Creation (theology)

Creation is a doctrinal position in many religions and philosophical belief systems which maintains that a single God, or a group of gods or deities is responsible for creating the universe. The theological implications of creation may take a variety of forms, the most innocuous being that of a religious dogma, although there are varieties of such a belief fully compatible with a scientific point of view. There are religious believers who extend this to a strident advocacy of creationism, but the doctrinal belief is not necessarily synonymous with such advocacy.

Scientific Creationism

The European Enlightenment, in adopting a materialist mechanistic "clockwork" metaphor for the organization and structure of the universe, accepted as a general principle the "transcendental idealism" of Immanuel Kant that the deity was "first cause." The belief that the universe itself was rationally organized and capable of being investigated using reason was a development of the medieval view that the cosmos itself was the primary revelation of the divinity of the creator, and it is this scientific ideology that has propelled the development of modern science over the last three centuries.

More recently a second organicist view of scientific creationism has developed which looks at the hylozoic argument that the sacred is immanent in the creation process itself. This view, closer in some respects to animism, accepts that there may or may not have been a transcendental creator, but in the unfolding of the cosmos, meaning can be found that lifts the processes observed by scientists from the mundane. Rather than an absent transcendental "watchmaker" divinity of the first cause, the immanent view accepts that the entire cosmos is sacred, and that we human beings too are part of this evolutionary process.

Two Accounts of Creation in Genesis

There are two distinguishable accounts of creation in the Book of Genesis: 1) 1:1-2:3, which describes the grandeur of God's creation of the heavens and the earth in seven days; and 2) 2:4-25, which is an account of the origins of humans and the earth in the context of their covenant with God. Mainstream biblical scholarship maintains that the first account was made in the Exilic and early post-Exilic period of Hebrew history, and that the second one was made earlier than the first.

Genesis 1:1-2:3

The account of Genesis 1:1-2:3 begins with the celebrated statement: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" ("Bereshit bara Elohim et hashamayim ve'et ha'arets" in Hebrew). Most biblical scholars believe that this account can be attributed to the so-called "priestly" writer(s)/editor(s) (known in academic circles as "P") who was responsible for a fair portion of the Pentateuch. Dating to roughly the Exilic and early post-Exilic period of Hebrew history, the account sets forth creation on a cosmic scale. Revered for its majestic poetry concerning the beginnings of the universe, this account was shaped as a litany, likely for use in the Temple in Jerusalem, although its basic form may predate the building of the Second Temple.

Whereas the next account of Genesis 2:4-25 emphasizes the closeness of humanity's relationship to the environment and the immanence of God, the account of Genesis 1:1-2:3 emphasizes the transcendent greatness of God and culminates in the establishment of the Sabbath. The Hebrew term "hashamayim ve'et ha'arets" (translated as the heavens and the earth) is identical to the Sumerian term Anunaki (Anu=heaven, na=and, Ki=Earth), the name given to the gods in Southern Mesopotamia. By this means, author/redactors of the Babylonian exile were asserting the superiority of their God over the polytheistic gods of Babylonia. It is believed that the "P" source was concerned with maintaining a Jewish identity while removed from Jerusalem and Temple worship, and that the Sabbath was thus lifted up as a means to retain a distinctive identity in the midst of a pluralist Exilic culture. Hence, the account ends with the establishment of the Sabbath as an act of God, and an important part of the creative process.

Genesis 2:4-25

Biblical scholarship maintains that the creation story found starting in Genesis 2:4 is the earlier of the two Genesis accounts. The story also reflects Israel's belief in its covenant relationship with God. The concern in the book of Genesis 2 seems mainly in the origins of humankind and the earth. There is a clear connection between humans and the land (2:7), and so is there the notion that people are a special creation of God.

Fundamentalist Christians hold to the belief that Genesis 2 is a recount of Day 6, and God's creation in the Garden of Eden, while Genesis 1 refers to the six days of creation. Genesis 2 does not divide the creation up into days. There are differences in detail between the two creation accounts, but no one seems to argue that one is more inspired than the other.

Creation in Judaism

Judaism natually accepts the creation narratives in Genesis as part of the Torah, and the Genesis 1 account is typically used to establish or strengthen the notion of Sabbath as a key mark of God's "chosen people," particularly by Jewish scholars.

