Acknowledgements
Reflecting on hearing inevitably forces us, at some point, to acknowledge how much we have received from others—that what we speak is inescapably wrapped up with what we have heard. To reflect on hearing for half a decade is to raise the stakes considerably! It is, then, with overwhelming gratitude that I acknowledge those whom I have had the privilege to hear and be heard by.
It was in the fall of 2014 that a brief but disproportionately generative conversation with Kevin Vanhoozer produced in me a theological interest in God’s hearing. Fleeting though the conversation was, this book finds its genesis and seed there. And insofar as my comprehension of “the breadth and length and height and depth” of the love of God has increased as I have sought to understand God’s hearing—even if ever so incrementally—it is the fruit of the seed planted then and there.
If being heard by others is a gift that profoundly changes the one who is heard, then I have received a gift of inestimable value from Mike Higton and Karen Kilby—both of whom have heard me with great patience, generosity, attentiveness, and encouragement. To be “gifted” by their hearing and speaking has, indeed, been profoundly formative. I am grateful for the frequent conversations, thoughtful engagement, careful reading, gentle correction, and enduring support that I have received from them both. Each has been a gift in significant and unique ways for which I am enduringly grateful.
I owe a debt of gratitude to a number of institutions and people which have provided supportive experiences and valuable dialogue. The Society for the Study of Theology has proven to be a consistently gracious and hospitable environment in which to hear and be heard. Among the many kind and helpful conversations therewith, I am especially grateful for those with Ashley Cocksworth, whose interest in my thesis and willingness to offer constructive suggestions on the Barth chapter prevented me from wandering into more precarious territory. Additionally, I am grateful to the Herzl Institute and the Templeton Foundation for the opportunity in 2017 to think about God’s hearing in dialogue with Jews and other Christians in the context of Jewish philosophical theology. That the experience came with such a view of Mount Zion made it all the more enriching. For that, many thanks are due to Yoram Hazony, Joshua Weinstein, and Dru Johnson for crafting such an academically stimulating and personally formative experience. I am also indebted to the International Journal of Systematic Theology and Adam Johnson for the opportunity to constructively engage with two books which informed my argument in substantial ways.
Numerous friends have made this thesis possible through their encouragement and support. Brian McCollister has been an unwavering personal and organizational support during this time. Karlo “Bacho” Bordjadze, a fellow Johnian, blazed the trail for me, pursuing a Ph.D. from Durham while in full-time, vocational ministry. Jason Hoffman has been a consistent support and interlocutor for sharpening and clarifying my thinking, and supported my efforts even to the extent of photocopying pages from my library for me when I was required to travel. Nick Stapleton has been a constant source of vision and encouragement. I am grateful to Christy Spader who sacrificed to support my twice-annual travel to England and to work around my challenging schedule. Her frequent desire to hear “the longer version” of my argument with an unmatched inquisitiveness and sincerity has sharpened my thinking and improved what follows. Many have opened their homes to me over these years, providing warm and hospitable environments to write during extended travel or sabbatical. Andy and Amy Brandt, Aaron and Katie Golby, and Jordan and Nikki Shirkman have made it possible to work on a Ph.D. thesis while living occasionally as a global nomad. I am grateful to Emily Baumhoer and Ellie McCollister who were willing to serve as copy editors for some portions of this work. The errors that remain are, of course, my own.
Finally, it is to my wife, Christy, to whom gratitude is owed in abundance. She has been a motivating presence in my life in ways that few will understand. Her loving patience, support, and sacrifice have made this work possible. That loving sacrifice was multiplied by orders of magnitude in 2018 when our daughter, Lydia, was born. When parenting and pandemic required adjustments to our “Ph.D. deal”, thereby preventing her from traveling with me, her support and encouragement continued unfadingly, steeled by the challenges. Thus, it is to her and to our daughter to whom this work is dedicated.