How does God relate to mature rational agents?

Abstract

Nicholas Hadsell suggests an answer to the question of divine authority. Hadsell agrees with Mark Murphy that it isn’t enough to point to divine omnipotence, omniscience, goodness, or our gratitude to God. Hadsell’s answer is that God has practical authority over us because he is our parent. Since parents incur duties towards their children, and since the discharge of those duties requires authority, God likewise has authority over us. Hadsell’s parental model is the wrong one for understanding God’s normative relation to mature rational creatures. It’s true that Scripture often compares God to a loving parent, but the dominant and overarching shape of God’s dealings with mature moral agents is covenantal.