But, various interpretations emerged in the rabbinic period. For example, a Midrash (rabbinic commentay) says that six things preceded the creation of the world: the Torah and the Throne of Glory were created; the creation of the Patriarchs was contemplated; the creation of Israel was contemplated; the creation of the Temple in Jerusalem was contemplated; and the name of the Messiah was contemplated (Genesis Rabbah 1:4). Also, the Mishnah (oral law) teaches that God created the world with ten Divine utterances. Noting that surely God could have created the world with one utterance, the Mishnah asks: What are we meant to learn from this? The Mishnah answers: If God had created the world by a single utterance, men would think less of the world, and have less compunction about undoing God’s creation (Mishnah Avot 5:1).

These interpretationd do not contradict the basic Jewish doctrine, based on Genesis 1, that God created the world out of nothing.

Creation in Christianity

Genesis 1 is a key passage for those who support the notion of creatio ex nihilo, or "creation out of nothing" in Christianity as well as in Judaism. This belief states that God created the cosmos without the aid of anything to begin. God's existence and creative power apart from any original "building blocks" is assumed. Of course, a notable exception appears in the NRSV translation, which reads, "In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth," which, while still compatible with the Hebrew text, seems to make the assumption that God created the universe out of "chaos", and this idea is also found elsewhere in Scripture (notably in the Psalter). But, creation out of nothing is a distinctively Christian doctrine.

There are some New Testament passages that are in favor of it: "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (John 1:3); "God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were" (Romans 4:17); and "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible" (Hebrews 11:3). So, most of the early Christian writers such as Hermas, Aristides, Theophilus of Antioch, St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, St. Hppolytus, Origen, St. Cyprian, Methodius, Lactantius, and Alexander of Alexandria adhered to it, although there were some exceptions like St. Justin Martyr and St. Clement of Alexandria.

Before the Christian era, Aristotle had taught that the world, which has the duality of "form" and "matter," is made when "pure form" (God) and "prime mtter" (preexistent independently from God) are combined. It had at least three problems from the viewpoint of Christianity: 1) that the power of God is jeopardized when he must rely on pre-existent "prime matter"; 2) that the unity of the world cannot be secured because it is caused by the two independent principles of God and "prime matter"; and 3) the emergence of the emanationist monism of Neoplatonism as a reaction against this dualism of Aristotle. The Christian doctrine of creation was meant to overcome those three metaphysical problems, thus asserting the omnipotence of God, the unity of the world, and the non-monistic relationship of God and the world.

Creation in Islam

God (Arabic:Allah), in the Qur'an, says: "Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing" (21:30).

Islam, like the Judeo-Christian traditions, says that the universe was created in "six days": "Verily your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on the throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things" (10:3). Another related phrase from the Qur'an is: "Be, and it is" (3:47).

The Qur'an declares: "Then (simultaneously) turned He to the heaven when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient. Then He ordained them seven heavens in two Days and inspired in each heaven its mandate; and We decked the nether heaven with lamps, and rendered it inviolable. That is the measuring of the Mighty, the Knower" (41:11-12). Regarding the creation of the earth, the Qur'an says: "He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance)" (41:10); "And We have spread out the (spacious) earth: How excellently We do spread out!" (51:48).

The doctrine of creation out of nothing is acceptable to Islam, because the Qur'ran has some passages in support of it: "Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (Truth)" (21:56); "Praise be to Allah, Who created (out of nothing) the heavens and the earth" (35:1).

Creation in Other Religions

Hinduism

The Hindu/Vedic texts such as the Srimad Bhagavatam describe that God in his form of the Primeval 'Maha-Vishnu' lies on the 'causal ocean' and as he exhales, a countless number of universes are created from the pores in his skin. Then as He inhales, they are brought back into his body and become un-manifest again until the time of his next outward breath. Each breath is equivalent to many billions of years according to our calculation.

The first living being created in each universe is called 'Brahma' (i.e "Creator) and is given the task of creating a diversity of life and environments within that particular universe. According to people's karma from the last universe they are put into appropriate bodies in the new one, anything from being Brahma themselves to being a small ant, and the cycle continues for infinity. More purified souls are given the task of stewardship over the existence in a similar fashion to Brahma, and are known as 'devas' but none have his specific powers.

