The question of God's immutability in theology in general

It has been an axiom almost right from the beginning of Christian theology that God is immutable, unchanging and unchangeable. And neither can God suffer: he is impassible. There was undoubtedly considerable philosophical influence contributing to the process by which this theological axiom was first established and then maintained – to be God is to be absolute and perfect, admitting of neither increase nor diminution in being, and is in contrast to the creaturely characteristic of becoming. However it was neither established nor maintained without embarrassment and difficulty. Did not the OT seem to portray a God of deep feeling, who reacted and responded to men and women, in particular to the specially chosen covenant partner Israel? What of the NT evidence that Jesus is both man and God, that he suffered and died – is God not affected? And – to foreshorten a long list of possible objections which were in fact put to this established position – what of the very deep instinct of the Christian faithful which assured them that they were in relationship with God, were loved deeply by him, and, so, affected him?

Nonetheless, despite the difficulties and the occasional defection down through the centuries, the mainstream of theological opinion has been remarkably consistent in its assertion of the axiom of God's immutability. The present-day theological enquiry into this whole question is a radical attempt to reassess the validity of the classical position. Many tendencies have merged to issue in such a radical enquiry. The notion of history is central to the modern understanding of the human sciences.