Religion and CreationThis book is the second part of a major project of comparative theology begun with Religion and Revelation (Clarendon Press, 1994), which looks at major concepts of faith in all four of the main scriptural religions of the world. In Religion and Creation, the author explores the idea of a creator God in the work of twentieth century writers from Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. He develops a positive concept of God which stresses God's dynamic and responsive relation to the temporal structure of the universe, and the importance of that structure to the self-expression of the divine being. Professor Ward goes on to present a Trinitarian doctrine of creation, drawing inspiration from a wider set of theistic traditions and recent discussions in physics in the realm of cosmology. |
Contents
| 3 | |
The New Testament | 37 |
The Koran | 59 |
The Upanishads | 77 |
The Objective Reality of God | 109 |
Metaphor and Analogy | 129 |
Divine Power and Creativity | 159 |
Divine Wisdom and the Intelligibility of the Universe | 192 |
Divine Love and the Goodness of Created Being | 215 |
Divine Awareness and Bliss | 242 |
God and Time | 256 |
Creation and Modern Cosmology | 287 |
Creation and the Trinity | 316 |
Author Index | 347 |
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Common terms and phrases
A. N. Whitehead actual Aquinas Aristotle Aurobindo Barth belief biblical bliss Brahman Brihadaranyaka Upanishad causal cause Chandogya Upanishad Christ Christian classical complete conceived concept consciousness contingent cosmic created creation creative creatures D. Z. Phillips desire determined distinctive divine nature doctrine entails essential eternal everything evil existence experience expression Father finite freedom God's Hebrew Bible Heschel human Ia q Ibid idea immutable infinite intelligible interpretation Iqbal Jesus Karl Barth knowledge Koran literal logically manifestation metaphor metaphysical mind Muslim necessarily necessary necessity object omnipotent omniscient particular perfection person philosophical Plato possess possible worlds potentiality properties prophets purely reality realized relation relationship religious traditions revelation Richard Swinburne Sachchidananda seems self-existent sense simply sort speak Spirit suffering suggests Summa Theologiae Supermind supreme value Svetasvatara Upanishad temporal theism theologians theology things thought Tillich timeless transcends Trinitarian Trinity ultimate universe wholly wisdom
Popular passages
Page 25 - I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Page 25 - The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness...
Page 295 - So long as the universe had a beginning, we could suppose it had a creator. But if the universe is really completely self-contained, having no boundary or edge, it would have neither beginning nor end: it would simply be. What place, then, for a creator?
Page 263 - In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us. For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Page 9 - For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.
Page 20 - The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Page 9 - Was it not thou that didst cut Ra'hab in pieces, that didst pierce the dragon? > Was it not thou that didst dry up the sea, the waters of the great deep; that didst make the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?
Page 11 - But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it'
Page 162 - I know that thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted.
Page 341 - Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. "For God has put all things in subjection under his feet.