What does God’s love depend on? Criticism of John L. Schellenberg’s Hiddenness Argument

Abstract

The first premise of Schellenberg’s hiddenness argument is that God, as a perfect being, is obliged to establish a relationship of love with each of his personal creatures. It seems, however, that the attribute of God’s love cannot be understood in exactly the same way as it relates to love between people. God’s transcendence presupposes that he is completely different from human beings. Therefore, one may think that there are some reasons for God’s hiddenness that do not interfere with His love. In addition, God’s silence must be distinguished from His hiddenness. In fact, silence does not reject the act of communication, but only points to other – more personal – forms.