TD,
On Whitfield, I get what you're saying. It depends on the definition used regarding faith as to whether it is anti-intellectual. If they mean faith without reason, or blind faith, then it is anti-intellectual. But, if it means the faith of Scripture, which is faith based on evidence (not necessarily philosophical, but a variety of evidences given to us by God including but not limited to Scripture), then it is far from anti-intellectual.
I disagree with your point on anti-intellectualism, but it brings up a good point for me. I have read nothing I saw as credible in contrasting people like Moreland's or Peacey's works on reentering the battlefield of ideas by becoming more intellectually engaged with our faith to help others see the Truth. Your comment simply triggered in my mind that there might be viable arguments against becoming more intellectually engaged with our faith. Anti-intellectualism as a term was not brought up against those who reject engaging in philosophical study regarding their faith. Far from it. It focuses on those whose only reason for the hope that is within them is to say "I know because I know it in my knower." When people simply say it's true because I think it's true - or it's true just because it's true - you don't convince anyone. That's why Peter called us to always have a reason or defense, why Paul told us to test all things and why Jesus told us the greatest commandment is, in part, to love the Lord your God with all your mind. When people reject using their God-given, Fall-damaged reason, we get to where we've let ourselves get to over the last 50 to 75 years. A church that fails to get salt into the culture. A church that abdicates the field of argument to the culture.
As for God's attributes, perfection cannot stand alone. Perfection has to be viewed in light of something else. Even if we say (and rightly so) God IS perfect, your talking about His Being. His Being is perfect. His attributes of holiness, righteousness, all-knowingness, lovingkindness, etc are all attributes that could (but do not) exist in Him as something less than perfect. For instance, God's lovingkindness could be a part of God's image in us, but it is not perfect in us. It might be perfectly installed in us as God desires, but it is not perfect lovingkindness because our version of lovingkindness is far from God's expression of it. There is an ideal state or expression of an attribute where it can be called perfect. But, that perfection cannot exist on its own. You have to have something tangible or tangibly expressed to be able to describe it as flawed or perfect.
So, yes, it is a descriptor but it is a contingent descriptor. It relies on something else to be useful and cannot exist on its own aside from the item it describes. Perfection cannot stand on its own.
God exhibits lovingkindness.
What kind of lovingkindness?
God exhibits perfect lovingkindness.
God exhibits perfection. (doesn't work)
What kind of perfection? (doesn't work)
In what does God exhibit perfection?
God exhibits perfection in His lovingkindness.
The way you are describing perfection as talking about God's Being, is the same as a description of any of His attributes. All of His attributes are a description of His being, and none of God's attributes stand alone. Think about it. God cannot be all-powerful unless He is all-knowing, and He cannot be all-knowing unless He is all-present. He cannot be just, merciful, wrathful, loving, and true always unless He is perfect in it all. So then, as one could say "God is love," so one could say "God is just," "God is truth", "God is light," "God is perfect," etc. God is all His attributes simultaneously all the time. They cannot be divided from each other.
Although there
seems a paradox: how can God be loving to those people who are cast in the lake of fire? But since God transcends the universe, space, and time, God is loving as well as wrathful, and merciful as well as just. He exercises His justice on those who deserve it, and at the same time is being as merciful and loving to them as perfect justice requires. God says "I will have mercy on whom I will..." but this does not divide mercy from justice. They are still working together perfectly.
So then, all God's attributes (perfection, holiness, love, justice, etc.) are His being expressed in varying degrees. Although it does not
appear that God is omnipresent in most places, He is nonetheless. Although it does not
appear that God is omnipotent in most places, He is nonetheless. Although it does not
appear that God is loving toward many people, He is nonetheless. Etc. for holy, righteous, and all other attributes anyone can think of, including perfection. God is perfect in all things, though it may
appear that He isn't - e.g. was He perfect in His preservation of the scriptures? If God is perfect and omnipresent, then how is there evil in the world? If God dwells in believers, how can they be imperfect, etc.
TD