Reframing Obedience, Sovereignty, and Separation
The traditional Western conception of God often oscillates between two extremes: the benevolent grandfather and the iron-fisted tyrant. For many, the concept of "obedience" to a divine being carries the heavy scent of authoritarianism, suggesting a relationship defined by fear, whim, and the threat of eternal retribution. However, a deeper theological and philosophical inquiry suggests that divine sovereignty is not modeled on earthly dictatorship, but on the ontologically necessary alignment with Love itself. By reframing obedience as participation and hell as a self-imposed state of separation, we can move toward a more coherent understanding of a God who is intrinsically and infinitely loving.
The Nature of Divine Authority: Not Dictatorship, but Design
To understand why God is not a "harsh dictator," one must first distinguish between extrinsic law and intrinsic order. A dictator imposes arbitrary rules from the outside, often for his own benefit or to maintain control. In contrast, the commands of God are better understood as the "operating instructions" for human flourishing. As Thomas Aquinas argued, God’s law is not an imposition on human nature, but the very roadmap for its perfection (Aquinas, Summa Theologica I-II, Q. 91).
When a parent tells a child not to touch a hot stove, the "command" is not an exercise in power, but an act of protective love. In the same vein, obedience to God is the act of aligning one's will with the source of all existence. Because God is Logos—the rational principle of the universe—to "disobey" is not merely to break a rule, but to act against reality itself.
"To follow God is to be free; to refuse Him is to be a slave to the chaotic impulses of the self." (Augustine, The City of God).
Hell as Ontological Separation
The imagery of "hellfire" and "punitive torture" has long been used as a tool for moral coercion. However, many contemporary and Eastern Orthodox theologians suggest that hell is not a torture chamber created by a vengeful deity, but rather the state of a soul that has definitively rejected the source of its own life.
C.S. Lewis famously posited that "the gates of hell are locked from the inside" (Lewis, The Great Divorce, 1946). In this framework, God does not "send" people to hell in a fit of pique. Rather, God respects human freedom so profoundly that He allows individuals to choose a reality devoid of His presence. If God is the source of all light, joy, and connection, then the deliberate rejection of God results in darkness, sorrow, and isolation. This is not a "punishment" in the legal sense, but a natural consequence of separation from the Infinite.
The Fire of Love
A compelling refutation of the "punitive" model of hell is found in the idea that the "fire" of hell and the "light" of heaven are actually the same thing: the unclouded presence of God’s love. For those who love God, His presence is eternal bliss; for those who have spent a lifetime hardening their hearts against Love, that same presence is experienced as an agonizing "burning" of the ego.
As Isaac the Syrian, a 7th-century mystic, wrote:
"Those who are punished in Gehenna are scourged by the scourge of love... The power of love works in two ways: it torments those who have sinned, just as we see that friends sometimes torment each other; and it delights those who have carried out their duties." (Isaac the Syrian, Ascetical Homilies).
Understood this way, God is not a judge handing down sentences, but a sun that shines on everyone equally. Whether that sun warms you or withers you depends entirely on your own constitution and willingness to receive it.
Conclusion
Reframing the relationship between humanity and the Divine requires moving past the language of "crime and punishment" and into the language of "health and harmony." Obedience to a loving God is not the surrender of autonomy, but the discovery of one's true purpose. Hell, then, is not the triumph of God’s wrath, but the ultimate—and tragic—triumph of human free will. In this light, God remains an infinite being of love who desires the communion of all, but coerces none.
Bibliography
- Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Province. New York: Benziger Bros, 1947.
- Augustine of Hippo. The City of God. Translated by Marcus Dods. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1871.
- Isaac the Syrian. The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian. Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1984.
- Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. London: Geoffrey Bles, 1946.
- Ware, Kallistos. The Orthodox Way. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1979.
No comments:
Post a Comment