Asymmetry in Divine Love
A Classical Theist Response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15664/32wy7619Abstract
I argue that J. L. Schellenberg’s argument from divine hiddenness, among other hiddenness arguments, rests upon an inadequate conception of perfect love—namely, the assumption that perfect love requires openness to conscious, reciprocal relationship. Through an analysis of paradigmatic human relationships, informed by an Aristotelian understanding of relational reciprocity, patristic articulations of the Trinity, and perfect being theology, I show that genuine loving relationships can exist without conscious reciprocity from one party and that this asymmetry reflects rather than contradicts the nature of divine love. Ultimately, I demonstrate that a Christian account of perfect love in the tradition of classical theism does not necessitate the kind of conscious reciprocal relationship that Schellenberg, among others, demands from the God-creature relationship.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zach Miyazaki (Author)
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