The Wonderful Decree

Book excerpt: Unconditionally loving. Sovereign over all. How can God be sovereign over all things and loving towards all people while His creatures possess real freedom and responsibility for their choices? Theologians have wrestled with this question for centuries. But have our attempted solutions made the problem worse? In Wonderful Decree, Travis James Campbell suggests we cannot solve the problem by sacrificing either divine sovereignty and goodness on one hand or human responsibility on the other. While considering Arminian and Molinist alternatives, he concludes that the traditional Augustinian and Calvinist approach best allows these truths to remain in a healthy and biblically-faithful tension. Inspired by the example of Spurgeon, who preferred biblical mystery over human solutions, Campbell encourages readers to trust—even delight—in the harmony of God's love for all and sovereignty over all.