Selected Articles in Peer Reviewed Journals by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Theologians frequently deploy the doctrine of the Trinity in a theology of economics using one of... more Theologians frequently deploy the doctrine of the Trinity in a theology of economics using one of two flawed methodologies. An exemplary approach treats the Trinity as an ideal pattern for social relations, but fails to account for the extent of disanalogy in such comparisons, risking projection. A genealogical approach surveys the history of trinitarian thought, seeking historical shifts in thinking that may lay behind certain modern political and economic theories, but it often struggles to sufficiently establish the genealogy. Neither approach offers much in terms of practical suggestions for economic practices, institutions, or models. This article surveys each approach in prominent representatives, including Leonardo Boff, M. Douglas Meeks, John Milbank, and Giorgio Agamben, illustrating the flaws with these two methods. It concludes by proposing a turn to correlation between the economic works of the Trinity and human works in the economy as a superior means of deploying the doctrine of the Trinity in a theology of economics.
Modern Theology, 2021
This article explores the question of whether modern theologians can adopt pro-Nicene theology on... more This article explores the question of whether modern theologians can adopt pro-Nicene theology on the basis of modern biblical studies. It argues that under two hermeneutic assumptions (identified as the canon principle and inspiration principle), key data assessed in the Christological monotheism debates provides warrant for pro-Nicene defenses of consubstantiality. Three features of Athanasius's Contra Arianos are explored in dialogue with modern biblical scholarship to defend this claim: Athanasius's variegated mediatorial Christology, his emphasis on Christ as preeminent mediator, and his appeals to cultic worship of Christ in the New Testament.
Journal of Markets and Morality, 2019
A review article focusing on recent trends in the defense of capitalism, specifically in Kenneth ... more A review article focusing on recent trends in the defense of capitalism, specifically in Kenneth Barnes' "Redeeming Capitalism," Brent Waters' "Just Capitalism," and Samuel Gregg's "Just Capitalism."
Original published version available at: https://www.marketsandmorality.com/index.php/mandm/article/view/1441
Review & Expositor, 2019
Ethicists and economists often raise two objection to the idea of a living wage. The 'impossibili... more Ethicists and economists often raise two objection to the idea of a living wage. The 'impossibility objection' claims that raising minimum wages will lead to unemployment. The 'gradualism objection' claims that low wages in the present will allow for economic growth and higher wages in the future. This article explores the scriptural warrant for a living wage in light of the impossibility and gradualism objections, arguing that the objections challenge state intervention but not action by specific firms or churches. Paying particular attention to Acts 2:44-45 and 4:32-35, the article challenges churches to consider possible responses to workers making less than a living wage. Three axes guide Christian business owners and churches in considering responses: a state/local axis, a present/future axis, and a direct/indirect axis. The article concludes by offering concrete policies or ministry proposals along various configurations of the axes.
Modern Theology, 2016
This paper responds to Robert Jenson’s and Catherine Mowry LaCugna’s critiques that the Palamite ... more This paper responds to Robert Jenson’s and Catherine Mowry LaCugna’s critiques that the Palamite distinction between essence and energies prevents communion with the divine hypostases. Palamas is shown to consider energies that which make essence, and to insist that these energies must be enhypostatic. Combined with a non-polyonomous concept of divine simplicity, this metaphysic allows for distinct knowledge of each hypostasis as God through activity. Therefore, using Western distinctions provided by Leonard Hodgson and Petro Chirico, Palamas is shown to preserve the possibility of communion. The paper concludes by showing the distinction as amenable with Jensons’s and LaCugna’s projects.
International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2015
While it is quite common for systematicians to claim that the East begins its trinitarian theolog... more While it is quite common for systematicians to claim that the East begins its trinitarian theology with the Persons and moves to the Being, while the West begins with the Being, and to criticize the West for never fully differentiating the persons for that reason, recent patristic scholarship has thoroughly rejected this hypothesis, which originates with Theodore de Regnon. This paper explores the limited historical basis of the de Regnon paradigm in the medieval period centering on the Photian/Carolingian disputes, then claims that the paradigm should be abandoned in systematic theology. Rather than offering fruit for systematic consideration, it tends to reify a real distinction between person and being, with significant problems arising as a result.
