The following essay is two-fold. Firstly, I will briefly summarize The Openness of God, by Pinnock and others. Secondly, and more importantly, I will discuss and analyze the quote, "God is love is as close as the Bible comes to giving us a definition of his divine reality" (taken from Richard Rice in chapter one of the book). The authors believe that by understanding God as love, we have the best avenue to know the reality and revelation of God. The writers carefully articulate why this idea is to central to engaging in theology. They also tell us why this concept is necessary in achieving the clearest picture of who God actually is. Most importantly, they believe that God's love is essential in understanding the give-and-take relationship God experiences with his creatures, also known as the open view of God. Rice argues that love is the essence of God and is our best representation of God's character and divine reality. After briefly summarizing the Openness of God, I will engage in his argument about love and unravel the truths behind Richard Rice's bold and powerful statement of belief.
             Brief Summary of Book's Content
             Firstly, lets pave some of the groundwork and summarize the book from which the quote is taken. The Openness of God is a text collaborated by five professional theologians and philosophers with a narrow focus in mind. What is their purpose? Their goal is to challenge people's conventional thinking and create a new working theology. This interactive theology describes how the attributes of God (his love, sovereignty, omnipotence, omnipresence, and other attributes) function within and through an open relationship with God and his people. They believe, that in spite of God's sovereignty over the universe and mankind, he is still capable of relating closely with his created beings in a personal and open manner. Included in this, is the idea that God is al...