From Nothing: A Theology of Creation
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Overview
Too often the doctrine of creation has been made to serve limited or pointless ends, like the well-worn arguments between science and faith over the question of human and cosmic origins. Given this history, some might be tempted to ignore the theology of creation, thinking it has nothing new or substantive to say. They would be wrong.
In this stimulating volume, Ian A. McFarland shows that at the heart of the doctrine of creation lies an essential truth about humanity: we are completely dependent on God. Apart from this realization, little else about us makes sense.
McFarland demonstrates that this radical dependence is a consequence of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo, creation from nothing. Taking up the theological consequences of creation-theodicy and Providence-the author provides a detailed and innovative constructive theology of creation. Drawing on the biblical text, classical sources, and contemporary thought, From Nothing proves that a robust theology of creation is a necessary correlate to the Christian confession of redemption in Jesus Christ.
Key Features
- Demonstrates the centrality of our dependents upon God
- Goes beyond standard talking points about science and faith
- Examines the theological significance of the doctrine of creation
Contents
- Introduction
- Part 1: Exitus
- God
- Creates
- From Nothing
- Part 2: Reditus
- Evil
- Providence
- Glory
- Conclusion
Top Highlights
“Properly speaking, the claim that God permits evil is designed to make just three points: (1) evil is not an illusion (i.e., to ‘permit’ something is to acknowledge that it has power and real effects); (2) God does not commit evil (i.e., to ‘permit’ is not to ‘enact’); and (3) evil is subject to God (i.e., it has only as much power as God ‘permits’).” (Page 132)
“they share a common core: the claim that creation from nothing renders God arbitrary” (Page 18)
“The absolute and unvarying character of dependence on God across all scales and types of created existence is such that all creatures, from the most exalted seraph to the most insignificant grain of interstellar dust, are contingent, subject to movement, and occupy a particular place. These three properties can be understood as the created corollaries of God’s character as living, productive, and present, and as such, can define the ways in which God forms creatures to share by grace the being that God has by nature.” (Page 61)
“While (as argued above) it is a corollary of this freedom that God cannot cease to be God, the fact that God, in God’s transcendence, is (to cite again the expression of Nicholas of Cusa) ‘not other’ than creatures means that God can also be other than God without thereby ceasing to be God. That is the meaning of the incarnation: the Word, while remaining always fully God, assumes a human nature and is therefore also truly a human being.” (Page 106)
“I beg you, my child, to look at the heaven and the earth and see everything that is in them, and recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed [ouk ex ontōn]’ (2 Macc. 7:28).” (Page 4)
Praise for the Print Edition
Ian McFarland's From Nothing engages the fundamental importance of the idea of creation for faithful living and thinking. God creates from nothing; Ian McFarland constructs theology of creation out of a rich mix of conversations with Scripture, the history of Christian thought, debates about science and theology, and an ecumenical chorus of theological voices. McFarland's superb theological craftsmanship always keeps the book clear, engaging, and wonderfully illuminating.
—David H. Kelsey, Luther Weigle Professor Emeritus of Theology, Yale Divinity School
Ian McFarland has produced one of the most substantial contributions in recent times to the theology of creation. Rooted in Scripture and church tradition, yet always alert to contemporary challenges, his study offers an important defense of the classical ex nihilo doctrine. By describing its vital function for Christian thought and action, he shows how it is not a quasi-scientific hypothesis but an essential part of an account of the ways in which all creatures are sustained and loved by God.
—David Fergusson, Professor of Divinity and Principal of New College, University of Edinburgh
Acknowledging forthrightly both the exegetical and philosophical problems posed by the church's doctrine of creation from nothing, this well researched and cogently argued study makes an impressive case for why faith in the trustworthiness of the triune God who creates all things in Christ may be shown to provide a deeper understanding of what creation entails than either its ancient or recent alternatives. Once again McFarland has demonstrated how a first-rate critical engagement with the sources of Christian doctrinal traditions can constructively address some of today's most vital issues.
—Christopher Morse, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor Emeritus of Theology and Ethics, Union Theological Seminary
Product Details
- Title: From Nothing: A Theology of Creation
- Author: Ian A. McFarland
- Publisher: Westminster John Knox
- Publication Date: 2014
- Pages: 232
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Theology
Sample Pages from the Print Edition
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