled, "Calvinis... more a group of scholars gathered at Princeton Theological Seminary for a conference titled, "Calvinism and Democracy." The purpose of this conference was to reflect upon the neo-Calvinist legacy, to explore its theological roots, and to assess in what ways this tradition might provide resources for democratic criticism and renewal. The Kuyper Center Review (Volume Four): Calvinism and Democracy represents the published proceedings of this conference.
McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry, Mar 2015
Journal of Global Christianity, Jan 2015
Living in the third millennium we find ourselves in a world shaped by cultural, ethnic, sociopoli... more Living in the third millennium we find ourselves in a world shaped by cultural, ethnic, sociopolitical, economic, and religious plurality. These are the sorts of issues that Christians cannot ignore while doing ministry in a globalized world, yet many Christians have been guilty of not paying serious attention to these realities. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen in Christ and Reconciliation attempts to address this problem. Christ and Reconciliation is volume one of a five-volume systematic theology project designed to address these issues while staying faithful to Scripture, the long-standing tradition of the church, and a broadly evangelical perspective. In this the first volume, he explains that this project is built upon two key convictions. First, it builds upon the conviction that systematic theology, or what he calls constructive theology, must be faithful to Scripture and to Christian tradition, especially but not limited to confessions and creeds. Second, this project is based upon the conviction that in order to coherently argue for the truth of Christian doctrine in our pluralized world, there is a need for Christian theology to engage in conversation and dialogue with those outside of our tradition (p. 24). Holding on to
Conference Presentations by Chris Woznicki
Most contemporary discussions about religious epistemology have revolved around discussions about... more Most contemporary discussions about religious epistemology have revolved around discussions about foundationalism, coherentism, realism, anti-realism, basic beliefs, and divine hiddenness among other topics. However, one topic that has received noticeably little attention is the role that love plays in our knowledge of God. This paper turns to the works of T.F. Torrance in order to show how love plays a crucial role in our religious epistemology. In his epistemological works Torrance presents two basic principles of knowledge: The first principle is that " All genuine knowledge involves a cognitive union of the mind with its object, and calls for the removal of any estrangement or alienation that may obstruct or distort it. " 1 The second principle is that " we may know something only in accordance with its nature. " 2 That is, the nature of that thing prescribes the mode of knowing appropriate to it and determines the way we ought to behave towards that thing. The concept of love plays an important role in both of these principles. In regards to the first principle, I show that God's loving act of atonement is what removes the estrangement and alienation from God which prevents knowledge of him. Specifically I argue that given the Holy Spirit's nature and his role atonement we are enabled to love God and thus to enter into the union of love with God which is necessary to know him. In regards to the second principle I show that this principle entails that in order to know God we must know God in a godly way. Thus given that it is God's nature to be loving we must approach God in love in order to know him.
Uploads
Published Papers by Chris Woznicki
The plan of this essay is as follows. I begin by providing a working definition for what is today’s most common account of what petitionary prayer accomplishes. This view holds that such prayers attempt to persuade God to act by giving God reasons to do that which he would not have otherwise done had the prayer not been offered. After examining this view, I then turn to the works of several magisterial Reformers including Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Wolfgang Musculus, and Peter Martyr Vermigli in order to show that they deny the notion that our petitions persuade God to act by giving him reasons and yet they still consider petitionary prayer a meaningful activity. These Reformers ground petitionary prayer’s meaningfulness on three foundations: 1) prayer’s therapeutic function, 2) prayer’s “kindling” function, and 3) prayer’s role as a secondary cause for actualizing God’s decrees. By showing that these Reformers developed meaningful accounts of petitionary prayer while denying that prayer persuades God to do something he would not otherwise have done, I hope to make room for accounts of prayer that have been ignored in academic literature. I also hope to show that the account of prayer formulated by these Reformers does not result in an anemic account of prayer but can offer a theology of prayer which is robust and spiritually satisfying.
to the Registers of the Consistory of Geneva in order to provide a
snapshot of the kinds of violence Calvin would have come across
as a pastor in Geneva. This sets us up to discuss how Calvin applied
the doctrine of the imago Dei to issues of violence in his
sermons and lectures. In part two we provide an account of the
influx of refugees into Geneva as well as reactions to these refugees.
Providing a snapshot of Geneva during this period helps to
make sense of how Calvin’s preaching and teaching on the imago
Dei would have fallen upon the ears of his fellow Genevans.
We conclude by making the case that an examination of Calvin’s
pastoral theology of the imago Dei is no mere antiquarian interest;
rather, it is of the utmost practical significance for key issues
the church is facing today.
