The doctrine of divine impassibility has been maligned, misunderstood, unhelpfully nuanced, and even rejected in our day. But why is it so misunderstood? Why such differing opinions over a doctrine included in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Second London Confession of Faith? In God without Passions, Samuel Renihan’s method of approaching the doctrine of divine impassibility is the answer to that question. I commend this book to people in the pew, theological students, pastors, and seasoned theologians. It is well-written and easy to digest. Its method is sound. Its doctrine is confessionally and biblically faithful. Though every chapter is worth reading and will provide much profit, if you are like me at all, chapter 1 will seal the deal. And the last chapter shows how important and practical the doctrine of divine impassibility is. Though only a short introduction to the subject its contents will inform the mind and fill the soul with wonder and amazement. May you increase in the knowledge of God!

The biblical presentation of God who does not change, whose character is eternal, is not a plaything, something merely for the ivory tower. He who is beyond time and change uses representations of himself that are human-like in order to adapt himself to our circumstances, and to be our guide in life. This means that in our thinking about God we are required to discipline our minds, and Samuel Renihan shows us how to do this.

Too often today the truth that the eternal, unchangeable Creator sustains his universe, redeems his people, and interacts with his creatures without becoming hostage to their ceaseless fluctuations is ignored, misunderstood, misrepresented, and rejected. Renihan demonstrates the biblical origins and historical foundations of this doctrine, and he shows its positive implications for our personal spiritual struggles and for the pastoral care of our fellow-strugglers.

I n addition to penning extensive theological systems and confessional documents, the theologians of the Reformation and post￾Reformation era devoted their energy to writing shorter treatises for the instruction of the church. They did so convinced that theology was itself practical (not that it needed to be made practical), as it not only nourished faith but promoted the worship and adoration of our infinite God and Savior. Sam Renihan’s God without Passions is clearly born of the same conviction and directed toward the same goal. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, both to those who are unfamiliar with this doctrine and to those who have wrongly assumed that divine impassibility is but a vestige of an unbiblical and impractical theological system for which we have no need. Read carefully and your knowledge of the living God will be deepened, your faith increased, your hope enlivened, and your love warmed.

What Sam Renihan has done in God without Passions is to provide clarity in terminology and foundational principles for discussing the issue of divine impassibility. He provides a long-needed reminder of the biblical hermeneutics necessary to discuss accurately such a difficult topic. Renihan’s insight that God does not have affections or passions but, rather, perfections, is the biblical and theological key often missing in the debate whether God “feels” love, mercy, anger, etc. I commend Sam Renihan in his clear, consistent outline and explanations which are easy to follow on such a complex topic. His final chapter on “Personal Applications and Pastoral Implications” catches my attention as the kind of Pastoral Theology we need more of today. I will be using this book with my people.

God without Passions is like a wholesome, satisfying meal, nourishing our souls. It should be eaten leisurely, for pleasure and for health, and with gratitude to the impassible God who provides it. The last chapter explaining the practical uses of this theology is a delectable dessert, but let me suggest its use also as an appetizer. If you wonder whether this topic will benefit you as a Christian, then read the last chapter first. Then when you’ve read the preceding chapters, read it again for maximum impact. With God’s blessing, you will never be the same. Let me invite and urge you to put aside any distracting junk food, breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for this feast, and sit down to savor it. May the Lord strengthen your inner man by this rich fare!

Many theological writers can be expected to understand their subject. Far fewer are able to make their subject understandable. Samuel Renihan has that rare ability to do both. This introduction to the topic presents a profound truth in a profoundly simple manner. This book will find use in the hands of scholars and students, pastors in pulpits and people in pews. I have read few modern theological treatments that can both illumine and inspire. The old writers excelled at both, and it is good that God is blessing us with young men who can do the same.

God Without Passions is the most important theological book most Christians don’t know they need to read. The theological terrain of divine impassibility is dangerous, often leading to a view of God that is either temperamental or altogether unfeeling. Pastor Sam Renihan leads us safely through to the open pastures of God’s true character where certainty and safety abound. This is an accessible book, biblically persuasive, and a theologically tight work that is sure to benefit the church at large, and strengthen the faith of those who read it with an aim of understanding, depending on, and worshipping the God who is love.