Maha-Vishnu originates from The Supreme Person (Paramatma) - whose abode is beyond this material world. It is said that the material universes exist in a small space of an infinite and eternal 'spiritual sky', known as Vaikuntha. The spiritual sky, Vaikuntha, is beyond our material conceptions being filled with eternity, knowledge and bliss. In Vaikuntha it is said that "time is conspicuous by its absence" and thus there is no creation or dissolution. It is not destroyed when the material universes become un-manifest, but stays as it is.

There are at least 3 hymns within the 10th Mandala of Rg Veda that deal explicitly with the creation: The Nasadiya Suukta, The Hiranyagarbha Suukta and The Purusha Suukta.

Maya

Maya account for creation is described in details in Mayan sacred book Popol Vuh. According to this book, Universe, Earth and people were created by three water-dwelling serpents and three heaven-dwelling entities:

There was only immobility and silence in the darkness, in the night. Only the creator, the Maker, Tepeu, Gucumatz, the Forefathers, were in the water surrounded with light. They were hidden under green and blue feathers, and were therefore called Gucumatz. By nature they were great sages and great thinkers. In this manner the sky existed and also the Heart of Heaven, which is the name of God and thus He is called.

Then came the word. Tepeu and Gucumatz came together in the darkness, in the night, and Tepeu and Gucumatz talked together. They talked then, discussing and deliberating; they agreed, they united their words and their thoughts.

Then while they meditated, it became clear to them that when dawn would break, man must appear. Then they planned the creation, and the growth of the trees and the thickets and the birth of life and the creation of man. Thus it was arranged in the darkness and in the night by the Heart of Heaven who is called Huracán.

The first is called Caculhá Huracán. The second is Chipi-Caculhá. The third is Raxa-Caculhá. And these three are the Heart of Heaven.

Then Tepeu and Gucumatz came together; then they conferred about life and light, what they would do so that there would be light and dawn, who it would be who would provide food and sustenance.

Thus let it be done! Let the emptiness be filled! Let the water recede and make a void, let the earth appear and become solid; let it be done. Thus they spoke. Let there be light, let there be dawn in the sky and on the earth! There shall be neither glory nor grandeur in our creation and formation until the human being is made, man is formed. So they spoke.

Issues on Creation

Purpose of creation

In Judaism, Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), an Orthodox rabbi within the Hasidic tradition, explained that the purpose of creation was so that the infinite God might be able to dwell in the finite world of creation eventually. Human beings, who are created as finite beings, are expected to observe the laws and commandments to know God better and to elevate this finite world to a level in which God can dwell. But, this ultimate purpose of creation is to be really accomplished in the days of the Mashiach (Messiah). Rabbi Pinchas Winston of Canada has expressed this purpose of creation in terms of our partnership with God: "This is so humanity can become a 'partner' with God in bringing creation to its completed and perfected state."

According to Islam, God's main purpose of creation is so that we may know and worship him: "I did not create Jinn and Men except that they may worship me" (Qur'an 51:56). So, worshipping other gods like in polytheism is against the purpose of creation, thus being unacceptable. But, we are supposed to know and worship God so that the divine attributes such as mercy, grace, forgiveness, and justice may be manifested in the world.

Controversy with evolutionsim

Depending upon how the six-day process of creation in Genesis is interpreted, there are roughly four types of creationism especially in Christianity.

• Young Earth creationism — This believes that the Earth was created by God within the last ten thousand years, i.e., within the approximate time frame of biblical genealogies literally as described in Genesis, and it also maintains that the Earth was created by a direct act of God in six 24-hour days, taking the Hebrew text of Genesis 1 literally. Young Earth creationists are usually fundamentalist and conservative Christians, and they seek scientific explanations that confirm the literal truth of the Bible. Hence their position is also called "scientific creationsim" or "creation science." In spite of their scientific claims, they are usually criticized of being unscientific.

• Old Earth creationism — This form of creatoinsim believes that the Earth was created by a direct act of God, but that the creation event of Genesis is not to be taken strictly literally. So, although it still denies evolutionism, it believes that the age of the Universe and the age of the Earth should be as accepted by science. Day-age creationism is part of this school, and it holds that the "six days" are not ordinary 24-hour days but rather much longer periods (for instance, each "day" could be the equivalent of millions, or billions of years of human time).