Priscilla Papers, 2017
Many evangelicals argue that the Son eternally submits to the Father, to whom he is eternally fun... more Many evangelicals argue that the Son eternally submits to the Father, to whom he is eternally functionally subordinate. The debate surrounding this claim has focused on Trinitarian theology, but claims about the Trinity impact other dogmatic loci. This paper explores how eternal functional subordination undermines traditional transactional atonement models like satisfaction theory and penal substitution. It also considers how the theology expressed in eternal functional subordination, when coupled with transactional models of the atonement, may justify certain abusive postures toward women.
Faith & Economics, 2016
Theologians increasingly write about economic matters, but it is not easy to correlate their work... more Theologians increasingly write about economic matters, but it is not easy to correlate their works with pertinent discussions in economic theory. This essay suggests three trajectories of potential fruitful dialogue between the disciplines. An orthodoxy trajectory concerned with right knowledge, and orthopraxis trajectory concerned with right action, and an orthopathy trajectory concerned with right experience or right subjectivity all allow for fruitful conversations to emerge. I illustrate with concrete examples from each discipline, and use the heuristic to explain specific, recent conversations between theologians and economists that did not meet their full potential.
Published in "Faith and Economics," the journal of the Association of Christian Economists. Full online issues here: https://www.gordon.edu/ace/ACEFandE.html
Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2015
The doctrine of eternal functional subordination advocated by an increasing number of evangelical... more The doctrine of eternal functional subordination advocated by an increasing number of evangelical systematicians claims that God the Son is eternally submissive to the Father in role but not in nature. This paper argues that such claims are incompatible with dyothelite Christology because such eternal submission would require that a will be a property of hypostasis/person instead of a property of being/nature, which is contrary to historical dyothelite theology. I explore the historical reasons for dyothelitism, demonstrate that submission entails a distinction of will, and respond to objections. Published in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 58.1 (March 2015), pp. 131-149.
The content of this essay has been greatly expanded and published in book form as "The Son who Learned Obedience." (https://amzn.to/2Ac81eK)
Journal of Markets & Morality, 2014
Theological engagements with economic theory often focus on policy issues, structural injustice, ... more Theological engagements with economic theory often focus on policy issues, structural injustice, wealth distribution, or evaluating the best economic system. Less work has been done in exploring the impact of economic models themselves, though this is precisely the locus at which Christian theology has interesting contributions to make. This paper explores the function of economic models and proposes that the image of God is the appropriate theological correlate in function. With this correlation in hand, I apply a relational ontology to argue that particular economic models develop particular capacities within individuals.
Papers by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Priscilla Papers, 2017
Etienne Gilson spoke of medieval theology as an attempt to build great “cathedrals of the mind,” ... more Etienne Gilson spoke of medieval theology as an attempt to build great “cathedrals of the mind,” mental constructions meant to bring glory to God and to inspire worship as soaring stone cathedrals across Europe have since the same time period. Like any architectural achievement, these mental cathedrals brought together the many pieces of Christian doctrine into coherent and often beautiful structures of thought, building idea upon idea until great theological and philosophical systems emerged from scriptural foundations. This architectural analogy implies something important—it is rarely possible to shift the ground floor of a building without the entirety of the construct tumbling down. Only with great caution and preparation, whereby new supports are carefully constructed before the old are removed, can such a change go smoothly. Unfortunately, evangelical theology finds itself today in a situation where a great shift in a foundational doctrine of Christian theology has occurred—in the doctrine of the Trinity. This shift threatens several important Christian teachings and compromises the basic orientation of Christian ethics. As complementarian theologians increasingly speak of the eternal functional subordination of the Son (hereafter EFS), they move a central pillar of the cathedral of Christian doctrine, unaware that such a change could bring down the entire edifice of Christian theology.
Books by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
This is an excerpt from my 2023 book with Fortress Press, "Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice a... more This is an excerpt from my 2023 book with Fortress Press, "Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity."
This book explores the doctrine of the Trinity systematically by moving locus by locus, covering ... more This book explores the doctrine of the Trinity systematically by moving locus by locus, covering such doctrines as simplicity, perichoresis, and inseparable operations. The book draws on historical and contemporary theology from sources across the globe while being rooted in biblical exegesis. This preview includes the table of contents and introduction.
