The Attributes of God

During the first part of the 20th century, Arthur Pink put pen to paper and produced a number of outstanding books that continue to be held in high esteem among many. Pink is famous for 3 main things. First, he held to a very high Calvinist theology. Second, because of the first, he held some highly controversial positions that many Armenians find repugnant. Third, Pink's ability to soak and bathe his views in Scripture are quite extraordinary. It is not at all uncommon to read entire chapters of Pink and encounter a Scripture verse in every other sentence. Such is the case with “The Attributes of God.” This book is very short, less than 100 pages. As a result, those looking for a more exhaustive treatment of this topic a la Charnock (whom Pink eloquently quotes a number of times in this book) or the more recent work by Feinberg might be disappointed. Pink's short work is nonetheless very meaty and is a solid contribution that a number of more recent authors have rightly drawn from in their works. As is the usual Pink style, he is unapologetic throughout this book in elevating God's ways far above the ways of man, as he believes Scripture does. He laments the wickedness of man generally, and in many cases, directs his most impassioned criticism towards the modern Church for what he sees as coddling of sin, demotion of God to a pleasant afterthought of the human construct, and failing to preach on the unpopular attributes of God such as His wrath. Pink’s book is not aimed at those who want to hear unthreatening and soft peddling thoughts in an effort to feel better about themselves. On the contrary, Pink sternly asks Christians to set themselves aside for a minute and examine God for who He is instead of making Him out to be an elevated form of what we see in the mirror. Pink was frighteningly accurate about the mentality of so many Christians who claim to love and understand God while recasting Him in their own image. Scripture plainly teaches otherwise, and Pink's treatment is solid in this area. Pink's chapter on the patience of God is very good, and His treatment of the immutability of God is outstanding for those who are grappling with the contemporary open theism controversy. Pink wrote before this controversy got legs, but this book along with some others he wrote are quite devastating to the open theist on the questions of foreknowledge, immutability, and sovereignty. “The Attributes of God,” while not a massive treatise, is nonetheless a Scripture-packed analysis that crams a lot of meat into a few pages. Excellent for beginners who want to get exposed to these issues without reading a lengthy treatise, it is equally outstanding for seasoned theologians. Over the years, Pink has truly emerged as one of the finest and most impassioned apologists for Calvinism, and, as this book so eloquently demonstrates, rightfully so.