Keywords: Anti-Criterialism; Identity; Jonathan Edwards; Metaphysics; Resurrection
Here I show that Torrance’s understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in atonement provides us with the tools to form a theological epistemology grounded in the concept of love. I begin by providing a brief overview of Torrance’s epistemology which features two important principles: 1) all genuine knowledge involves a cognitive union of the mind with its object and 2) knowledge of an object is only in accordance with that object’s nature. Having examined Torrance’s epistemology, I then provide a brief outline of Torrance’s theory of atonement. I proceed to address the first principle and explore the Holy Spirit’s role in enabling believers to enter the union of love necessary to know God. Following this I turn to the second principle and argue that given God’s loving nature we must approach God in love and in a loving manner in order to know him. Furthermore, I show how the Holy Spirit enables us to approach God in love. I conclude by noting some of the important implications these principles have for the task of theology.
Book Reviews by Chris Woznicki
Conference Presentations by Chris Woznicki
The plan of this essay is as follows. I begin by providing a working definition for what is today’s most common account of what petitionary prayer accomplishes. This view holds that such prayers attempt to persuade God to act by giving God reasons to do that which he would not have otherwise done had the prayer not been offered. After examining this view, I then turn to the works of several magisterial Reformers including Heinrich Bullinger, John Calvin, Wolfgang Musculus, and Peter Martyr Vermigli in order to show that they deny the notion that our petitions persuade God to act by giving him reasons and yet they still consider petitionary prayer a meaningful activity. These Reformers ground petitionary prayer’s meaningfulness on three foundations: 1) prayer’s therapeutic function, 2) prayer’s “kindling” function, and 3) prayer’s role as a secondary cause for actualizing God’s decrees. By showing that these Reformers developed meaningful accounts of petitionary prayer while denying that prayer persuades God to do something he would not otherwise have done, I hope to make room for accounts of prayer that have been ignored in academic literature. I also hope to show that the account of prayer formulated by these Reformers does not result in an anemic account of prayer but can offer a theology of prayer which is robust and spiritually satisfying.
to the Registers of the Consistory of Geneva in order to provide a
snapshot of the kinds of violence Calvin would have come across
as a pastor in Geneva. This sets us up to discuss how Calvin applied
the doctrine of the imago Dei to issues of violence in his
sermons and lectures. In part two we provide an account of the
influx of refugees into Geneva as well as reactions to these refugees.
Providing a snapshot of Geneva during this period helps to
make sense of how Calvin’s preaching and teaching on the imago
Dei would have fallen upon the ears of his fellow Genevans.
We conclude by making the case that an examination of Calvin’s
pastoral theology of the imago Dei is no mere antiquarian interest;
rather, it is of the utmost practical significance for key issues
the church is facing today.
Keywords: Anti-Criterialism; Identity; Jonathan Edwards; Metaphysics; Resurrection
Here I show that Torrance’s understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in atonement provides us with the tools to form a theological epistemology grounded in the concept of love. I begin by providing a brief overview of Torrance’s epistemology which features two important principles: 1) all genuine knowledge involves a cognitive union of the mind with its object and 2) knowledge of an object is only in accordance with that object’s nature. Having examined Torrance’s epistemology, I then provide a brief outline of Torrance’s theory of atonement. I proceed to address the first principle and explore the Holy Spirit’s role in enabling believers to enter the union of love necessary to know God. Following this I turn to the second principle and argue that given God’s loving nature we must approach God in love and in a loving manner in order to know him. Furthermore, I show how the Holy Spirit enables us to approach God in love. I conclude by noting some of the important implications these principles have for the task of theology.
Beginning by setting out the necessary and sufficient conditions for a violent act, namely coercion and harm, this paper turns to Edwards’s primary treatise on the Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption: “Observations Concerning the Scripture Economy of the Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption.” By examining Edwards’s understanding of 1) the ontological relations between the persons of the Trinity, 2) the economy of the immanent Trinity, and 3) the economy of the Trinity in the Covenant of Redemption it becomes clear that this covenant does not meet the necessary and sufficient conditions for violence. Thus Edwards is not guilty of placing the son in the hands of a violent God.
This paper begins by examining Edwards’s metaphysics of sin in light of his Federalist and Augustinian realist tendencies, paying special attention to the role metaphysical antirealism and his doctrine of continuous creation play in his doctrine of original sin. It goes on to examine Justo Gonzalez’s “Fuenteovejuna Theology” which exemplifies a Latino emphasis on the community. By examining Edwards and Gonzalez it becomes apparent that Edwards’s theology and Latino theology have a communal rather than individualistic understanding of responsibility and action. Thus in this particular area Edwards can speak constructively into Latino theology and we can truly say that he is “America’s theologian.”
According to Torrance all genuine knowledge involves a cognitive union of the mind with its object, this calls for the removal of any estrangement or alienation that may obstruct or distort this union. In Torrance’s schema atonement accomplishes the removal of this estrangement and alienation. Torrance understands atonement as the recreation of the bond of union between God and humanity. The recreation of this bond is accomplished objectively through the hypostatic union but is actualized subjectively for the believer through the work of the Holy Spirit. Thus for Torrance the union which is necessary for knowledge of God is only made possible by the Spirit’s work in the atonement. This has profound implications for the task of doing theology.