‘Wie gering is geeft Hij aanzien’. Een theologische verkenning van Gods voorkeur voor het zwakke

Samenvatting

If God, as the Biblical narratives suggest, cares in a special way for the marginal (a character trait we dubbed ‘adunamophilia’), this appears to be at odds with God’s perfect goodness, in the sense of treating all people fairly and with equal care. After a brief overview of God’s adunamophilia as witnessed to by various Bible passages and the Christian tradition more broadly, we argue that the tension can be reduced but not resolved by considering God’s adunamophilia in relation to God’s righteousness. Going beyond this, we propose to consider God’s adunamophilia as a manifestation of God’s personal preference, which is not necessarily morally blameworthy. As creatures, humans are challenged to accept this scandalous preference, ultimately expressed in Christ’s life among the marginal in his humiliation and death on the cross.