Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 5: Summary & Conclusion

SEEKING CLARITY AND NUANCE

So, where does this leave us on the tired old debate over so-called “man-centered” theology vs. “God-centered” theology?  We must set the record straight on the main and plain things.  And on the deeper complexities we must seek greater clarity and nuance in our rhetoric.

I have attempted to expose the false either-or in much of the talk of man-centered vs. God-centered gospels, theology, approaches to faith, etc.  I have raised the following points:

Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 4: How is God Glorified?

How is God glorified by human beings?

Our chief end is to glorify God with our lives.  Our chief temptation, from Genesis 3 onward, is to “exchange the glory of the immortal God” for lesser glory — especially glorification of man (cf. Rom. 1:23). I agree with this whole-heartedly.  But how exactly is God most glorified by his human image-bearers?

I believe John Piper again offers some solid help in getting us started but then downplays or even distorts the other side of the coin.  (Note: I am using Piper as a representative of a much larger contingency of Reformed thinkers who stand largely in the shadow Jonathan Edwards and his theological kin.)  Piper rightly emphasizes that “God is most glorified by us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  Our satisfaction in God entails making God our heart’s greatest treasure and Christ our supreme Lord.  So far, so good.

Yet, when it comes to the particulars of how one glorifies God — how one demonstrates that Christ is Lord, shows God to be our supreme treasure — we start to slip into unhelpful either-or rhetoric again.  My conviction is that God is most glorified in us when we, God’s image-bearers in the world, are living most in tune with God’s purposes for our lives, utilizing our God-given gifts and passions, flourishing in our God-directed pursuits, and accomplishing great things in the name of God and for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. In other words, human beings glorify God not by curling up in a helpless, hopelessly depraved blob that is relieved that God is great enough for the both of us.  

Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 3: Is God an Idolater?

I am unpacking some thoughts on both the validity of the man-centered vs. God-centered debate and offering some healthy push back on the fuzzy, over-extension of this line of reasoning.  I see a distortion of both the character of God and what it means for human beings to glorify God.  Michael Spencer began his post on this topic with a wise disclaimer I would like to echo: These posts are, without a doubt, an experiment in exploration and articulation. Many won’t care for where it goes but we must wrestle with these questions in a honest and gracious way.

Is God man-centered or God-centered?

One significant conviction of John Piper and his followers is that God himself is the model of perfect, God-centered affections. As Piper puts it:

God is central and supreme in His own affections. There are no rivals for the supremacy of God’s glory in His own heart. God is not an idolater. He does not disobey the first and great commandment. With all His heart and soul and strength and mind He delights in the glory of His manifold perfections. The most passionate heart for God in all the universe is God’s heart.”

This bold claim has not gone uncontested.  Is God really God-centered?  Is this necessarily an either-or question?  Many would argue that what makes God so Holy and perfect — so unlike human beings — is precisely that he is the only being in the universe who is not subject to self-centeredness.  He is the only One completely free from any hint of self-absorption. The God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ demonstrated that God’s true nature is completely other-oriented, capable of unlimited self-giving love toward others.  God’s very nature is agape love and therefore God cannot help but be an ever flowing spring of self-sacrificial, other-oriented love.  While finite human beings seek and even need to be loved in return for their love extended, God stands perfectly self-sufficient in the inter-trinitarian community of love so that He is absolutely free from any “need” for others to return His love.

How about the gospel we preach? 

Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 2: Reasons Behind the Debate

I am unpacking some thoughts on both the validity of the man-centered vs. God-centered debate and offering some healthy push back on the fuzzy, over-extension of this line of reasoning. Michael Spencer began his post on this topic with a wise disclaimer I would like to echo: These posts are, without a doubt, an experiment in exploration and articulation. Many won’t care for where it goes but we must wrestle with these questions in a honest and gracious way.

SOME REASONS BEHIND THIS CONCERN

Many fears and factors stand behind this debate.  Four worthy of mention include (1) scriptural mandate, (2) prosperity and self-help teachings, (3) strong views of human depravity, and (4) a particular, popular understanding of the supremacy of God.  

Man-Centered vs. God-Centered 1: Introducing the Debate

Why do so many Christians, notably conservative Evangelicals and Reformed brothers and sisters, often put the glorification of God at odds with human attempts at excellence?  Does striving for greatness always lead to human pride and undercut the magnification of God?  Does a strong focus on the needs and concerns of human beings always result in a lack of focus on God as the center of all? Must one think less of himself in order to think more of God?  Does Scripture lift God up by bringing human beings down?

In the background of all of these questions lies a larger, more foundational debate over our understanding of the nature of God, the nature of Man and their relationship.  I am referring to the misguided line of thinking I hear so often, especially in more Reformed circles, that people either have a man-centered or God-Centered theology, view of the gospel, approach to Christian faith, etc.  I believe this distinction and concern is valid and helpful to a degree, but often gets pushed too far, leading to a confused, false either-or view of God, human beings and the gospel.

The internet monk, Michael Spencer, recently chimed in on this issue with a post entitled On Being Too God-Centered. You can also find a more head-on critique from Ben Witherington in a post entitled For God So Loved Himself: Is God a Narcissist?. Witherington’s concern is that God is sometimes

“presented as a self-centered, self-referential being, whose basic motivation for what he does, including his motivation for saving people, is so that he might receive more glory. Even the sending of the Son and the work of the Spirit is said to be but a means to an end of God’s self-adulation and praise.”

This is a significant issue and deserves careful reflection and a more nuanced understanding of the relationship of God and his human image-bearers.

In the next few posts I will unpack some loose thoughts on both the validity of the man-centered vs. God-centered concern and then offer some healthy push back on the fuzzy, over-extension of this line of reasoning.  I see a distortion of both the character of God and what it means for human beings to glorify God.

Michael Spencer began his post on this topic with a wise disclaimer I would like to echo: These posts are, without a doubt, an experiment in exploration and articulation. Many won’t care for where it goes but we must wrestle with these questions in a honest and gracious way.

Stay tuned.