Today my dear friend Mary Hammond shared with Steve my Article on “Reimagining Discipleship” and she said that while Amen-ing all the way and affirming; “Preach it Brother”, Steve mentioned to Mary that he heard a podcast by Philip Enns where he quoted someone saying “The primary attribute of God is not sovereignty but vulnerability,” Mary reiterates that this is a profound thought embodied in a broken God on the cross. 
She said that presents a profound theological shift that challenges conventional notions of divine power while inviting a reimagining of God’s nature and humanity’s relationship with the divine. This idea, rooted in the image of the “broken God on the cross,” emphasizes vulnerability as a central characteristic of God, manifested through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, and connects it to the concepts of “shalom” (peace, wholeness) and “Ubuntu” (a Southern African philosophy of interconnectedness, often summarized as “I am because we are”). In this Article, I offer a deep analysis of Mary’s statement, exploring its theological, cultural, and philosophical implications, a response that engages its significance.
Challenging Traditional Notions of Sovereignty
The traditional view of God in many theological frameworks, particularly within Western Christianity, emphasizes sovereignty—God as all-powerful, all-knowing, and in control of creation. Sovereignty often evokes images of a distant, omnipotent ruler who governs with unassailable authority. By contrast, proposing vulnerability as God’s primary attribute subverts this paradigm. Vulnerability suggests openness, susceptibility to suffering, and relationality, qualities that seem counterintuitive to a supreme being. Yet, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a central event in Christian theology, embodies this vulnerability. On the cross, God incarnate experiences pain, rejection, and death, fully entering into the human condition. This act reframes divine power not as domination but as solidarity with humanity’s brokenness.
The Crucifixion as the Locus of Divine Vulnerability
The phrase “broken God on the cross” points to the crucifixion as the ultimate expression of divine vulnerability. In Christian theology, the cross represents the moment when God, in the person of Jesus, takes on the “weight of the world’s errors” sin, injustice, and suffering. This is not a passive vulnerability but an intentional act of love and sacrifice. Theologians like Jürgen Moltmann, in “The Crucified God”, argue that the cross reveals a God who suffers with humanity, challenging the impassibility (the idea that God cannot suffer) often upheld in classical theology. The vulnerable God on the cross is not weak but radically relational, choosing to bear humanity’s pain to offer redemption and reconciliation.
Vulnerability as Strength
Vulnerability, in this context, is not a diminishment of divine power but a redefinition of it. Unlike human conceptions of power, which often equate strength with invulnerability, the vulnerability of God demonstrates a power that transforms through empathy and self-giving love. This aligns with the paradoxical nature of the Gospel, where strength is found in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). By prioritizing vulnerability, the statement suggests that God’s essence is not about enforcing control but about inviting relationship, healing, and restoration.
Shalom: A Vision of Wholeness
The statement connects divine vulnerability to “shalom”, a Hebrew concept encompassing peace, wholeness, and justice. “Shalom” is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of right relationships—between God and humanity, among people, and with creation. The vulnerable God on the cross, by bearing the world’s brokenness, calls humanity to participate in this vision of “shalom”. This call challenges systems of oppression, including patriarchy, which often weaponize religious narratives to marginalize groups like women and girls, as noted in your earlier messages. A vulnerable God models a way of being that prioritizes healing and justice over domination, offering a theological foundation for dismantling such systems.
Ubuntu: Interconnected Humanity
The inclusion of “Ubuntu” ties the statement to an African worldview that emphasizes communal interdependence. “Ubuntu” teaches that human identity and flourishing are inherently relational: “I am because we are.” By framing God as vulnerable, the statement aligns with “Ubuntu”’s emphasis on shared humanity. The cross becomes a symbol of God’s participation in the collective human experience, inviting communities to embrace mutual care and solidarity. In the African context, where the Bible has sometimes been used to disempower women (as you mentioned), a theology of divine vulnerability could counter these narratives by affirming the dignity and interconnectedness of all people, particularly the marginalized.
Cultural Relevance in Africa
In many African contexts, religious frameworks, including Christianity, have been shaped by colonial legacies and patriarchal interpretations of scripture. The idea of a vulnerable God challenges these structures by presenting a divine model that values empathy, suffering-with, and communal restoration over hierarchical control. This resonates deeply with matriarchal traditions in Africa, where women have historically played central roles in fostering community and nurturing life. Books like Jennifer Bird’s “Marriage in the Bible”, “Permission Granted” and Mary Hammond’s “The Church and the Dechurched”, amplify this critique by exposing how patriarchal readings of scripture have distorted divine and human relationships. A theology of vulnerability will empower African women by aligning with their lived experiences of resilience and communal care.
The assertion that God’s primary attribute is vulnerability rather than sovereignty is a radical and transformative theological claim. It invites us to see the cross not as a moment of defeat but as the ultimate revelation of God’s character, a God who chooses to enter human suffering, not to dominate it, but to redeem it through love. This perspective has profound implications for how we understand power, both divine and human.
Ubuntu, arms holding each other, teamwork, friendship, cooperation, mutual support, solidarity concept vector illustration. African ethic philosophy umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu
In a world often marked by control, exclusion, and violence, the vulnerable God calls us to “shalom”, a peace that restores justice and wholeness and to “Ubuntu”, a way of living that honors our interconnectedness.
In the African context, where the Bible’s misuse is a tool of disempowerment, this article offers a corrective lens. The “broken God on the cross” dismantles the idea of divine power as patriarchal authority, instead presenting a God who stands in solidarity with the oppressed, including women and girls. This aligns with the emancipatory work of scholars like Jennifer Bird and pastors like Mary Hammond, whose writings challenge patriarchal interpretations of faith. By emphasizing vulnerability, we are invited to reimagine leadership, community, and spirituality as acts of mutual care and shared humanity, echoing the matriarchal values I am advocating for. Moreover, this article has practical implications. It calls for communities to embody “shalom” and “Ubuntu” by dismantling systems of oppression and fostering environments where all are seen and valued. Translating works like Bird’s and Hammond’s into African languages and contexts, as we are working toward, will amplify this message, equipping communities to resist harmful cultural and religious narratives. The image of the vulnerable God challenges us to move beyond rigid dogmas and embrace a faith that heals, unites, and empowers.
The statement, “The primary attribute of God is not sovereignty but vulnerability,” reorients our understanding of God from a distant ruler to a relational, suffering, and loving presence. Embodied in the “broken God on the cross,” this vulnerability carries the weight of the world’s pain while calling humanity to “shalom” and “Ubuntu”. In the African context, this article resonates deeply, offering a counter-narrative to patriarchal misuses of scripture and aligning with communal values of interconnectedness. It invites us to build communities that reflect divine vulnerability marked by empathy, justice, and mutual flourishing and to amplify voices like Bird’s and Hammond’s to foster liberation and healing.
Read more about the Author here: Philip Kakungulu
Get a copy of Pastor Mary Hammonds book here: Amazon
Get a copy of these books by Jennifer Bird PhD here: Amazon Amazon
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