Creation

Creation is the view thateverything but God was brought into existence by God, who alone has alwaysexisted. This is in contrast withvarious alternative views: (1) that the cosmos has always been and there are noGods at all (atheism); (2) that the cosmos is itself God (pantheism); (3) thatthe cosmos is God=s Abody@ while God is its Aspirit@ (panentheism); and (4) that the cosmos is merelysomething shaped by God or the gods, but that its matter has always existed(dualism; various forms of polytheism).

Creation is the teaching ofthe Bible and of traditional Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Here we sketch the teaching given inthe Old and New Testaments as understood by evangelical and fundamentalChristians. Their views on how torelate the idea of creation to scientific data range over a spectrum, which maybe subdivided into young-earth (or recent) creation, old earth (or progressive)creation, and theistic evolution (or fully-gifted creation).  See Creationism.

At its most basic level, theact of creation is the bringing into existence of that which did not previouslyexist. In this sense creation isspoken of as ex nihilo (Latin:from nothing). The creationaccount in Genesis seems to apply this idea to the universe as a whole (heavenand earth), and perhaps to life and to the human spirit, but not B for example B tothe human body. The creation ofother spirit beings (angels, etc.) is mentioned in the Bible but not narratedin Genesis; perhaps these belong to another, earlier created order. God=sother creative actions in Genesis may alternatively have been ex nihilo creation, or his miraculous working with existingmaterials, or his non-miraculous (providential) guidance of naturalprocesses. See Creationism. Whethertime and space were also created with the cosmos has been debated.

God=s creation of the cosmos was a free, personalaction. He was not constrained byany logical necessity nor by need for companionship. Christians would see God as having always enjoyed suchcompanionship because of the three-person nature of his being.  See Trinity. Genesistells us that God created all things by means of his Word B his spoken command. Christians understand this Word (from the opening verses ofJohn=s Gospel) to be Jesus before he became a human.  We learn from Genesis that God=s Spirit hovers over the waters at creation.  Apparently the Holy Spirit works withinthe created order to carry out God=spurposes. God is thus both withinand beyond his creation (immanent and transcendent).

God=s purpose in creating was to Adeclare his glory,@i.e., to demonstrate his character Bwisdom, goodness, power, justice, compassion, etc. B to the personal beings he would create, and to sharethese and other good things with them.

The creation is initiallygood, in fact Avery good.@ But God also created free, moral beingswho could choose either to trust and obey him, or else to doubt and rejecthim. The Bible=s main plot line tells what happened as a result ofthe disobedience of the first humans, and how God subsequently reached out torescue people from the consequences of their own and of others= rebellion against him. The great dilemma of how God can be both a just judge andyet merciful to those who deserve punishment is solved when God himself sufferstheir punishment and provides their righteousness by becoming a created humanin Jesus of Nazareth, living a life of perfect obedience, and dying a criminal=s death nailed to a wooden cross.

Humans were created Ain God=s image.@ Though thisconcept is not explained anywhere in the Bible, it seems to be intended tocontrast with the animals being made Aaccordingto their kinds.@ Thepoint seems to be that humans share some features with God that the animals donot. As animals are called Airrational@ inthe New Testament, rationality is apparently part of this. Many passages indicate that humans arespirits (which can survive death), so that this is included in our resemblanceto God. Other such features arepresumably moral and artistic capabilities, probably a part of ourspirituality.

Humans were created to haveresponsibility and rule over at least the earth-bound part of creation. This means that humans are responsibleunder God for how we treat the plants, animals and non-living environmentaround us, as well as for how we treat one another. Our ability to do this successfully has been badly disruptedby our rebellion against God, as has our behavior in all of the other authorityrelationships we inhabit: God/human, government, employment, marriage, andfamily.

The idea that we and thecosmos are created has profound effects on how we are to view reality, and (iftrue) on the meaning and value of our lives. Unlike the other world views in the first paragraph, creationexplains both the existence of real, objective standards of ethics, logic andbeauty, along with the fact that people regularly violate these standards B the simultaneous existence of both good and evil, andwhy the one is different from and preferable to the other.  It explains why humans are morevaluable than animals and why we view cannibalism with horror but need not (andcannot) extend this to meat-eating and vegetable-eating.   It explains why we have longingsfor a life beyond this one, and how God can be just even though justice is notalways done in this life.

According to the Bible, ourcosmos has not always existed, and one day it will come to an end. It is Awearing out.@ One dayit will be replaced with a new heaven and a new earth, in which all will bewell.

Robert C. Newman

Bibliography

Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1979). ACreator,@ inInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1:802-804.

Buswell, J. Oliver (1962-65). SystematicTheology of the Christian Religion. Grand Rapids: Baker.

Carter, Charles W. (1983). A Contemporary Wesleyan Theology. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1947-48). Systematic Theology. 8vols. Dallas: Dallas SeminaryPress.

Dabney, Robert L. (1878). Lectures in Systematic Theology. GrandRapids: Zondervan, 1972 reprint.

Demarest, Bruce and Gordon Lewis. (1987). Integrative Theology. GrandRapids: Zondervan.

Erickson, Millard J.(1983). Christian Theology. 3 vols.Grand Rapids: Baker.

Grenz, Stanley J.(2000). Theology for theCommunity of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Grudem, Wayne A. (1994). Systematic Theology. GrandRapids: Zondervan.

Harrison, Roland K. (1975). ACreation,@ inZondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1:1020-1025.

Hodge, Charles (1873). Systematic Theology. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1973 reprint.

Lindsay, James (1979). ACreation,@ in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 1:800-802.

Oden, Thomas C. (1987). The Living God: Systematic Theology: Volume One. SanFrancisco: Harper and Row.

Pieper, Francis (1917-24). Christian Dogmatics. 3vols. ET: St. Louis:Concordia.

Strong, Augustus Hopkins(1907). Systematic Theology. 8^thed. Valley Forge: Judson.

Williams, J. Rodman (1988-92). Renewal Theology: SystematicTheology from a Charismatic Perspective. 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

This article has beenpublished as ACreation@ inEncyclopedia of Fundamentalism. Ed. Brenda E. Brasher (New York:Routledge, 2001). Religion andSociety Series, David Levinson, gen. ed.