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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 February 2024
A consideration of our human participation in the divine creativity can be regarded as a legitimate, indeed desirable appendix or coda to the theology of creation. It is essentially a consideration of the relationship between creature and creator, of the active relationship indeed of creatures, that is of ourselves, with God. A look at God’s active relationship with us, at what the creator does with and for his creatures, means reflection on God’s providence and on his government of his creation. A look at our active relationship with God, at what we as creatures do for the creator, means reflection on our ability and our need to know and glorify God.
But the question immediately arises whether it makes sense to talk about creatures doing anything for the creator; and it is answered by the very firm assertion that God has absolutely no need of his creation at all. We, all creatures, owe him everything, he has no need of us. Our need of him is total, he owes us nothing. Difficult to establish any relationship between such radical unequals, but leaving that point aside, we are faced with the next question that arises, which is why, in that case, did God create the universe. The only possible answer is because he wished to. And why did he wish to? The answer you give to overpersistent children—because he did.
1 First given as a talk at a Lay Dominican conference in Glasgow, 27th April, 1996.
2 See Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J.B. Pritchard. The Babylonian myth is called Enumah Elish.
3 Summa Theologiae, la, 2, 3.
4 The first picture of ‘decreation’, of God unmaking the world he has made, is given in the story of the flood, especially those sections contributed by P, which show the waters above the heavens and the waters of the deep–the waters of Apsu above and of Tiamal below, of the Babylonian myth–once more mingling and drowning the dry land between them; see, for example Gen. 7:11.
5 January 1975: A Return to the Problems of Behemoth and Leviathan, by J.V. Kinner Wilson. To appreciate his interpretation of the Behemoth section, one needs to have his translation of it to hand. So I give it here, Job 40:10‐23. He justifies it, of course, with great erudition in copious footnotes.
10 Pray deck now thyself in glory and majesty, clothe now thyself in splendour and state. Pour forth the outbursts of thine anger, look upon everyone that is proud, and abase him. Yea, look upon everyone that is proud, and bring him low, tread down the wicked where they stand….,
14 so that even I may confess thee (to be a god), seeing that thine own right hand can deliver thee.
15 (So) behold now Behemoth which I have made with thy help. He eats grass like an ox; behold the strength of him is in his loins, and the might of him in the muscles of his paunch. [So far, God's work]
17 But his tail is as stiff as a cedar! The sinews of his thighs are (all) intertwined! His ribs are as tubes of copper! His backbone as a bar of iron! [This is Job's contribution]
19 Shall this be the fruit of the work of a “God“? Will his “Maker” then bring near companions for him? Why, even the cattle of the mountains would howl at him, and every beast in the field laugh (in scorn),
21 (Saying): “There doth he lie under the lotus trees, in the shelter of rushes and marsh, the lotuses covering him with their shadow, the willow trees compassing him about. “Behold, if the river breaks its bank, he will not run off: he would stay hidden in his lair, though all Jordan were rushing forth!” Thus far Job being invited to be a “creator god“ next, 40:24‐41:34, he is invited to be a “hero god” and to carry out God's second most important work after creation, the defeat of the chaos monster, Leviathan. The answer to God's initial questions, however, being clearly “No”, the re‐enactment of the battle, with Job in the hero role, never takes place.
