God's Mercy - Book Report/Review Example

Full 2. Using the definition of Socrates of love saying that “to love is to desire something one does not have and considered to be good” it is theologically incorrect to say that God loves. In essence, God has everything and therefore He does not need anything from anyone or anything. Therefore, from this point of view, God cannot love.3. According to Volf, Muslims affirm that God loves without using the word ‘love’ through the use of His names which reflect His attributes. For instance, God’s name al-Ghaffar, which means “He who is full of forgiveness” (160) manifests the love of God by forgiving aggressors regardless of the minuteness or magnanimity of their offenses.

Volf argues that only a God who greatly loves can forgive without expecting anything in return.4. The Christian and Muslin understanding of the relationship between God’s love and God’s justice are comparable. For Christians, it is known that God showed His love by giving. For instance, the Bible states that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. Giving shows God’s love and saving believers manifests his justice.

For the Muslims, God’s love and justice are manifested through His mercies. It is said that God gave one of His mercies to all living creatures and He will give the 99 others to those who have been good in this life.5. Volf mentions that al-Ghazali makes a point absent in most Christian discussions. This is the manifestation of God’s forgiveness wherein God “makes manifest what is beautiful and conceals the ugly”. This means that the good in others should be magnified while the bad things are to be disregarded regardless of the person’s personality.