Finally! Someone said it.

The latest book by Thomas Jay Oord, The Death of Omnipotence and the Birth of Amipotence, landed on store shelves last week. While the title alone, for some, triggers the lighting of the torches and the sharpening of the pitchforks reflex, for others, a great many others, there is a collective sigh of “Thank God! Someone finally said it!”

Thomas Jay Oord is an American theologian, multidisciplinary scholar, and prolific writer with over 25 books.   The bulk of Oord’s academic work focuses on Love, specifically the God who is love (1 John). Oord argues that we need to take this biblical claim seriously. So seriously, in fact, love is God’s very essence, from which all other (and I mean ALL other) attributes of God flow. He refers to this big idea as Essential Kenosis – as the self-giving/self-emptying love nature of God. For Oord, God cannot help but love. This has significant implications for how God works in the world. 

In Death of Omnipotence and the Birth of Amipotence, Oord takes us on a deep dive as he explores the idea of omnipotence. Many traditions hold to the idea that God is omnipotent - the idea that God is all-powerful, all-controlling, and can do anything. Oord thoughtfully presents his case for why omnipotence doesn’t fit the Abba of Jesus.

Most startling is to realize that omnipotence is not found in the scriptures. He explores key biblical terms like El Shaddai, Sabaoth, and Pantokrator, words that have been mistranslated, revealing that they do not translate well to the idea of omnipotence at all. Omnipotence, as almighty, all-controlling God can do anything, is not supported by scripture.

Oord reminds us that there are plenty of things that God cannot do, like God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18, Tit. 1:2), God cannot deny God’s self (2 Timothy 2:13), God cannot be tempted and doesn’t tempt others (Jas. 1:13b),  God cannot grow weary or faint (Is. 40:28a),  God doesn’t revoke gifts/calling (Ro.11:29) God’s essence/nature cannot change (Mal. 3:6, Ja. 1:17). Not to mention all the logical impossibilities like making a circle a square or two plus two equal 7.6, or make a rock that is too heavy for God to lift - to name a few.

Oord also teases out the philosophical problems associated with omnipotence in ways that are easily understood. Moreover, he does a commendable job connecting the dots of perhaps the unforeseen consequences of such a position, not only as it affects our relationship with God but how we behave in the world towards other people and the many other inhabitants of our globe.

Oord continues, exploring how the idea of an all-controlling omnipotent God contributes to the problem of evil. Maybe you’ve heard the argument: How can an all-powerful (can do anything) good god actively or passively allow evil and suffering in creation? 

Suffering and evil are painfully evident in our world. As such, one couldn’t be blamed if they concluded that either God is all-powerful but not good or God is good but not all-powerful.

 A significant swath of Western Christian thinkers has yet to address this satisfactorily. Lest we try an ol’ workaround, Oord points out that an appeal to the idea that God self-limits does not get an all-powerful, good God off the hook. An all-powerful God who could prevent evil but chooses (self-limits) not to is still culpable for evil. “Evil ends omnipotence.”

Oord points out that many who champion the idea of omnipotence often employ qualifiers to nuance omnipotence in an attempt to skirt the difficulties. By doing so, omnipotence loses its potency. Oord refers to this strategy as omnipotence suffering death by a thousand qualifications. 

So where does this leave us? Is a God who isn’t omnipotent by default impotent? Absolutely not! Resisting the trap of the binary, Oord comes up between them with his constructive idea, which he terms “Amipotence.”

You’ll be forgiven if you haven’t heard of amipotence because, well, Oord coined this term. He mashes together the Latin Ami (as Love), connecting it to Latin potens (as potential or potency). Here Oord privileges God’s divine Love over God’s power. This is a central position of Essential Kenosis, that God is Love (1 John 4:8,16) by nature, and as such, God cannot help but love. Amipotence privileges Love as primary in God’s nature from which God’s power flows. Love shapes God’s power.

For those who may not be familiar,  Oord defines Love: “to act intentionally, in sympathetic/empathetic response to others (including God), to promote overall well-being.”

For Oord, Love is not some saccharine sentimentality or some toothless tiger. God’s Love is relentless, ever-present, deeply relational (both giving and receiving), uncontrolling, and gives and respects genuine freedom. God’s love is co-suffering, all the while encouraging, inspiring, empowering, sometimes commanding, and pleading with creatures to act in ways that foster genuine Love. God’s Love is relentless because it never gives up working to inspire/squeeze every bit of love out of every situation.

Oord’s new book marks a seismic shift in Western Christian thinking about God and how God acts within creation. This shift will no doubt be outrageous to some, frightening to others, but for many, a genuine relief. Oord’s ideas are well-researched and are faithful to the constitutive Christian story, the scriptures, and our own experience of the world. No longer must we be held culturally, intellectually, and theologically hostage to a theory about God that is untrue, damaging to many folks, and responsible for repelling both the faithful and the seekers alike.

Amipotence is genuinely Good News. It is good news because it presents a God who is genuinely relational and loving of everyone and everything, which means God doesn’t control creatures. It presents us with a God who is not morally responsible for failing to prevent evil. A love that doesn’t give up but is always working to maximize Love in each and every situation by inviting, encouraging, and empowering creatures to act in loving ways. A rugged Love that never leaves us or forsakes us.

Amipotence is good news for the Good News.

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