Search This Blog

Friday, January 18, 2008

The side show

The doctrine of creation is underplayed in the Sydney Diocese to the extent that you'd wonder if God created at all . . .so I liked this quote from a review of History and Hermeneutics by Murray Rae:

Rae roots his account of theological history in the doctrine of creation (chapter 3). Attention to the doctrine of creation he argues allows us to recognise that creation has its own being and integrity distinct from God, that creation has a goal and so a history and is the work of the triune God who 'does not abandon the world to its own devices, nor withdraws his promise, but involves himself in bring creation to its goal' (54). History cannot be explained without reference to God, because God involves himself in creation, in the life of Israel and supremely in the incarnation. What history is rethought of the basis of theology.

The book seems to have a bit of a Pannenbergian feel to it: could be worth a look (now if we used little advert on this blog we could make money when people buy from Amazon!! But we don't).

1 comment:

Critias said...

I read the Baddeley complaint that 'creation scientists'don't do theology (they are in the wrong trade union, of course, and can only do science); but I was looking at "The Turning Point, that I think Neil mentioned: maybe 'creation scientists' don't need to do theology. If the facts 'stand up' and confront the myth of evolution and its partner long ages, then theology will be able to sit in the Bible securely, and not ambiguously, as I think it may now.

The emperor's new clothes in theology being that if creation is not factual, the theology is mere rhetoric and will help no one to new life.

If the 'creation' that theologians talk about is real, and is seen in the real world, the connection of t his life with new life may be more strongly made.