Gerald R. McDermott - Everyday Glory: The Revelation of God in All of Reality

Many years ago I happened upon a notebook that Jonathan Edwards (170358) had kept throughout his life. He titled the notebook Images of Divine Things. In this notebook, now about eighty-five pages, Edwards jotted notes on the resemblances to the Triune God and his ways that he saw in the world around him. By world, I mean not only nature but also what we call human relations. I was immediately enthralled.

This notebook opened a whole new world to me. I began to see beauty and riches in the stars above and the world beneath and pointers to gospel truths in multiple dimensions of reality. Later when I started to explore the history of Christian thought, I discovered that this Edwardsean way of seeing the world was not uncommon in previous Christian theology. In fact, it was the norm.

But in the twentieth century this way of seeing was lost in many sectors of the Christian church for reasons that I will explain. The reasons are now understandable, but the effect was a terrible loss to the faith of millions.

This book is an attempt to retrieve a profoundly Christian way of seeing reality. My prayer is that it adds depth and beauty to the faith of believers in this new century. I hope it also speaks to seekers who have caught a glimpse of the wonder and beauty of life and wonder where those glimpses have come from.

. WJE 11:51135.

As always, my wife, Jean, was a daily inspiration as I wrote this book on sabbatical. We were living with our oldest son and his wife and their six kids at the time. My gratitude goes to them for putting up with Grandpa as he wrote and wrote, day after day, while enjoying their laughter, questions, and long conversations.

I am deeply indebted to my editor Dave Nelson, who is becoming one of this countrys premier theological book editors. He has smoothed the way all along and made excellent suggestions throughout.

I am also grateful for the invitations of Dallas Theological Seminary to deliver their Griffith-Thomas lectures for 2017 and St. John Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Virginia, to be the speaker at their annual theological weekend. Both series helped me think through and then revise some of the chapters that follow.

Thanks are also due to the following readers who gave input: Michael McClymond, Mark Harris, Matt Franck, Robert Benne, Paul Hinlicky, Brian Bolt, Hans Boersma, Josh Reeves, Ralph Wood, Alan Pieratt, Sean McDermott, Ryan McDermott, and Mark Graham. I am sure I did not use their suggestions in the ways most of them thought I should, and whatever distortions remain should not be attributed to any of them.

Special thanks are due to Paula Gibson for what I think is a superb cover. Thanks are also due to my excellent student Justin Hendrix for his copyediting work.