• Neo-Creationsim — Neo-Creationism is a movement whose goal is to restate creationism in terms more likely to be well received by the public, education policy makers and the scientific community. It aims to re-frame the debate over the origins of life in non-religious terms and without appeals to scripture, and to bring the debate before the public. This comes in response to the 1987 ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Edwards v. Aguillard that "creation science" is an inherently religious concept and that advocating it as correct or accurate in public school curricula violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. One of the principal claims of Neo-Creationism is that ostensibly objective orthodox science is actually a dogmatically atheistic religion. The most recognized form of this school is the "intelligent design" movement.

• Evolutionary creationsim — This is the view that, instead of faith being in opposition to biological evolution, some or all classical religious teachings about God and creation are compatible with some or all of modern scientific theory, including specifically evolution. It generally views evolution as a tool used by God, who is both the first cause and immanent sustainer/upholder of the universe; it is therefore well accepted by people of strong theistic (as opposed to deistic) convictions. Mainline Protestant Churches and the Catholic Church usually have this position.

See also

• Esoteric cosmology
• Documentary hypothesis
• Higher criticism
• Source criticism
• Origin belief
• Allegorical interpretations of Genesis
• Ex nihilo
• Creation according to Genesis
• Sons of Noah
• Antediluvian
• 40th century B.C.E.
• Intelligent design
• Conflict thesis
• List of paradigm shifts in science
• Scientific mythology
• Scientism
• Continuity thesis

Refrences

• Anderson, Bernhard, G. Coats & B. Long, eds. "A Stylistic Study of the Priestly Creation Story," Canon and Authority, G. Coats & B. Long, eds. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977. ISBN 0800605012.
• Anderson, Bernhard, ed., Creation in the Old Testament, Philadelphia: Fortress Press; London: SPCK, 1984. ISBN 0800617681.
• Anderson, Bernhard, Creation versus chaos: the reinterpretation of mythical symbolism in the Bible, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987I. ISBN 0800619986.
• Anderson, Bernhard, Understanding the Old Testament, Abridged 5th ed., Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. ISBN 013092380X.
• Brandon, S.G.F., Creation Legends of the Ancient Near East, London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1964.
• Brueggemann, Walter, Genesis, Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. ISBN 080423101X
• Cross, Frank Moore, Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1973. ISBN 0674091752.
• Ellis, Peter, The Yahwist: The Bible's First Theologian, London: G. Chapman, 1969. ISBN 0225488191.
• Gunkel, Hermann, The Legends of Genesis: The Biblical Saga and History, Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1592442366.
• Oden, Thomas, The Living God, San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1992. ISBN 0060663634.
• Prabhupada, A.C.B., Life Comes From Life, Los Angeles, CA: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1979. ISBN 0892131004. Creation from the Vedic Perspective.
• Rad, Gerhard von, Genesis: a commentary, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1972. ISBN 0664209572.
• Rouvière Jean-Marc, "Brèves méditations sur la création du monde" Paris: Harmattan, 2006, ISBN 2747599221.
• Wright, G.E., The Old Testament and Theology, New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1969.

External links

All links are retrieved November 10, 2007.

• Get Answers, Answers in Genesis, 2007. Arguments for Scientific Creation.
• Genesis 2:4-25, The Creation of Man and Woman. English Standard Version.
• Genesis 1:1-2:3, The Creation of the World, English Standard Version.
• A rewriting of Chapter I: In The Beginning..., The Word According to Yo, as told to Daniel*, Yoism. The view on Genesis as consistent with modern science, including evolutionary biology.
• Colossians 1:15-20, The Preeminence of Christ. English Standard Version.
• John 1:1-18, The Word Became Flesh, English Standard Version.
• Harun Yahya International, home page, 2007. Muslim viewpoint.
• On Islam and Evolution, a letter to Suleman Ali, Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Masud.
• Creation in the Vedic tradition - an encyclopedic entry, VEDA, 2007.
• Vedic creationism in America, Frontline, Volume 23 - Issue 01, Jan. 14 - 27, 2006.

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