The Son Who Learned Obedience reorients the evangelical debate over eternal functional subordinat... more The Son Who Learned Obedience reorients the evangelical debate over eternal functional subordination, arguing that the primary issues concerns the divine will. Pro-Nicene theology treats the divine will as an attribute of the divine nature, which in turn leads to dyothelite Christology and satisfaction theories of atonement. Positing eternal submission requires will as a property of nature, undermining classical trinitarian theology, dyothelitism, and satisfaction theories of the atonement. It does so without Biblical warrant, and in a way that offers far less precise terminology than the classical ideas of eternal generation and procession. Included here is the introduction, index, and covers. Available now on amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2MUjhzi
Selected Conference Presentations by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
A paper presentation from Marquette's "Lonergan on the Edge 2014" conference in which I explore R... more A paper presentation from Marquette's "Lonergan on the Edge 2014" conference in which I explore Robert Doran's appropriation of Bernard Lonergan's Four-Point Hypothesis, suggesting that Doran has thus far focused on the category of participation to the exclusion of Lonergan's emphasis on special relations. The category of communion can correct the imbalance, further integrating a Trinitarian ontology with an existentially grounded theological theory of history.
My presentation was a response to Brett Speakman's paper, "Longing for an Enchanted Creation: The... more My presentation was a response to Brett Speakman's paper, "Longing for an Enchanted Creation: The Role of Imaginative Apologetics in C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.” Speakman suggested that the imaginative role of literature and myth was essential to a presentation of the gospel in our time. My response suggested that Speakman confused apologetics and mission. I offered a brief survey of historical perspectives on myth to suggest it is a key means of forming and transmitting a particular social imaginary. I suggested that the primary apologetic task is to change the social imaginary such that receptivity to the gospel is more possible. As myth is captive to particular social imaginaries, myth is inadequate to this task. Yet, the dialectic of Christian evangelism also includes mission, in which the gospel is transformed so as to be suitably presented within a given social imaginary. This is the task of literature, and the distinction is important so as not to unbalance the dialectic of imaginary-transforming apologetic and imaginary-accomodating mission.
In "The Coming of God," Jürgen Moltmann objects to the traditional Reformed position that the fi... more In "The Coming of God," Jürgen Moltmann objects to the traditional Reformed position that the final consummation consists of the self-glorification of God for three reasons: First, the Reformed position can only explain creation as an act of the will, thereby dividing God’s nature; second, it makes God super-narcissistic in His deity; and third, it makes it impossible for God to actually receive any glory during the final consummation and glorification. My presentation responded to Moltmann’s three objections by demonstrating how they derive from flaws in his trinitarian theology. Moltmann divorces perichoresis from any ontological basis and applies it too frequently without distinguishing between different types of perichoresis. He also misunderstands the ad intra / ad extra distinction as primarily about space. I will suggest that the distinction allows us to differentiate the way the Persons of the Trinity relate to one another from they way they relate to the world. I suggested that there are only three types of perichoresis: symmetric perichoresis ad intra (trinitarian perichoresis) and asymmetric perichoresis ad extra (in both christological and soteriological form). Once these problems are uncovered and corrected, I present a version of the Reformed position in dialogue with Jonathan Edwards. Seeking to establish a scriptural conception of glory as both ontological and relational, I defend the final consummation as God’s self-glorification insofar as the final consummation allows God to make the soteriological perichoresis ad extra more closely resemble the trinitarian perichoresis ad intra, thereby drawing those who believe into the loving and glorifying relationships of the trinity without destroying the creature/Creator distinction. In so doing I refute Moltmann’s three objections.
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Selected Articles in Peer Reviewed Journals by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Original published version available at: https://www.marketsandmorality.com/index.php/mandm/article/view/1441
Published in "Faith and Economics," the journal of the Association of Christian Economists. Full online issues here: https://www.gordon.edu/ace/ACEFandE.html
The content of this essay has been greatly expanded and published in book form as "The Son who Learned Obedience." (https://amzn.to/2Ac81eK)
Papers by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Books by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Selected Conference Presentations by D. Glenn Butner, Jr.
Original published version available at: https://www.marketsandmorality.com/index.php/mandm/article/view/1441
Published in "Faith and Economics," the journal of the Association of Christian Economists. Full online issues here: https://www.gordon.edu/ace/ACEFandE.html
The content of this essay has been greatly expanded and published in book form as "The Son who Learned Obedience." (https://amzn.to/2Ac81eK)